Donation

Donating to Habitat for Humanity to Make A Difference in Communities

Most people know Habitat for Humanity as a charitable organization that builds homes for people in need. More than providing a “free home,” Habitat uses volunteer labor and donated supplies to improve communities by sharing resources, teaching skills and making home ownership affordable.

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To support their goals, local chapters of Habitat for Humanity accept donations of building mat erials, supplies and tools that will be used to produce or refurbish new homes for the people they serve. Because of the quantities needed and the logistics of getting materials to the work sites, Habitat accepts tools and materials from corporations who can donate and deliver large quantities at once. In addition to construction materials, items like hand and power tools, paint, work gloves and eye protection are always appreciated.

Leftover or unneeded items from small home remodeling projects can still be donated to support the cause. Habitat for Humanity operates many resale stores that sell donated items and reinvest the proceeds into their mission. This is a way to donate single items to a good cause. Wrong-sized windows, extra rolls of wallpaper and leftover drywall can usually be used by someone, and donating them keeps them out of landfills.

Habitat for Humanity projects typically involve lots of volunteers, so restaurants often provide lunches and other refreshments to the job site. This is a great way to become involved in community projects, and also to generate publicity for a local restaurant. It’s also a fantastic way to show support for the project, even if the donor is not in the home-building business.

Filed Under: Habitat for Humanity, Natural Disaster Relief Tagged With: Charitable organization, Donation, Habitat for Humanity International

Ways to Help Your Local Soup Kitchen

The soup kitchen and other organizations that provide food to people in need have been around since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Sadly, the need for these types of agencies has continued to grow even though the country has emerged from that economic catastrophe. In many areas of the country, people still rely on soup kitchens and food pantries in order to eat.

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Because of the demand for the service they provide, soup kitchens, food pantries and other agencies that provide food to the disadvantaged are faced with a constant struggle. These facilities are generally operated by not-for-profit agencies such as churches, homeless shelters or other charitable organizations. As a result, they usually have shoestring budgets and rely on donations from corporations and the general public. Soup kitchens and food pantries always need donations of food, particularly institutional-sized cans of vegetables. Canned goods don’t require refrigeration, and are easy to prepare. Canned fruits, applesauce, vegetables and high-protein foods such as peanut butter are the most asked-for items.

Because soup kitchens can serve hundreds of people per day, large cans or cases of food products are the easiest and most convenient way for them to plan menus. In addition to food, these facilities also need cleaning supplies and food preparation items. Donors often overlook the items that are necessary for running a large-scale food preparation operation such as dishwashing detergent, paper towels, plastic wrap, latex gloves, hairnets and take-out containers.

Remember that soup kitchens rarely have a paid, full-time staff. Sometimes the best way to help is to become a volunteer and help the hungry by donating your time, service and compassion.

Filed Under: Habitat for Humanity, Natural Disaster Relief Tagged With: Donation, Food bank, Soup kitchen

Suggestions for Donations: Clothing Guidelines

It’s an assumption of simplicity: offering your once loved styles to charity seems to be a quick process, demanding nothing beyond a smile. Reality requires precision instead, however. There are rules to adhere (and good sense to follow):

Conditions and Care

The desire to donate is a worthy one. That worthiness shatters, however, when you offer pieces that are burdened by stains, rips and gaping button holes. All items — from Coogi clothing to those kitten heels you used to favor in the office — must be wearable. They should be cleaned thoroughly and mended of any tears. This is not a law of charity but it is one of decency.

Trekking With Totes

It’s an all too easy impulse: stuffing clothes into garbage bags, shoving them into the already hastily filled confines of your car. There can be no harm in this, you’re certain. Wrinkles are no great sin. They are, however, a great frustration. Donations should be brought to centers with care. All pieces should be folded neatly into baskets or boxes (consider offering these as well, if they serve no purpose within your home). They should also be labeled, allowing employees to sort them quickly.

Drop-off Demands

The span of a clothing bin seems endless, tempts you to toss all of your items inside — including ones that aren’t made of fabric. When dropping donations at a charity site you must be certain to obey the rules. Garments aren’t to mingle with glass; accessories aren’t to be flung in with furnishings. Keep all items divided instead.

Remember these guidelines before making any donation. They will save all charities time, effort and aggravation.

Filed Under: General, Natural Disaster Relief Tagged With: Charitable organization, Clothing, Coogi, Donation

Benefits of Online Fundraising

With the increase in online communication and social networking, it only follows that raising money and awareness for charity is becoming easier and easier to accomplish online as well. Here are some of the benefits of raising money for charity online.

Publicity
Use facebook and Twitter to promote your cause with ease! Your fundraising web page might even appear on search engines. All this means that more and more people will see your message, learn about the charity you’re supporting, and potentially donate.
Convenience of collecting donations
Online fundraising makes wire transfers and credit and debit card charges a breeze. Furthermore, it allows friends and family who live in different areas of the country to donate with ease. Not only will this encourage more people to donate, but it will also encourage the build-up of smaller donations. Many people don’t consider the potential that a few $5 or $10 donations have until they start to fundraise online; a few $5 donations are sometimes better than one $20 or $50 donation because it means that your message is reaching more donors.
Ability to help another philanthropic organization in the process… The website itself!
Many websites are either registered non-profits or geared towards helping worthy causes and individuals. While websites will take a small fee, that fee is usually to cover the cost of credit card charges, web hosting, and other overhead for the company. By using an online fundraising website, you’ll be able to help the company stay afloat so that others will have the chance to support their causes online as well.

