Ways To Be More Charitable In 2022
March 19, 2022
You don’t have to look far to see how many people continue to struggle in this post-Covid world. Just last week in New York City, officials announced that those experiencing homelessness would be removed from sleeping in the Subway.
In short, there are countless people who need help right now and a plethora of different ways to help them. Sometimes, however, it can feel overwhelming to know how you as one person can make the greatest impact with the resources available to you. We’ve put together 5 ways you can be more charitable in 2022. As the old saying goes: work smarter, not harder. But in this case, we believe in giving smarter, not harder.
5 ways you can be more charitable in 2022
- Create a charitable giving budget. Many of us decide to donate money or give during the holidays or when a natural disaster affects a specific geographical area. While any type of giving is helpful, creating a charitable giving budget at the beginning of the year is a great way to financially prepare yourself and set “giving goals” the same way you may set fitness goals. A giving budget helps you stay organized and hold yourself accountable for being the person you most want to be.
- Be a proactive giver rather than a reactive giver. When you set a charitable giving budget for yourself, you’re making the choice to be proactive with your giving rather than reactive. This allows you to ask yourself which charities and organizations really align with the values you want to support. Like with anything, when you’re passionate or interested in a cause, you’re more likely to feel connected to it and therefore can give from a place of intention rather than doing it to cross off a to-do list. Why we do something is just as important as doing it.
- Know the beneficiary. Understand their work. Taking the time to research charities is extremely important because they are not all created equal. You want to make sure that your donation is really going to the causes you care about most. Additionally, taking the time to understand a charity’s work can open you up to issues that you may not have known were affecting people in your community. For example, when you donate to Vehicles for Change, not only are you offering people in Baltimore transportation to jobs and their kids extracurricular activities like sports games, but you’re also supporting formerly incarcerated citizens as they get back on their feet in society. Vehicles for Change trains returning citizens to work on and repair donated cars to ensure they are safe and drivable for those families who receive the car donation. Therefore, your donation is helping a handful of people facing different obstacles.
- Engage more fully. While it may feel like donating to as many charities as possible is the best way to help, choosing one or two causes you really care about, studying them, and donating your time, energy, and/or money can go much further. While any donation of course helps, taking the time to know and understand the charity of your choice helps you feel like you are a part of their mission and tends to feel more satisfying. You can also create a “giving circle” in your community where like-minded people come together to donate their time, energy, and finances to make a greater impact. This is a great way to give smarter, not harder.
- Tap into your offerings. There are many ways to donate to charities that inspire you. Financial donations are always appreciated, but so are donations where you offer your time and skillsets. Ask yourself if you have a skill set that is needed in your community. For example, do you own a contracting company and know of a charity in need of expertise around flipping a house for a lower-income family to live in? Or maybe you work in HR and can offer your knowledge on resume-writing and interview skills to those looking for work who were never taught how to present themselves effectively in an interview. Be creative with what you can offer to your community! It can go far beyond giving money.
We know you have countless options when it comes to donating in Baltimore and therefore we invite you to learn more about the work we do at Vehicles for Change to see if it aligns with your giving intentions for 2022.
Contact Us Today
If you have a vehicle that you no longer need, consider donating it to Vehicles for Change this season and make someone’s life a little easier. We make the process simple and stress-free! Just follow these three steps:
- Complete the donation form
- Schedule a pick-up…
- Hand over the keys, and we will take care of the rest.
