Giving your time and effort to those who deserve it the most is always going to be a rewarding experience. There are hundreds of ways you can help and donate to a needy cause, aside from simply popping some change in a charity box (although, that’s a perfectly kind gesture too). The more positivity and kindness that people put out into their local and surrounding areas, and to help the plight of people from far away destinations – the better the world will become. With so much access to current events and information on various charitable causes – there’s always going to be something you can do, to raise money for someone. Collecting it is easy because there are so many digital fundraising options. The following are some ideas, and routes to take if you’re considering spending your efforts on doing something good.
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Start Small And Make A Difference
There are an array of things you can get stuck into that are simple (and even fun) to organise, to raise some cash. Whether it’s a local homeless charity, or to raise funds and awareness of an illness or condition that has impacted your family, your family, friends and neighbours, will be more than happy to pop along and show support. You could start with a simple sale of some kind; sell household items, like toys, books, and clothes (much like at a car boot sale), that are in great condition, but you don’t have any use for anymore. By going through what you have at home that you don’t need and selling it; you’ll be bringing in funds and decluttering in the meantime, it’s a win-win.
If you’re a natural-born baker or cook; people are always willing to pay for delicious food and drinks, especially when they know that it’s homemade (and they can polish their halos when they know that their cash is going to a worthy cause). Get your personal marketing team on the go; you can set up a Facebook event, like a cake sale or a bake off, and allow your guests to invite their family and friends to spread the word. Perhaps you have somebody in your house who is a whizz on Photoshop, and they can produce some flyers and posters for you to print off and hand out in your local area (cake’s always a great way to bribe people to help).
By spreading the word; your event or sale will become one for the community, so ensure that you get the word out in good time, and people will have it in their minds to pop by or visit for the day. Talk to your local public spaces; school, church, and community halls are great places to start, and will already have their own regular visitors to promote your event to. Check out this A to Z list of fundraising ideas for charity and grab some inspiration. You never know; you could end up with a much bigger get-together than you planned, which will be a great way to increase the income for your chosen charity.
If you’re not sure about organised a whole affair yourself; don’t worry, you can check out those very same places that were mentioned earlier, and see when their next charitable shindig is on, and get involved that way. You can always add to a sale stand by donating, crafting, or baking items for them to sell, or maybe you could just donate your time. Manning the stall, the bar, or the door for an hour or two, will be much appreciated by the organisers, and you’ll still be donating your time to raise money.
The main thing is, is to let people know where their money is going, and how it will be helping somebody. Informing each customer will help to spread awareness of your cause, or somebody else’s, which can result in more people becoming involved and wanting to participate in raising money further. Keep smiling; what you’re doing is kind and worthwhile, and could become a regular thing that makes you happy, so let other people know about it!
Get Involved In Organised Events
If you’re looking to raise money in a different way; annual and regular, large-scale events are a great way to get involved in charity work, without having to all of the organising. You’ll be able to find events that are for a particular charity, or there will be things to get involved in, that allows you to take part for whatever cause you choose.
Children’s charity, Variety, hold Australia’s largest motoring event, which helps to raise money for sick and disadvantaged kids, and the participants also get to see parts of the rural countryside they would never normally visit. Individuals and companies get involved to help raise funds; you can check out this interactive infographic which explains the event and how car-hire company, Nobirds, took on the adventure. Marathons are a way for many people to take part in something, and raise money for different charities, which can be anything from animal shelters, to Diabetes UK. The London Marathon is extremely popular, like many major city’s version, so you’ll have to go through the appropriate application stages and in good time.
There are always smaller city marathons, or town fun runs, that might be easier to take part in, as you’ll have a higher chance of being accepted with your chosen charity; these are also a great way to practise and train for the more popular ones. Events like tough mudders, triathlons, iron man challenges, and charity sports matches, are all excellent ways to put on your sportswear, get some sponsorship, and turn up on the day and get involved. For a list of events that you could take part in in the UK, take a look here: https://www.timeoutdoors.com/events and start getting your loved ones to sponsor you!
For those that don’t fancy get their trainers on; there are nationwide events that allow you to take part in the comfort of your own home, or at a friends house. A Macmillan coffee morning, for example, usually takes place on a certain date, and enables offices, community centres, and private residences, to host a few hours of relaxed beverages, cake (that keeps popping up), chatter, and ultimately, donations. You can take a look at 30 Recipe Ideas here if you fancy hosting a charity coffee morning.
Fancy dress days in the workplace are another way to acknowledge and donate to popular charitable celebrations, like Red Nose Day and Children In Need. Movember allows participants to raise money simply by growing their facial hair; you could encourage all the baby-faced men in your life to take part and make some money and awareness for men’s health issues, like prostate and testicular cancer.
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Challenge Yourself And Leave Your Comfort Zone
For the adrenalin junkies (or future ones) amongst you; you could push yourself to do something that scares you, or that will push you to your limits. Completing a terrifying activity and successfully overcoming a challenge, is the perfect way to encourage people to sponsor you, and to raise awareness for your cause. Setting up a Justgiving page will allow people to donate to your charity wherever they are, and they’ll be secure in the knowledge that their money is going to the right place.
Again, you don’t have to organise a whole event or challenge yourself. There are plenty of skydives, bungee jumps, and abseils happening around the world each day. So, find the one you feel is right for you and start promoting what you’re doing to your friends, family, and to anyone who will listen on your social media platforms. The more people that hear you, the money you’re likely to raise (and they’ll be no backing out of jumping out of that plane). Mountain climbing, treks and cycling journeys, are other ways to gain sponsorship and funding through challenging yourself; not only will you gain valuable cash for charity, but you’ll also have the experience to last you a lifetime to boot.
There are opportunities to go and immerse yourself in helping on location too; travelling overseas to provide aid and comfort to those who live in various conditions, is a rewarding way to give your time and energy. Always seek out official organisations, and never go alone; they will be able to give you any training that you may need, and it’s the only safe way to go. When natural disasters and events have caused damage to areas, both at home and abroad, you have the chance to collect food, clothing, and supplies for those in need.
Organising a collection point and letting people know what’s needed is a way to help people, without having to travel to the affected areas. If you feel compelled; you should always choose to help those in need, just make sure that you are seeking qualified help and advice to ensure that any money and supplies you collect go to the right places, and remember to look after your own safety.
Whatever you choose to do to raise cash, awareness, food, and supplies, or how you choose to dedicate your time and effort; you will make a difference. Therefore, it’s worth continuing to put your positivity and kindness out there on a regular basis, to help to make the world that little bit better.
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