Everyday Giving Blog

How to Get Involved with Microfinance

2012-01-26T20:16:40-05:00

As a form of socially conscious investment, microfinance is an increasingly popular option for people who want to do something good – and there is plenty of scope to get involved. One study by Unitus found that up to 80% of the potential microfinance market had still not been reached, so there is clearly still a lot of work to be done. A lot of this is due to the fact that the key targets of microfinance charity are primarily poor, rural and often hard to reach.

So, if you are interested in micro loans as a means of helping some of the world’s most disadvantaged people, how can you get involved? One of the main routes into microfinance is to support a microfinance charity or other lending institution . Supporting an established microlending organisation is a good idea as it means the money you put into it is more likely to have a positive effect and reach the people the schemes are intended to help.

There are quite a lot of different microfinance charities around so it is definitely worth doing some research to see which one you’d most like to get involved with. For example, you might like to get involved with a charity that works in a particular country or region of the world, or perhaps a microfinance charity that has a focus on lending to particular types of people, such as female entrepreneurs. It is also worth reading a bit about the background and reputation of the charity you are thinking of getting involved with to make sure it’s the right option for you and has got a good reputation in the industry.

When it comes to donating money for microfinance projects, there are two main ways you can do this. One of the most popular ways is simply to donate money to the cause of your choice, as you would any other charity. This is then used to make small loans to the intended beneficiaries. The other way of donating is by giving money to finance specific beneficiaries – you can then choose for the charity to reallocate the money when the beneficiary repays the loan, or you can reinvest it in someone else. Most people either agree to keep reinvesting their money or simply donate it outright so that it can have the maximum benefit.

Overall, microfinance is definitely worth getting involved in as it has the potential to turn lives around – if you’re looking for a charity donation with a difference, this could be a really good option.

Guest Post on behalf of World Vision microfinance charity.

Wacky Ways to Raise Money for Charity

2012-01-22T23:47:07-05:00

If there's a charity that's close to your heart, you've probably put at least some thought into raising money for it. Sadly, in today's economic climate, it's hard to find people willing to donate to good causes. It's not that people don't want to help - but there's not much in the way of spare money floating around these days, and people are constantly being bombarded with requests to sponsor charity runs, donate to raffles, pledge on someone's JustGiving page, or sign up for a monthly direct debit to donate to a specific cause.

If you want to persuade people that your cause is worth donating to, then you'll need to get creative.

Do Something Different

The secret to getting people to donate isn't to try to persuade them that the cause is worthy - guilt trips will lead to resentment, especially if the person you're asking simply doesn't have any money to donate. Instead, you need to do something unusual. Lots of people do charity runs - so why not do yours backwards, or in fancy dress? If you can make people laugh, or impress them by doing something difficult or exciting, they'll be more likely to donate to your chosen charity.

Here's a few wacky fund-raising ideas to help you get brainstorming:

A martial arts competition: Last year, one martial arts group did a "crescent kick, jumping crescent kick" competition, in fancy dress - all the club black belts lined up and competed to see who could do the most of these moves - each move requires a 360 degree spin, so there were a lot of dizzy and rather sweaty martial artists at the end. It was funny to watch, and so impressive that some people who pledged per spin doubled their pledge at the end.
A sing off - in a foreign language: Do you know the words to Perfect Welle or Heir Kommt Alex? If not, that's great! Hold a Rock Band Sing Off at your local community centre. The more embarrassing, the better.
Snail Racing: This is an oldie, but a fun one. Be sure to carefully put the snails back in the garden afterwards.
Fancy dress runs - let people vote on the costume for your next charity runs - or run as a team all dressed as characters from one TV show.
Cake baking with a difference - if you're really good with marzipan, why not make some fruit cakes with extra-special decorations. Custom designed cupcakes are big business these days, and sell for a lot more than your average bake sale produce. You'll need some skill to pull that one off, though.

Whatever you decide to do for charity, try to be understanding when you go around asking for buyers or sponsors. Remember that some people in your office may have already been asked for sponsorship money by several other people - especially if they have kids in junior school, where sponsored events seem to happen every term. If someone says "No" to your sponsorship request, that doesn't mean they're being stingy, they could be genuinely broke this week.

