People have shorter attention spans and a sense of patience. It's expected when your temperatures are dipping into the teens. But with this time of year there is a sense of giving and community that unites us all.
We all look upon Christmas in a more generous light. According to a survey, 57% of the respondents donate to a charity in some way over the holidays. 46% make a monetary donation directly to an organization, 64% donate to a third party, like a bell ringer or at the checkout counter. 24% buy gifts through an adopt-a-family program or various others. 63% donate household and nonperishable food items. While 22% donate through volunteering.
The average person makes 24% of all their donations between Thanksgiving and New Years according to the Center on Philanthropy. Network for Good also reported that the average donation is higher in the holidays: in 2010 the average donation was 142$ versus an average of 91$ that year. If you want to see what the donating forecast is this year read this.
Because people are more willing and giving during the holidays, it is becoming more and more difficult to figure out who and what to donate to.
Honestly, the most important things to look for when you donate to groups or an organization is.
1. What it is you want to donate to. If you donate to something that you feel passionate about. Something you truly want to invest in with little to no return that is better then making a quick pick in a department. So figure out what it is you want to donate to. Whether it is animals, homelessness, food banks, or social works. Knowing what it is that you're passionate about is the most difficult thing you can learn. So explore the possibilities, whether it's domestic works or international.
and
2. It's rating, you can look up a certain charities rating via Charity Navigator. But remember to look past the rating. A charity may have a good rating, but it may not have the kind of strategy that you want to see implemented. Or it doesn't cover the area that you want to see your money go towards. So, when you find it, google it and sift through all the details and I mean ALL of them. From finances, to office corporations or administrative staff.
It's your money remember, so sniff it out and give it a feel before you decide to put in an investment. If you need any inspiration or knowledge on any previous organizations that I've covered sift on through.
But for me this year I will be doing more than my usual rabble.
This year in Life Through Donations I have already.
Donated several boxes of food to our local food bank Northwest Harvest.
I have also participated in my companies annual adopt-a-family. This year we had 5 families to choose from, all in which a member had an affliction of some kind. Out of all the groups I chose to adopt the single mother of 3 children. The reason why I chose this was because she has stage 4 breast cancer.
Breast Cancer is a terrible thing, something that I know my family feels very close to because of how it has affected us.
My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer over 4 years ago and my aunt was diagnosed about a year ago. So getting the chance to help someone with the same affliction as my grandmother and aunt was my immediate reason why I signed up.
As well as donated almost 500$ to wonderful non profit groups both locally and internationally.
This year has given me a greater appreciation of the human spirit. No matter the situation, we as a species try our hardest to make the best of any situation. We fight, we quarrel, and we try our best to provide for ourselves, and those we love.
This year was filled with reflection on my life, and the understanding that sometimes peoples lives aren't perfect. Sometimes we don't come from the best backgrounds, or from the best families, or the most money. But it isn't the past that defines us anymore, it is what we've learned from the past and what we do in the future that will define us. Because of this experience I've learned to accept the things that have happened in my life and give myself closure.
In this experience I've grown from someone who was so caught up in my day to day life of bills and stress. To being someone who is invested in the human spirit, and in helping the very condition of human nature and the nature of the world. Becoming more of a philanthropist as my work continues on.
My work has spread from just one or two groups to several, both locally and internationally. It has helped me solidify my work and my abilities to try and give back more for each organization that I wish to assist. Which has created my brain child Painting Donations. A little shop that I'm slowly trying to understand, and hopefully move up. Each painting that I sell goes an benefits a non-profit that represent that animal. Either a sanctuary, breeding programs or wildlife preservation.In my several months I have created so many projects, and have so many seen so many different experiences that I wish to someday experience myself. It has taught me the importance of the need for exploration, in ones talents and in the world itself.
So I'm hoping after this year and into 2014, I wish to become more, explore more, share more and experience more. I wish to travel more, learn more, and contribute more
into this world. Hopefully, on the route that I'm on and continuing I will be able to bring more into my world, and into this world online.
Have a happy and safe holidays.
- Amanda.
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