If you live under a rock, the current economic state of our nation may have eluded you, but most of us are feeling the full force of it. Those of us in non-profit industries are feeling it two-fold.  Donations are down, but demand for services is up. 

 

As the economy gets worse, more and more families find they can’t make ends meet and they are turning to community organizations for the basics, such as food, clothing and help with monthly bills. The drop in donations makes it harder than ever for agencies to help the growing number of people at their door.  Yet for the donor that wants to help, sometimes they just don’t have the extra income to continue with charitable donations.  This creates a vicious cycle, one that we must find a way to break.

 

This is why we must do what we can to take care of our families but also include our “community family”, neighbors we may never meet, as well.  We have to think of new and creative ways to help when we can no longer just write a check.  Here are some ideas:

 

1. Don’t overlook the value of volunteering. Most agencies have a small staff and every hour you volunteer is an hour they don’t have to pay someone to do that task. If you don’t have a dime to spare, consider giving the gift of your time.
2. If you normally give $100 a year and you can’t write that check now, can you give $10 a month?  That is the cost of one lunch out and if you do it, it would actually increase your annual gift by $20.
3. Can you take out an inexpensive insurance policy and name your favorite charity as the beneficiary?  This will cost you a small premium now, but could be a lasting legacy to the organization you love long after you are gone.
4. Can you set up a monthly bank draft to a charity or have it direct debited from your pay check?  This way you don’t have to write out a separate check and the gift is automatic and relatively painless. 
5. Keep a jar in your office or bedroom and deposit spare change in it each day. Encourage family members and co-workers to do this with you.  When the jar gets full, bring it to your favorite charity.
6. Do you have stocks and are considering selling due to the market? Why not donate your stock to charity?  You get a tax deduction and the charity gets a gift.
7. If you are writing a will or doing estate planning, considering your favorite charity and make plans for a bequest or planned gift.
8. Are you having a birthday soon, but you really don’t need another scarf or tie? Consider asking your friends to make a gift to your favorite charity instead.
9. Got lots of clutter in your life? Think about having a yard sale or selling things online and donating proceeds to charity.
10. When you make your gift, check and see if your employer has a program to match it.  That makes your gift twice as large!

 

I thought of those ideas in just a few minutes.  I bet you can think of more.  Let’s work together to make sure everyone is taken care of in tough times. 

 

 

Editorial Note: I know the “1″ is missing from #10. It shows up in my version, but for some reason it gets dropped when I hit “publish”. This irks the perfectionist in me, so I just had to make sure you knew it is not a typo!