This article was written by James Harper on behalf of The Poppy Run, organisers of 5k charity runs in aid of The Poppy Appeal.

Non Profits Need Online Presence

2011-12-27T08:00:00-05:00

In order to be competitive nonprofit organizations, just like any other business, must develop and cultivate an online presence. The internet has become an integral part of daily life to almost everyone. Nonprofits now have unprecedented opportunity to recruit supporters and cultivate loyalty to their respective organizations. Because the internet has provided these vast fundraising and marketing opportunities, it’s critical that nonprofit organizations embrace technology and develop a strategic plan for an online presence immediately.

New nonprofits should begin developing a strategy for online presence as early as possible. An ideal date to begin is when the entity is beginning the process of choosing its name. The choice of an organizations name is part and parcel with developing an effective online presence. The process of securing an appropriate domain name also coincides with the choice of a nonprofits name. It would be disappointing to choose and publicize a name for an organization only to discover that any and all possible domain name options that closely match the organizations name choice are unavailable. Choosing a domain name that matches the organizations name as closely as possible will allow potential donors to find the organizations website more easily.

Well before launching a website a specific objective should have already been determined. The sites purpose should be clarified as to whether the intention is to solicit donations, recruit clients or volunteers, or provide information to the general public. Whatever primary objective is selected will determine the focus of your sites design and focus.

Whatever objectives an organization hopes to achieve, the website should always include a clear and concise description of the organization, its mission, and who or what benefits from the organizations work. An opt-in email list is a great way to keep interested viewers informed of the organizations activities and events as well. Including statistics, program details, and various anecdotes demonstrating the work the organization does are also great hooks to maintain the interest of web surfers and ensure they come back.

Once the organizations website is launched the real work has just begun. While the organizations web address should already be publicized efforts at search-engine optimization should still be attempted and maintained perpetually. SEO efforts should be targeted to enhance its position under certain relevant search terms in order to drive traffic to the site. Not everyone will have an organizations web address handy while searching the internet and in many cases potential donors and volunteers use search engines to locate unknown organizations for opportunities.

Social media marketing efforts are a great place for an organization to raise awareness of its work and to solicit donations. Facebook, Twitter and other social networking hubs provide a vast array of opportunities for organizations to advertise. In many cases the advertising is completely cost free.

One of the most important reasons organizations should develop their online presence is that it is now very easy for an organization to solicit donations online. Reaching people from the comfort of their homes and inspiring them to participate in organizations efforts has never been so easy. Small organizations now have access to the type of ad campaigns that multimillion dollar companies paid millions for. Nonprofit organizations have everything to gain from developing an online presence and so much to lose if this valuable resource is ignored.

CD Technical helps you sell ebooks online and specializes in non profit fundraising software.

Ten Companies That Know How to Give

2011-12-22T14:03:01-05:00

10 Biggest Givers in the Corporate World

by Kristy Ramirez

When it comes to corporate philanthropy, there have been a lot of complaints from the workforces in this country that the highest income earners and corporations aren’t paying their fair share, so to speak. Especially in an unsettled economic climate; are businesses still donating to charities and other philanthropic organisations despite the drop in their overall profit margins? Luckily, the statistics prove that yes, millions- even billions- of dollars are still being given away by community-conscious corporations all over the world each year.

The following is a list of ten companies that really know how to give. The first seven are globalised companies, while the final three slots are focused on domestic companies- banks- that know better than anyone where their excess profits should go: right back into their communities.

Walmart

Despite its glaringly low prices in stores, Walmart is the biggest philanthropic company in the world. Last year, at a time where most corporations were scaling back on their donations to needy organisations, Walmart took their giving a step further and donated over $500 million worldwide. They primarily focused on fighting hunger through donations of cash as well as supplies from their store chains. This includes over 127 million pounds (US measurement standards) of food and safe drinks. Not to mention the 90,000+ bottles of fresh water, 27,000 tents, 23,000 blankets and 20,000 units of medical supplies donated to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. These are just a few examples of Walmart’s philanthropic ventures, topping out our list of companies that know how to give.

Microsoft

Everyone knows that billionaire computer mogul Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, give away millions of dollars from their own personal fortune each year, but what about his company? With over $113 million in cash and technology donations in 2009 and millions more in 2010, it’s safe to say that Microsoft is just as philanthropic as its founder. Each year, Microsoft donates millions of dollars to not only improve the quality of technology in classrooms all over the world, but it also provides funding for technological support and gives out free software.

