"I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act. "
Bill Gates
Think about it and I know you'll agree that Bill's statement is true. Charities have used tv and film to make sure that we know the problems. They also show us how we can make the lives of the people who need help better. It may not be just money either. For example, charities donations can be tinned foods or warm clothes for bitterly cold nights, or spectacles to help people see. You can even make a charity car donation to be used or sold by the charity. Things we don't have a use for any more but are still too good to throw away. This way we can make a difference easily and feel that we are helping in a way that doesn't mean we have to give money.
If you like to give money, do you give charity donations regularly or just when you see a disaster has happened on the news? If you donate money to charity regularly, I expect you have already decided on the area that is most important to you, such as homelessness or Aids. I also expect you have discovered the tax benefits too. The tax that you have already paid on charities donations can be reclaimed by the charity. With minimum tax in the UK at 22%, that can make a big difference to how much they raise. If you have not filled in the forms, ask the charity for more information on how to do it.
If, like me, you don't have a 'favourite' charity, it is a good idea to plan your budget for the year and then decide who to help. Charities like the Red Cross, Oxfam, Cafod, etc. are known worldwide and are often first at disaster scenes. Then there is the charities set up as 'one offs' to help rebuild communities after disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami. Searching the Internet will help find details of those. The support in charities donations for these last two areas means that the people who have lost everything can receive help to start again.
Perhaps you think that it is better to help with charity donations closer to home. Sometimes the best and most satisfying things to do is be involved with fund raising at a local level. When I had a young family we used to help raise money for the local school. This meant giving time as well as money or goods and through it we made new friends. We lived in a country village and the children enjoyed celebrating harvest festival by giving fresh vegetables and fruit. When the festival was over the food would go to a local charity for the homeless.
Now the children have grown up and we have moved away from the village. That doesn't mean I have stopped helping. It just means that I do it differently. I work full time now so I can't help out with my time easily. In recent years I have chosen two areas to support. One is cancer research as it affects my family. The other is children's charity - local, national and international. In this way I get the satisfaction of believing my financial help to the charities donations makes a better future.
