Giving Back
Posted by Gail | Filed under Good ideas
We all had a lovely day yesterday. Perfect weather. Perfect company. And it was great to hear all the good news of people who were (or a hair’s breadth from becoming) debt-free forever. Congrats to you all, and thanks for sharing your great food and stories.
I’m a huge believer in sharing. From the children were wee, we practiced sharing in ways that would be meaningful to them. Before they were even receiving an allowance, and putting some money away each week to share, we would participate in Christmas gift giving to those children who weren’t as lucky. And there were important lessons learned before we left home, on the way to the store, at the check-out and on the drive home about the fact that the gifts chosen wouldn’t be coming into our house but would be going to other homes.
Some people give as a matter of fact. If they earn twenty bucks, they give two. Some people give as a way to support causes that are near and dear to their hearts. After my BFF was diagnosed with MS, we gave to that cause, and Alex participated in the MS read-a-thons. And some people give of their time and their energy because they love the feelings – and they are significant – that come from sharing themselves. I volunteered at the schools my children went to, doing everything to washing floors and desks, to teaching little ones their alphabet, to establishing chess clubs, stamp clubs and working on yearbooks. And I had a ball doing it all.
I’ve blogged before about how silly it is to give money when the money you’re giving isn’t really yours. If you’re in debt and aren’t living within your means, you aren’t giving up anything when you share. You’re simply going further into debt. If you don’t have money to give, that doesn’t take you out of the game. Consider donating your time. Volunteers are the backbone of most organizations that are trying to do good things on small budgets. Work in a soup kitchen. Give blood. Offer to do the books or raise money for a small local charity. Giving doesn’t just mean money. And it shouldn’t put you at risk financially.
If you’re determined to live within your means and share, if you’re prepared to take that $60 you would have spent on dinner out and offer it to a good cause, then the next question becomes how to do it wisely.
Make sure the organization you’re supporting is legitimate. There are more than a few ‘charities’ out there that are ineffective, at best, and downright deceitful at worst. The Summer 2010 issue of MoneySense magazine has stepped into the breach and produced The Charity 100 list ranking everything from cultural organizations like the Art Gallery of Ontario to fundraising organizations like the United Way and the Terry Fox Foundation on how efficient and transparent they are.
Local organizations are one thing, but some people like to give to international aid and development. With rumours running rampant about how inefficient these groups are, and how much of the money they raise goes to overheads, you may have wondered if you were doing any good at all. When I saw the article, I immediately checked out Word Vision Canada and was relieved to see that they’d received a pretty good ranking for efficiency and an excellent ranking for governance and transparency. So that means the goats, honey-bees, and books we chose probably arrived in with their legs, wings and pages mostly intact. The children and I like choosing gifts we can give that make us feel we’re making a difference, as opposed to just throwing money in a pot.
Don’t break your giving into tiny morsels. Funding-raising is expensive and small donations are often nibbled away by administrative costs. Focus your gifts rather than reactively scattering them because you got a telemarketing call or someone knocked on your door. Your gifts will not only have more impact, they will be more satisfying.
Find a cause that you are passionate about. Then think about ways in which you can leverage your gift. By combining small amounts with others you can offer a pooled gift that may make a big difference. By challenging others to support causes you consider important, you may involve people who would never have considered giving. And accepting gifts to your favoured caused in lieu of more stuff is a way to not only simplify your own life but help others’ lives be better.
July 12, 2010 at 6:26 am
When you give, it is a liberating feeling. love the article!
July 12, 2010 at 7:09 am
Gail,
It was great to meet you at the Picnic yesterday. I had a ton of fun. I will be working on more housework.
I find with our charity dollars we let it build up in our account till we find a cause we’d like to contribute to. Then we make a big lump sum, “Here you go, hope that helps” payment to the cause we are passionate about.
I do like the Idea of telling others about a cause. I should spend more time doing that part of charity work. The Cause I’m passionate about in Acquired Brain Injuries, which is not something that is ever spoken about in the media.
regards,
Jason
July 12, 2010 at 8:01 am
I’m glad to hear you all had a lovely time together and that the weather was cooperative!
I have been involved in fundraising a lot in the last 6 years. It is difficult for me to give financially at times, so I prefer to give of my time & talents. I do give financially as I can, but usually around $25.00/charity.
I’ve been involved with fundraising for several Run for the Cure events, The Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk and for The Arthritis Society. These events can take a lot of your time and energy though. This year, with more responsibilities etc I’m slowing down a little. Instead of participating in a big event, I am choosing to help support co-workers with their events. I’ll volunteer at events they hold or bake for their bake sales etc. I’m also going to help with fundraising for a local playground, but I’m not taking on a large role this time around.
My husband was recently diagnosed with an eye disease and the CNIB has been very helpful and resourceful. We will likely be helping them fundraise this year.