AT&T

AT&T is one of the most philanthropic corporations in the world, near Walmart in terms of giving numbers. Last year, AT&T gave over $148 million to charitable organisations. AT&T primarily focuses on schools and student-based giving, with donations ranging from technological improvements to grants for new classroom equipment and even scholarships for academically successful university students. Not only that, but AT&T also financially supports an emergency telecommunications organisation, Télécoms Sans Frontières to the tune of several hundred thousands of dollars per year.

Target

Like Walmart, Target is an international superstore chain with a giving record as big as its inventory. A whopping 5% of Target’s income goes directly to charities. How many other companies can claim to give away that much to non-profits? Very few, indeed. By 2015, Target hopes to have given over $1 billion away to primarily educational foundations across the globe, with a heavy emphasis placed on books and reading programs.

Coca-Cola

To date, the Coca-Cola Foundation has given over $355 million to charity. Their focuses lie in global sustainability- reducing water wastage and increasing recycling worldwide- but they also have several educational grants and scholarships available. They also support HIV/AIDS preventative programs and supplies in impoverished nations in Africa and South America.

Boeing

Boeing’s CEO, Jim McNerney, believes in the power of community support. As such, he not only volunteers in various non-profits along with several other executives in the company, but financially, Boeing has donated over $100 million to date. It extends its giving all over the world, from health and human services (such as building wells and constructing pumps) in Africa to educational programs for girls in the Middle East, to providing funding for Australia’s Learning for Life program.

Starbucks

As a global coffee company, Starbucks wouldn’t be where it is today without the help of the members of its community. Each year, Starbucks donates over $12 million for various educational grants and youth programs to boost participation and volunteering in their customers’ communities. Current goals include: contributing over one million hours of community service by 2015 and engaging over 50,000 young people to actively get involved in the development and improvement of their communities.

So we can see from the above, there are a lot of global corporations with giving hearts, but what about Australian philanthropy? They may not have millions of dollars to give away, but they are still making a difference in the lives of countless Australians each year.

Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund

In 2011, the Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund had $650,000 available for grants to those organisations that applied. Grant amounts can range all the way up to $10,000. Past grant recipients have been organisations that help children with developmental disabilities and schools looking to help the environment from the classroom.

National Australian Bank

As one of the most consistently-ranked “Most Ethical Companies” in the world, NAB Group is also quite charitable. This past year alone, they have donated millions of dollars for disaster relief victims in Australia and last year they donated millions of dollars in educational funding to help schools and university funding for students.

The Westpac Foundation

Another “Most Ethical Companies” award recipient, the Westpac Foundation has donated over $20 million for 136 programs and charitable organisations since the foundation’s inception. The primary focus of the foundation is social improvement in disadvantaged communities.

As we can see, even in a world where the world economy is crumbling, there are still several organisations going beyond the call of duty to continue offering financial support for their communities. Whether they’re worldwide or domestic, many corporations are big givers and have even higher expectations for the next fiscal year.

Kristy Ramirez is a debt free and frugal personal finance writer for Life Insurance Finder where she helps people to compare life insurance quotes and select the best policy to meet their needs at the best possible price.

Changing your lifestyle: 4 Ways to make yourself feel good

2011-11-17T12:37:00-05:00

Whether it’s a bad day at work, the weathers getting you down or you just feel like you’ve had a pretty bad year, making yourself feel good again is hard work. A nice hot bath and chocolate used to do the trick but nowadays you’re craving something a little bigger.

To help you find something that will improve the way you feel on a bigger scale, check out a few ideas below:

Treat yourself

Whether it’s pampering yourself, new clothes, or indulging in an expensive slap up meal, why not attempt to change your lifestyle all together? From the way that you look to who you hang out with, try and start to experiment to see what makes you feel happier.

There’s always a reason to treat yourself, however this time make sure you use the excuse ‘because I deserve it’.

Warning: treating yourself can result in only a temporary feeling of goodness and you may want to check your bank balance before you start splashing out.

Find some volunteer work abroad

Volunteering isn’t all about living in a jungle and shovelling elephant dung into buckets, there’s some great opportunities to get your teeth into.