There are a variety of online fundraising websites out there that make it easy for individuals to promote the causes that they care about. Check out Firstgiving, GiveForward, or Raise It Now for more information about how you can set up an online fundraising page for your favorite charity.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Donation, Firstgiving, Fundraising

A Donation of Time and Effort

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Charity is about more than the money you can give; it’s also about the things and pieces of yourself you can put into a good cause. Many charities have money, but what they need extends beyond monetary means, and this works to the advantage of many. There are plenty of people out there who are interested in giving to a greater cause but are not in the financial position to donate. However, you can donate more than just your money to a charity.

If there is a charity out there that you are interested in donating to, you should give them a call and ask them what they might be in need of. There are plenty of charities out there that require household items or specialty items that they may not have the budget to purchase. Things like coffeemakers, tools, and clothes are all things that can come in handy but may not be vital to the overall plan.

You should see if there is something that you can do to volunteer your time. Non-profit organizations often have the money that is needed, but they lack the help they need to get things moving in the right direction. You may have some special skills that they might be in need of, if you are going with your hands or if you have medical training. These are just some things to think about.

Of course, you can always donate money and time if you so choose. Money can come in a cash, check, money order, or even as a prepaid credit card. If you want to donate your time, know that there are many places that could use people behind the scenes to do some of the work they need to have done. Giving back can be one of the most fulfilling experiences. Make sure you do it right and enjoy it every step of the way.

Filed Under: Seasonal Volunteering, Society Tagged With: Charitable organization, Donation, Personal Finance

Strategies for Making a Fundraising Event Succeed

Organizing a fundraising event, such as a party, raffle, or sporting tournament, can be a wonderful way to help those in need. Here are several tips for maximizing your event’s moneymaking potential and increasing its publicity.

Personalize your donation requests
Take the time to personally request donations through phone calls, email messages, or even in-person requests. These are much more likely to gain support for your event. Not only is it nearly impossible to say no to a friend’s smiling face, but it’s also a great way for donors to hear your own personal reasons for supporting your charity. Best of all, you get the chance to give a genuine “thank you” to your donors right after they make a donation!
Involve different news organizations
Contact local news agencies to see if they’re able to run press releases about your event. This will help make your event public, and it will also be a great way to spread information about the event’s charitable beneficiary. What’s more, you might even be able to get a newspaper or news website to run articles both before and after your event, doubling the publicity benefits.
Enlist the help of corporate sponsors
Local bars, restaurants, and stores generally love to support charitable causes, because it makes them look good and earn more business. Try trading advertising at your event with a few donated raffle prizes or gift certificates–or even the venue space itself. Corporate sponsors allow your charity to build relationships with local businesses, who might be even more willing to make future donations for your cause as a result of your current event’s success.

Using these simple strategies will help boost the funds and publicity of your event, while simultaneously raising awareness about the cause that you’re supporting. Try them out and see the difference they can make!

Filed Under: Community, F.E.M.A Tagged With: Charitable organization, Donation, Sponsor (commercial)

Ideas to Raise Funds for Charity

Raising money for various non-profit causes is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. There are so many organizations that do amazing works in various communities and popularities. If you’re looking for ideas, here some that are worthy of consideration. After all, doing whatever one can to help others is something that all should strive to do.
A music festival is one such idea. Many artists are willing to play in these events to help gain exposure and to assist the organization. This is great for any community or area to gain support for a local charity.
For this ticket sales would go a long way to raising funds. You could also count on donations, as individuals are often willing to donate money for the cause that is being supported. Additionally, drinks and concessions should be included as they can certainly raise a good amount of money during an event such as this.
Another effective idea to raise funds for charity events is a poker night. You could find a venue and then rent or buy poker tables for the contestants. The entry fund would serve as the main mechanism for raising funds, and the prize could be something donated by a local business who is willing to help. Once again, drinks and concessions would be a very easy way to raise supplementary funds.
Consider other ideas to help raise money for charities and non-profit organizations. Charity auctions and other events, such as those listed here, should all be considered to support respected causes.
Consider some of these options if you have a role in such an event. These would not be too difficult to plan and execute, with the end product resulting in increased resources for the chosen organization. This is something that should be considered in order to improve the work that these organizations undertake.

Filed Under: Community, Philanthropy Tagged With: Donation, Fundraising, Non-profit organization

Donating to Habitat for Humanity to Make A Difference in Communities

Ways to Help Your Local Soup Kitchen

Suggestions for Donations: Clothing Guidelines

Benefits of Online Fundraising

A Donation of Time and Effort

Ideas to Raise Funds for Charity

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