If you want to give back to your community, or maybe a charity that you wholeheartedly believe in, you can, of course, donate your money, and many charities and community groups will be delighted with that, but there are other, equally as valid, forms of giving too.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the best ways you can give back right now:
Passive giving
Passive giving is getting to be increasingly popular, but there are still a lot of people who don’t know much about it/ What is passive giving? It’s when you purchase something through a business that then donates a portion of the profits to a charity or good cause. The Amazon Smile project is probably the largest example of this, whereby you can nominate a charity, and for every eligible purchase you make with them, Amazon will donate a portion to that charity – but there are many more on and offline, so if you want to give but money is tight, buying the things you need via these kinds of schemes is a great way to do so.
Sell something
Another great way to give back to charities and other good causes right now is by selling your own handicrafts. If you have a hobby that you would be indulging in any way, and there is an end product to that hobby, such as knitting a scarf or painting a nice abstract, then why not do a little good and sell your products for charity? Every little helps, and since you’ll be making them, and having a lot of fun doing so, anyway, what have you got to lose?
If you aren’t the crafty type, then buying in wholesale products for non profits like rainbow lanyards or branded t-shirts and selling them in your community is another great way to make money, which will work even better if you buy wholesale and customize to make the products more desirable to your audience. Bespoke always sells well when it’s done right!
Cuddle a baby
A really great way of giving back that will cost you literally nothing, and really enrich your life is offering to volunteer with babies in the hospital. A lot of people are surprised to hear that many hospitals require volunteers to cuddle with and rock babies whose parents can’t be there for whatever reason, and it is hands down one of the best ways to give back in your local community!
Start a phone booth library
Access to books and the knowledge they contain is so vital for humans of all ages, but libraries everywhere are being closed down. If you live in a community without a library and you also happen to have a phone booth or two still hanging around despite not really being used by anyone, why not start your own phone booth library? You may need to get permission from whoever is responsible for the booth, but other than that, all you need to do is add a stack of your old books (or donated ones) to the booth and put up a sign telling people what they are doing. You’ll be surprised how well something like this can be received; it could become a great community hub.
Organize a food drive
Due to the pandemic, there are a lot of people struggling to even put food on the table right now, so why not do something good and organize a food drive to help those people and give a little something back to your local community?
The great thing about food drives is that most people in the community will be able to spare a can or two, which means you can get everyone involved and bring people closer together while also helping out your neighbors who may be struggling right now.
Organize a pet food drive
Oh, and food drives aren’t just for humans – most local animal shelters would be delighted to receive food donations too, so while you’re collecting for the people in need in your area, maybe think about doing the same for the cats, dogs, and other animals in need too!
Plant trees
These days, planting trees is as easy as purchasing and scattering a few three bombs on locations where you think they are likely to prosper. How does this help you to give back? Trees are the lungs of the earth and they help to filter out pollution, so by planting trees, your not only helping your local community to breathe a little easier, but you’ll be helping everything and one on the planet too! It doesn’t get much better than that!
Bake for someone deserving
Baking is a great sign of love, care, and respect, so if there is someone or a bunch of someones in your local community who have been going above and beyond to give back – volunteer firefighters or the lady who takes in stray cats for example – show them they are appreciated by baking for them. It’s only a little thing, but it will be very much appreciated by your local community heroes.
Donate your skills
If you have great marketing skills or you’re a whizz at organizing big events, why not donate your skills, instead of your money, to the charity or good cause of your choice? A lot of small charities simply cannot afford to pay professionals for their services, so chances are they will be delighted by your offer.
Donate your dog
Got a well-trained dog with a sweet nature? Why not let the local nursing home, hospital, or school borrow him for use as a therapy dog or even a reading assistant? He’ll love the attention and the people he’s helping will love him, which is surely a win-win.
As you can see, there are many great ways to give back that don’t involve much (if any) money at all. We can all be heroes in our communities, and beyond, no matter how much money we have, so what are you waiting for?