From childcare work in Thailand and building projects in Costa Rica, to sports coaching in South Africa and medical volunteer work in India, there are plenty of opportunities all over the world. The best part about it is that you can volunteer abroad in any country you wish and for however long you want, to suit your own interests.

There’s no better feeling than experiencing a demanding, rewarding and inspirational trip to some of the most beautiful but deprived communities, who need your help.

Clear out your house

Everyone has clutter that builds up over time so why not stop, dedicate time to clear out that rubbish and make your house beautiful. Then once you’re done collecting things you don’t need anymore, you could give it to someone who does?

There are plenty of places who would welcome your gifts such as charity shops, websites like www.freecycle.org even the local animal centre if you have appropriate things for them. One person’s junk is another’s treasure and giving away your things is guaranteed to make you feel good.

Start a new hobby/exercise class

Doing something you enjoy always makes you feel good, whether it starting a jewellery making course, or hiring a personal trainer down the gym. It’ll get you out the house, introduce new faces into your life and help to change your lifestyle for the better.

Try any of these options for just a week to start with and see if they begin to have a positive effect on your happy levels.

Janet has a passion for helping to improve peoples lifestyles and encourage them on the road to recovery.

How to Fit Charity Work into Your Life

2011-11-11T09:59:02-05:00

These are straitened times we live in. Petrol prices are increasing, unemployment is higher than it used to be and it costs more money to do the weekly shop. It is a difficult environment for businesses that sell things to the consumer and charities are finding it even harder. After all, charity begins at home, right?

Well, there are several reasons why fitting charity work into your life one way or another can bring you benefits. Even if you think you don't have enough time or money, there are things that you can do to give back, that will also help your own life out.

Volunteering at a Local Charity Group

Studies have shown that taking time each week to help those less fortunate than yourself can improve your mood, as it helps you to appreciate what you have in life. It is easy to get bogged down with negative thoughts even when we have everything we need. Breaking the routine by helping out at a social club, meeting new friends by working in a charity shop and being genuinely thanked by those you help can make a world of difference. If you should find yourself between jobs, charity work is an ideal way to learn new skills and improve your CV.

Clearing Out Your Wardrobe

If you have clothes you once loved but which no longer suit you, or the kids have outgrown theirs, you should collect this together and donate it to charity. Of course, only clothing in good condition can be used. This means that people less fortunate can wear the clothes you no longer need, or they can be sold with the proceeds going to a good cause.

Pop Up Charity Boxes

These nifty little boxes are ideal for the kitchen or work place and are the ideal way to lighten your purse or wallet of small value coins. Just fill the box, then use the free post return address on it to send the money back to charity. This takes care of making donations to charity and reduces the number of pennies and two pence pieces lying unloved on the kitchen windowsill.

Helping the Kids Hold a Cake Sale

This can usually be arranged quite easily at your children's school and helps them to learn about charity giving, as well as how to run a simple stall. Arrange for your child and a few others to bake some cakes- childhood favourites like fairy cakes, rice crispy cakes, cookies and more – and set up a few tables to sell them at break time. The cakes don't need to cost more than 5p each and in my experience they are a lot of fun. What better way to spend a family afternoon then baking delicious goodies? And children love to play "shop". Then simply donate the proceeds to a charity of your choice.

So there you have it. If there is a way to introduce charity work into your own and your children's lives, grab the opportunity and enjoy the benefits.

Liz Strawford writing about charity work on behalf of World Vision UK.

Donating a Car to Charity

2011-08-20T06:16:00-04:00

As those in the charity business remind us, need has no season. The less fortunate can use help year round, and it is important for all of us to give what we can. There is no lack of charitable organizations vying for dollars, but for many the funds to help out such groups are just not there. One creative way to give to the charity of your choice is to donate a used car, and with your donation you can claim a tax exemption, allowing those who donate to get cash for cars.

The first step to donating your car is to select a worthy charity. This is very much personal preference, but a good place to start is by thinking about others who have influenced your life in a positive way. Have you ever had surgery and needed blood? Consider the Red Cross as a possible charity, as they save lives every day with much needed blood donations. Do you have a pet or pets that you particularly adore? Perhaps the ASPCA would be a good choice. They rescue thousands of animals that would otherwise have died or lived their lives in misery.

