What to Give
Randi Weaver – Good Giving Planner
The late actor and entertainer Bob Hope said:
“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”
He was in a good position to comment, as it happens. Hope was known and lauded for his USO shows entertaining American military personnel, which spanned 50 years.
He also established and contributed to the Bob Hope Fight for Sight Fund which enabled medical research in vision and ophthalmology.
Through these and other charitable acts, Bob Hope knew and demonstrated what to give: time, talents and treasures.
Donating Time and Social Capital
Money isn’t the only thing that charities require.
Have you been thinking about donating to a charity, or looking for a new way to give back to your community?
Like many people, you may be on a tighter budget during the economic crisis and feel as though it is difficult to donate on a regular basis. While giving money to charities helps them immensely and they rely on cash contributions, it can also be just as beneficial to give the gift of your time. Charities are in great need of volunteers for all positions and will always welcome your assistance.
In addition to volunteering in the office, out in the field on a project or being a fundraiser, one can also attend or participate in organised charity events. This list of opportunities is long and ever-expanding, but the most popular include: charity balls, fundraising auctions and dinners, sponsored walks, runs, hikes and bike rides and overseas challenges, such as walking part of the Great Wall of China.
Encouraging the attendance or participation of others is using your social capital for the benefit of the charity and may open the door to new donors and volunteers, a gift that truly keeps on giving.
Donating Talents: Skills
Not many of us are skilled entertainers like Bob Hope, nor have his social capital to multiply our efforts, but there are many ordinary people with extraordinary talents, be they artistic, linguistic, athletic, academic or business-related.
Charities, and especially smaller charities, need these specialist skills at least as much as they need extra fundraisers, field workers or money. Regular access to these skills can, in some cases, help a charity survive and in others, to thrive.
People working part-time or those who are retired are often in the ideal position to link with a charity and provide this professional support, whether it is web-design, accounting or leadership skills. People in full-time employment often assist in the evenings or at weekends, or in some cases, on occasion during the business day with the full support of their employer.
There are several organisations set up to help match eager people with skills to charities and social enterprises in need.
One is Pilotlight.
For information on volunteering in general take a look at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) website.
Donating Treasures
Treasures include Financial Resources (money) and Gift of Assets: shares, property, jewellery, furniture, art work and other items.
Most of us are familiar with donating money, be it a reactive one-off donation to a fundraising appeal or setting a giving budget and proactively selecting beneficiaries on an annual basis. Some also have the option of Payroll Giving and others focus on ‘legacy giving’, leaving money to charities in one’s will.
Others of us choose to give gifts of assets, because we have them at our disposal or because of the tax efficiency. With proper planning and paperwork, the physical asset can be donated to a charity to be liquidated or retained, as they see fit.
Much more common are the spring clean or moving house donations of clothing, books and household items to local charity shops. This is a significant source of funding for charities with these outlets and this revenue stream helps stabilise overall income in periods when direct fundraising wanes.
On the flip side, making a purchase in a charity shop is also donating to the cause. A recent survey by the think tank Demos found that charity shops definitely have our support: 80% of respondents had donated items to a charity shop and 64% had made a purchase in the past 12 months.
Charity in Your Heart
Whether you choose to give to charities through a donation of money or other treasures, or by offering your time or skills, know that the value you can offer is incredibly important, no matter how large or small.
By donating your money, time and services, you can share your wealth of time, talent and funds with one or more of the many charitable organisations who work hard to make a difference in the world, and at the same time, you will show people in need that they are cared about.
Then, through a giving plan which uses the resources you have available, you will indeed have charity in your heart. And, most likely, a personal sense of satisfaction and pride.
Next Steps
As always, if you’d like to start a conversation about your charitable and good-giving plans, please contact me at hello@longhurst.co.uk.
