5 Tips to Help your Favourite Charity beyond Money

Happiness is the natural by-product of being generous. That feeling of elation from contributing in your own way to change someone’s life for the better is unparalleled. Helping others triggers a positive impact by fostering empathy which allows an individual to see things from the perspective of others.  It also impacts the brain in a positive way since it releases Oxytocin in the brain which is also known as a ‘mood booster’. However, that feeling of happiness you derive by helping others is not merely based on a monetary transaction, it goes much beyond. 

Here are five ways you can choose to support your favourite cause and charity beyond donating money: 

1. Volunteering: Many NGOs function because of the grants they receive or the money they fundraise from donors. These often are the only resources available to them for running programs and employing people. This often leaves a variety of gaps in service that the people do not have the capacity to fill. Therefore, there are multitudes of charity that could use your time and skills to help them overcome this gap in resources. Volunteering helps inculcate important life skills that may be hard to otherwise develop in a structured work setting. 
2. Social Media Advocate: Interacting with your favourite charity’s post on social media by liking, sharing, commenting on their post can be extremely helpful for them. Not only will it increase their brand awareness, the cause they work for and their campaign but your engagement can bolster their reach and go a long way in getting them in front of the right people. Sharing about their campaigns can help them and their cause get monetary support from many other people. 
3. In-Kind Donations: One of the simplest ways to give to your favourite charity is by donating in kind. Things like clothing, used furniture, blankets, books, spare electronics all in good condition that you are no longer using can be donated. These items have the potential to benefit the charity and the people it is helping, in some way or the other. 
4. Start your own Fundraiser: To help your favourite charity or cause reach its goal, you can start your own fundraiser. This fundraiser can be in lieu of gifts your friends are wanting to give you for your birthday, or by organizing a bake sale or by sharing your favourite cause on social media. A robust network of willing, empathetic and caring friends and peers can help you raise funds. 
5. Good Reviews: There is no denying that a good review can go a long way, be it your favourite app, restaurant or local store. For your charity, the same holds true. A good review on Google or their social media page can help them immensely. It not only helps build credibility amongst their prospective donors but also strengthens their brand awareness and legitimacy. 

It is said a small act of kindness goes a long way, and your small act of helping your favourite charity beyond monetary support can have long term positive implications for them and the cause they have set out to work for.