Whatever charity you choose, once you have made your selection, make sure your car is able to be donated. To donate a car, it must be completely paid off with the title in your name. Even if you have only a few payments left, the bank will not allow you to donate a car that it legally still owns. If you have the title of your car in your name, you are ready to go.

In a few cases, the charity you have selected may actually have its own car donation program. Some of these include military veterans associations such as Purple Heart or other groups like Habitat for Humanity and The American Diabetes Association. If you have selected one of these charities, they will assist you with the donation process and most of the time come to your home to pick up the car.

However, if the charity you have chose does not have its own donation program, you can still get your donation where you want it to go. You will need to find a car donation program that has connections to multiple charities. These companies allow you to designate the proceeds of the car sale to go to the charity of your choice, minus a certain amount of overhead. Research these companies carefully, as many are not true charities and take an extremely high percentage of the money made from the sale of your car. Check with the IRS and their Publication 78 to ensure that the donation company is reputable.

Finally, you can claim your donation on your taxes, helping you out at income tax time. Just remember that the deduction is for the fair market value of your car. This may differ from the Blue Book value, so check IRS Publication 561 and 526 to figure out what the fair market value of your car is before you donate.

Raymond blogs for cash for trucks, and is a strong supporter of car donations.

Volunteering opportunities for the Career Driven & Karma Seeker

2011-08-18T18:00:00-04:00

Maybe you’re just after an extra notch on your C.V. to get the tactical advantage on the competition in your next job interview. Or maybe you’re just looking for that feel good factor, that courses through your veins when you help someone in need. Although your reasons for being there are not important as the outcome is the same either way.

By using your free time to volunteer abroad you can be sure that you will take in life changing experiences. Nothing opens your eyes to the world more than being ripped out of your comfort zone and going to a polar opposite culture and way of thinking.

Options for the Career Driven

An open mind is open to fresh ideas and creative solutions to difficult problems. Your perspective employers will love that you’ve experienced a wide variety of cultures and new ideas. It’s a competitive world out there and when you’re fresh out of university or even changing career we all know how difficult it can be to get the experience necessary. This is why employers are falling on back on applicants with more life experience.

A great option for you to achieve this life experience is to work abroad in Kerala, India. Here you will work with small staff of Nuns who work incredibly hard to keep over 70 children with learning difficulties educated. During your time in Kerala you’ll meet a multitude of different people from a wide variety of different backgrounds and cultures. By helping others and immersing you in widely different cultures, you just know you’ll come back a much wiser and open minded person.

Options for the Karma Seeker

With a world full of problems there is no shortage of places to volunteer abroad. Helping hands are needed everywhere and why shouldn’t one of them be yours. Options open to you include helping children with disabilities, conversation projects, building projects or even sports coaching.

One particular volunteer opportunity that stands out is the Build for the Future project in Khairahari, Nepal. You will certainly have your work cut out for you during this trip, as you help to build, maintain and renovate schools for children. Of course it won’t be all hard work. With stunning views of the Himalaya’s filling your peripheral vision and the children’s smiling faces as you literally build them a better future.

Hi I'm Max and I enjoy writing about travel and sharing my experiences from around the globe

Who Will You Help This Summer?

2011-08-13T06:30:00-04:00

Travelling, what an amazing experience. Visit all the places in the World which you have always wanted to see in one big trip. Whether you go for a full blown gap year or just six months you will have the trip of a lifetime.

Unfortunately, and it really is unfortunate, not everyone is in a position to take a career break or can take a year out between College and University, or University and work. Luckily for the unfortunate majority there are now loads of adventure travel, work abroad and volunteer abroad trips which you can do for one to four weeks. This means that you can have several holidays over the next few years which would equate to the same as having been on one big gap year. Plus, you won’t have to lug a year’s worth of belongings around the World with you and you will be able to save up cash between trips so you can be a bit more extravagant than you may be able to be doing it all at once.

This summer you could jet off to Thailand, Cambodia, Costa Rica, South Africa and so many other amazing destinations and get involved in helping the local communities when you volunteer abroad. You can sign up to a one or two week volunteer programme and then add an extra few days or a week on the end to have a well-earned relax before heading back to work. What better way to find out about your holiday destination than to spend time getting to know and help the people who live there?