The bank I work for is an excellent corporate sponsor. They are HUGE on supporting staff’s efforts to fundraise. They will match a certain portion of what we raise. It can be a huge help in setting goals. Last year, 5 of us raised $11500 for the Arthritis Society and the bank matched $5000, together giving $16500.00!!
I encourage you all to inquire if your employers have any kind of program like this.
Also, if concerned about how much of your money goes to the actual charity, be sure to check that out as Gail suggested. A former employer, The Chronicle Herald, has 3 local charities in Nova Scotia where the company absorbs 100% of the operating costs.
July 12, 2010 at 8:36 am
The bank I work for is also big on giving back to our communities…in many different ways. In the city I live in we have 4 branches…each month we dressdown on Fridays for the same charity…full time employees pay 10.00 per month to dressdown and part timers pay 5.00 (or 2.00 each Friday if you are a very casual worker)…anyhoo, at the end of the month there is a nice chunk of cash to donate to that charity. The selected charity also gets to display their info as well as they can provide any handouts they would like us to give out…and if clients want to give we will accept it on their behalf….each year we have 12 different charities that we donate to…staff can give their input each year so that their favourite charity can be on the list…it works very well
Also, if a staff person is actively involved in charity work each year you can apply for a 500.00 donation to that charity just because you are involved and work at TD…it’s a great system…
TD does alot of work on a National level as well, but it’s the local stuff that really hits home for alot of us staff…and I love being a part of it!
July 12, 2010 at 9:25 am
Sorry we missed you guys yesterday!! We will try for next years picnic but so happy to hear it went well
There’s something about food and knowing that some people lack it that makes me always want to give to food banks. That and the Oakville humane society… It makes me sad to go there and see some of the older dogs that have lost their homes. If I could, I would set up a shelter/home to take on some of the animals that are older that are left alone.
July 12, 2010 at 9:38 am
The company I work for is quite charitable with United Way; every month, our 2 best parking spots are raffled off (tickets are $2/each or 3 for $5) and the winners get their names on the spots for the month. My sister’s won a spot many times (thanks to my buying the tickets LOL), and it is nice to be parked in the shade in summer, and a short walk to the car in winter. Other raffles are held at the summer BBQ’s and various other events raise money throughout the year. We do the Casual Friday; $2 lets you wear your jeans.
We also sponsor 2 families at Christmas, and buy toys for the kids, and gift cards for the parents.
On a personal level, we’ve sponsored various cancer charities (my husband and I raised $300 for his run in last October’s Run for the Cure).
July 12, 2010 at 9:41 am
Forgot to mention that my husband and I don’t exchange birthday gifts; we make donations to the local Animal Aid (a no-kill facility in our city). We have also donated to our local SPCA, as well… anything having to do with animals gets me everytime!
July 12, 2010 at 10:46 am
It was great to see you again Gail and to see again the people (commenters) that also makes this blog a great place to come for motivation to become debt free forever (I’m one of the ones that is very close – less than a year to go) thanks to Gail and this blog!
Hope to see you all again next year! Jamie.
July 12, 2010 at 11:12 am
It was really nice to meet you in person yesterday, Gail. My daughters, bruised legs and not, also enjoyed meeting you.
As a family we do quite a bit of volunteering of our time and talents. My daughter needs 40 hrs. community work upon highschool graduation. To date she has over 300 hrs and is still volunteering her time. Some things we do together as a family, such as soup kitchen/food bank and others we do individually – Recently, my colleagues and I spent a day cleaning the Don River. For Christmas we exchange donations to the charities we support.
July 12, 2010 at 11:13 am
It was lovely to meet all of you yesterday. Thanks to Saverqueen/Megan for getting it organized. My husband and I (and our dog) had lots of fun!
Jason-ABI is a cause close to my heart too. I work with many people who have brain injuries in my job, but volunteer with our local brain injury association to help others too. It does seem to be a somewhat neglected cause, particularly in light of how prevalent these injuries are.
I like your idea of building up a sum and then sending it in. For a while I did monthly donations on my credit card, but I realized that this was probably costing the charity in terms of transaction fees. If I instead save that money in an account and then send them a cheque, they’ll likely see more of the money and will be able to do more good!
I also love Gail’s suggestion of giving time-I donated plasma (a blood product) weekly while I was in grad school because I had no spare cash. It took about 1.5 hours total, but it was a highlight of my week.
July 12, 2010 at 11:59 am
psychsarah, I actually reccomend monthly donations rather than a one-time donation, if you are able to afford it. Monthly donations, are predictable, so charities are able to budget for the money. It also is more efficient, because there is actually less administration cost with processing ongoing monthly payments, rather than processing one time cheque. A larger percentage of your monthly payment will go to the cause with monthly payments.
I’m not sure if there are transaction fees for credit card donations or not. I believe that setting up regular withdrawals from a chequing account is pretty simple, though. That’s what I do.
July 12, 2010 at 1:24 pm
It’s nice to see that many companies & employees work together to raise funds within their communities and on a bigger scale as well.
Shirley – