Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
During the back-to-school season, busyness pushes blessing others further from the forefront of our minds. It's not that the desire to be generous is missing, nor that needs disappear, but we're not presented with as many ways to give back in our everyday routines.
Considering this, I wanted to create a list of simple ways to give back:
Ways to give back (1)
Help the students close to your heart
During the school year, students typically need to raise money for at least one activity or event. If you don't want to buy things they are selling, ask if giving them cash is okay.
Ways to give back (2)
Hold a donation-only yard sale for a cause
It's still nice enough out to have a sale, and you can save yourself a lot of work by making the sale by donation-only, rather than pricing everything. Use social media to make sure the details of the cause are well-known and the sale well-attended, and people will naturally be generous.
Ways to give back (3)
Stop at lemonade stands
You may not see as many of them as in mid-summer, but stopping by a young entrepreneur's stand, even if you don't want the lemonade, is an easy way to give a bit of change and a lot of encouragement to a young heart.
Ways to give back (4)
Tip generously – even if the service is poor
When a server doesn't do a great job, it's tempting to give less. But you don't know what they are going through in their life outside the restaurant. So maybe it is actually the best time to give more generously; when it can impact someone's heart, as well as their wallet.
Ways to give back (5)
Buy someone's coffee or lunch
At most businesses, it only takes a few moments to ask the cashier to add the order for another person to your total. You can do it quietly, and leave before they even know you did it. This method of giving back works beautifully for showing appreciation to police officers, first responders, and emergency personnel, as they typically are not allowed to accept direct tangible appreciation. Drive-thru lines are especially easy for this giving method.
Ways to give back (6)
Use coupons to pick up new items, like clothing, just to give away
If you belong to mailing lists for places like JCPenney or Sears, from time to time you will receive, in the mail or email, coupons that give you free or almost free merchandise. Use them to pick up items you could give to a needy family or an organization that collects and redistributes new goods.
Ways to give back (7)
Comb clearance with others in mind
While you're already out shopping, and pick up deeply discounted things that could work right now for needs in your community, or you could stockpile for holiday drives, such as Toys for Tots or Angel Tree.
Ways to give back (8)
Buy groceries and health and beauty items just to donate
At SavingsAngel.com, we've always encouraged using coupons to give, no matter how small the item. When you combine sales and coupons, you can get perfect items to donate every week for pennies on the dollar.
Giving to avoid
I couldn't end this article without including a caution regarding giving. These days, we all are flooded with requests to donate to various organizations, with little information about their inner workings or what really happens with the money. And sadly, scams are plentiful.
So before giving to anything you're not personally familiar with, answer these two questions:
– Did you call them, or did they call you? If you didn't reach out to them, don't give over the phone; even if the caller claims to be from a well-known organization or familiar organization. It can all sound on the up-and-up, and may well be, but you have no way to verify verbally. Instead, refuse to give over the phone, and hang up. Then, check for a contact number online (don't use the one they called you from), and contact the charity directly if you wish to give. That way you're sure it went where you intended – and that charity can do their good work.
– How's their company transparency and track record? Even big, well-established organizations can have trouble handling funds the way you expect. You may be led to believe your money is going to help buy food and clothing for orphans, when in reality, most of it is being spent on administrative expenses and further solicitation efforts. So thoroughly research organizations before giving, and pick ones that reveal their expenses and how donated money is allocated and used. Never just assume that the full amount of your donation actually gets to the need.
