Charity Begins At Home
You want to give back and start raising money for a charity. It is something that you have wanted to do for some time. So, what is the first step? Finding a charity that you want to support. Easy right? Not always. Picking a charity that is right for you can take some effort. Unfortunately, many don’t do their homework and wind up with the wrong partner. Here is how you can get started.
Do your homework
Do your research and make sure the charity has a long-standing, positive reputation. If possible, visit their offices or facilities and ask questions. Volunteer at the facility or office and really get an idea of how the charity is run.
What is the Need?
Yes, money is obvious, but sometimes there are is a real need for actual “hard” items. If you are raising money for a local food bank then a canned food drive could make sense, or a coat drive in winter for a homeless shelter. Find out from your partner charity what is most needed and go from there.
Additionally, there could be something specific that you want to direct money to within the charity; for instance, new beds for a homeless shelter or cats at an animal shelter. Directing the money to fund something specific can allow you to see actual results for your efforts.
Think Local
While most people instinctively want to partner with a big national charity, the local route could be the way to go for you. There are a number of advantages to partnering with a local organization:
- They are embedded in the community you work in and can help navigate the local market where a national charity is not. (There are national charities with local offices that can also work to your benefit.)
- They will more than likely be more enthusiastic about your fundraising efforts. (A national charity may have many corporate donors, raising millions of dollars. These are the donors that get their attention.)
- They will usually have a number of events in your community throughout the year that you could be a part of. (A national charity may only have one).
- You will be seen as giving back to your community as the money or items raised will stay in your community. (A national charity may take to the money raised and pool it together with money raised from other locations).
- Local media prefers to report on local issues/events and may be more receptive if you are working with a local charity. Your local media can often help get the word out about your fundraising initiative and could potentially provide coverage about the launch of the fundraising campaign and the end results of the fundraising efforts if they are notable.
If there is a national charity whose mission is one you are passionate about, by all means, raise money for them. However, if you are looking to give back and do not have a charity in mind; partnering with one based in the community you work in could be the way to go. Whatever you choose to do, giving back can be rewarding and a great use of your time and energy. Just make sure that those efforts will really do some good.
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