Why It’s Important to Donate to Non-Profits
There are many people in the world who need help and many serious problems that need to be solved. It can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling helpless in the face of all these needs. People often wonder what they can do when they are only one person. The problems seem too big for them to be able to do anything at all.
But you can have an impact. Even a small donation to a well-run non-profit organization can have a big impact. Now, you are no longer just one person who cares about a particular problem. You are joining together with other donors and the organization’s staff members and volunteers. Together, you will make a difference.
That’s the main answer to the question “Why donate to a nonprofit?” But in addition to the beneficial changes you are helping to create in the world with your donation, you also gain personally in several ways.
You get the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are doing something to address the problems that concern you, rather than just worrying about them. On a practical level, you will gain tax benefits from your donation.
Donating to non-profits also extends the reach of the help you are able to offer. Say you wanted to help alleviate poverty in villages on the other side of the world. Most people are not able to drop their responsibilities and leave their busy lives for an extended stay on a different continent to provide hands-on help. Instead, your donation helps fund the work. It’s a partnership between the people on the ground and the donors who make their work possible.
How To Choose Which Non-Profit to Donate
When choosing a non-profit, you should use both your heart and your head. You’ll use your heart to find organizations that are doing work that aligns with what matters most to you. You’ll use your head to examine how effective the organizations are at meeting their goals.
The first thing you should consider is which problems you most want to help solve. This is a heartfelt process with no right or wrong answers. Do you want to help the environment, people living in poverty, children, or animals? Or is it someone or something else whose need touches you the most?
Also, think about how you want to help them. Among the many possibilities are providing education, economic development, health care, disease prevention, food, clean water, housing, safe havens, and justice.
If you are interested in preventing disease or eradicating poverty, we invite you to consider our non-profit organization, Healing Waters International. We provide water purification systems to communities that don’t have access to enough safe and clean water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
Do you have any preferences for large organizations or smaller ones? For non-profits affiliated with a particular religion, or those that are not? Next, consider specific organizations that are working in your area or areas of interest. Look at their brochures or websites. How do they define their missions? Does that resonate with you?
Once you have narrowed down the possibilities, it’s time to take a closer look. Consider the organization’s track record of success. Also, look at how they operate. Are they transparent with their finances? Do they deliver their aid efficiently? Do they have a good rating from a charity-rating site, such as Charity Navigator?
How Much Should You Donate?
How much you should donate to a non-profit is a personal decision that will depend on your income, expenses, responsibilities, stage in life, and so on. There is no wrong answer to this question. Some people let their uncertainty about how much to donate stop them from donating anything at all! That’s a mistake. It’s better to donate an amount that is not the “perfect” amount than to just avoid donating altogether. And if it turns out that a donation was too little or too much, you can always adjust it next time.
Deciding on a donation amount, like choosing a non-profit organization, requires you to use both your head and your heart. Use your head to look at how much money you have available after you pay for necessities, and use your heart to decide how much of that money you want to share with a non-profit. Then decide if you want to make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly or annual donation.
Don’t feel bad if you can only spare a small amount at this time. Every dollar counts. A well-run non-profit organization will use your donations efficiently to get the most benefit possible. For example, Healing Waters International custom designs water purification systems so that they provide enough water for the community without wasting resources by providing more than is needed.
Healing Waters also controls costs by training community leaders to manage and operate the systems. In addition to lowering our operating expenses, this local control helps ensure that clean water will be available over the long term, and it brings economic development to the community.
We would be delighted if you would become one of our valued donors and join in our mission to fight disease and poverty by bringing safe and clean water to communities that suffer from water scarcity. We invite you to join our Saturate Community and receive exclusive updates, fun surprises, and anniversary thank you gifts. We also need donations for our rapid response fund, helping to end the global water crisis, safe water solutions, health and hygiene education, and The HER initiative, where women support women. Donations earmarked for the greatest need are always appreciated!
We’re grateful for your interest and hope you join us in our mission to provide the safe, clean water people need to prevent disease, free women and children from the burden of spending hours a day carrying water, and help communities thrive. It’s easy to donate to Healing Waters International. Simply indicate your donation amount and whether you want to make a one-time donation or a recurring donation at the interval that is most convenient for you. Donate online today!