Volunteering abroad is such an emotionally rewarding and fulfilling experience that it is definitely worth sacrificing a week or two of ‘relaxation time’ for. You will most definitely get a much needed break from your everyday life and whilst you may have to do quite a lot more than eating, drinking and sleeping you will get a much longer term benefit than the aforementioned brief respite.

So, who will you help?

Once you have made the decision to volunteer abroad you need to consider; are you going to a particular place and then finding volunteer work or are you going to pick a volunteer programme and then see where you can do it? These factors will determine who in the World you are going to directly help. It can be pretty daunting if you don’t know where to start so here are some volunteer programmes you might like to consider.

Volunteer Work Abroad With Children

If you are good with children then there are loads of volunteer trips where you can directly improve the lives of underprivileged youngsters. This trip type is also available all over the World as unfortunately there are many troubled Countries with limited resources for child support and development. Would you prefer to teach in Thailand? Or do orphanage work in Cambodia? Or maybe you would like to be a community development volunteer in South Africa? If you know that you want to volunteer with children then then the next step is definitely to pick your destination and then work out the type of volunteer programme you can do in that destination.

Medical Volunteer Work

There is so much that we take for granted in the UK, such as clean running water, Council run doctors and the NHS which developing Countries simply do not have. Medical volunteer work can make a huge difference to communities who would otherwise have no medical guidance or equipment which is key for survival. Some of the medical volunteer work projects require a level of medical training but others are tailored for people who have not had any formal training but want to make a difference. These volunteer programmes tend to include some introductory training and will not expect any further skills than those taught. You could work in a South African hospital or a Malawian orphanage and quite literally save someone’s life.

Volunteer Building Projects

Whether your building experience comes from lego, home renovation or a building site you will be able to get involved in developing actual towns for people unable to do it for themselves. The projects range from house building which is available in Costa Rica and Guatemala to School and Community building renovation in places such as Thailand. Whether you build a family home or a community School I am sure you can see the value that one or two weeks of your time could add to a community.

Whoever or however you choose to help people this summer you are guaranteed to get some well-deserved self-satisfaction from it and if you choose to embark on a volunteering project abroad then you will also get a unique look into the lives of others and a wonderful holiday.

My names Joel and I've been traveling the globe for the past three years. I love to write about my experiences and enjoy sharing pictures, advice and travel tips from my world adventures.

Helping Families to Save the World, One Idea at a Time

2011-08-11T07:41:00-04:00

You can't do everything that needs to be done. You can only do so much. This applies to your home life as well as charitable deeds. However, some people take this to mean that they can't do anything in the way of donating to charity because their financial resources are so limited. Fortunately, there are ways we can help that don't require money.

Time can be as valuable, if not more so, as money.

Sometimes all the money in the world won't have the same result that taking a little time to spend with a person who is lonely or hurting will. Many charitable organizations, in fact, are constantly asking for donations of time or services so that the specific needs that only true face-to-face interaction can give. So, next time, instead of reaching for the checkbook, why not reach for the car keys and go spend your time instead of your money.

If you decide to donate your time, you can make this have a dual advantage by finding something that will allow you to use your special skills, also. This can be anything from tutoring a child to helping build or repair a home to providing free counseling services, if you are eligible for this.

Make Your "Net Surfing" More Profitable

Many websites get their donations through "clicks". That is, each click made on an advertiser's website counts as a monetary donation. Charity Click Donation, at Charity Click Donation, will help you find charities that use this method of collecting donations.

If you are concerned that donating through clicks will cause you to get a lot of unwanted e-mail, check to see if there is a way you can specify that you only wish to donate, you don't want to receive e-mail from any advertisers.

Donate Your Wheels

Some websites accept donations in material goods rather than money. In some instances, the website requests a specific donation, such as a car.

The Salvation Army is a great charitable organization that accepts vehicle donations.

This organization accepts monetary donations as well, but is set up to help make it easy for you to donate your vehicle.

So, remember, you can't do everything, but you can do something. These ideas can help you get started on some ways you can be of service. So, give time, give services, or give your car. Just so you give something. And, just like money, it doesn't have to be much, because every little bit helps.

Jessy is a frugal and sustainable writer for Sell My Timeshare blog, the one-stop guide for an responsible traveler.