Advice For Selecting A Charity To Support

By Natasha Gilman 

Giving back to your community by donating to charities is extremely important, especially during these trying times. Due to the wide range of organizations with varying recipients and purposes, it can be difficult to choose an organization to donate to. Especially now, if you have the resources, it is crucial to donate to charities that support the health and wellbeing of communities that have been affected by COVID-19. If you are looking to give back this winter season, here are some things you may want to consider. 

What work do you want to support?

With the effects of the Coronavirus comes a great focus on safety-net causes and organizations that provide food and shelter to those in need. Along with these safety organizations, other organizations have also been impacted by COVID and have lacked funding. 

What moves you?

Emotional relationships between donor and recipient are not a bad thing and should be considered when one is donating to a charity. If you have a personal connection with a cause or organization, that is the perfect focus for your funds. Passion and emotions toward a subject are a driving force for one to take higher action to support charities. If you feel strongly about something, you should consider donating to support that cause. 

Do you want to support a big or small charity?

While some people may be more drawn to larger organizations with well known causes, others may want to invest their proceeds to new startup charities with lesser-known causes. If you don’t know where you stand, you should consider visiting the Catalogue for Philanthropy (cfp-dc.org). This website highlights many charities from large to startup that are divided into groups to help you locate your interests. 

The charity should decide what to do with your gift.

Charities are most interested in donations with no strings attached. By not directing money to a certain thing, the charity is best able to fit their needs and allocate your gift to what they need. 

How much do you want to give?

Although you may not be able to donate large amounts to their charity, you should donate enough that you feel good about your contribution. Remember, any amount helps those in need. 

A 13-Year Old’s Wish to Help Other Children 

By Kate Kissell

As this tough year has come to an end, one 13 year old boy, who annually gives back to his community in Georgia, found a way to help others, despite the ongoing pandemic. Through a fundraiser for a charity he started, “Blankies 4 My Buddies”, C.J Matthews gives blankets to struggling children every December. Matthews holds a flag football game, called the Giving bowl, in order to cover the costs of the fundraiser. 

Matthews expressed his incentive to give back when saying, “I know there’s a lot of kids in the world and a lot of kids in my community who are on the streets or in shelter homes not getting enough food to eat or are lonely,” He further describes why he chose to donate blankets, “Because a blanket … it’s warm. It’s comfortable.”

Although the pandemic caused this year’s Giving Bowl to be cancelled, Matthews was determined to still complete his goal of giving back. He hosted an event that allowed people to donate cash  through a non-contact, drive through system. This event raised enough money to give away almost 1000 blankets!

Matthews’ mother commented on his generosity saying, “He has a heart of gold. He always has. He does it with open arms. He has really embraced what I think is his purpose in life.” Matthews commented as well saying, “It’s gonna feel really good to me because I’m helping another soul, another soul to be happy in life.”

Give Back For Giving Tuesday! 

By: Ava Needleman and Harry Dresner

What’s Giving Tuesday? Giving Tuesday is a generosity movement of compassion that unleashes the strength of individuals and other groups around the world. Giving Tuesday is always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, showing that there’s people everywhere who want to come together and give back. There’s a way for everyone to get involved. It can always be difficult to decide what charity to donate to, being that they’re all so great, but if you’re looking to get involved, here is a list of some charities:

1. Malaria Consortium: This multinational, non-profit organization specializes in malaria prevention and offering care to people suffering from this disease, and other diseases in Africa and Asia. Medication is provided to children from ages 3-59 months of age, suffering from malaria, or making sure they do not get it. Malaria Consortium has gotten involved and helped so many children in 7 countries. New evidence is found on a regular basis, along with testing and remedies. With volunteering and donations, malaria can be avoided for good. 
2. Helen Keller International: This amazing organization advocates projects aimed at reducing hunger and malnourishment in sub-Saharan Africa. They also work closely in decreasing the amount of people suffering with blindness/poor vision. The promoters work very closely with this organization and focus on Helen Keller’s studies with Vitamin A supplementation. The organization is still looking to raise around $12.7 million to continue to let it grow.
3. New Incentives: New Incentives conducts a Conditional Cash Transfer system in North West Nigeria which seeks to boost the consumption of routine immunizations by cash payments, to lift community awareness of the value of vaccination and to minimize the frequency of vaccine storage. The expense of vaccinating a child is roughly $47, but with donations and this organization, it totals to $38. This incredible association is looking to raise about $16 million in order to let the program continue in the upcoming years so if you’re thinking about donating, you definitely should!
4. GiveDirectly: GiveDirectly transferrs money into struggling households in Kenya and Uganda. GiveDirectly gives families money to help them during times in a crisis, or not making enough money to sustain a families needs. This organization is extremely effective for the families they’ve helped and with more donations, they can expand the amount of countries they provide for!
5. Sightsavers: Sightsavers’ is a major organization that focuses primarily on the care of lost vision and the funding of people suffering from blindness. They also work hard to treat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This company has so many different things to do and has treated so many people with little to no vision, reduced worms, and tropical diseases. This project is so important, because it works on problems that people suffer with every day, but it doesn’t get as much coverage. Sightsavers’ is trying to raise about $7.2 million to continue their research and care.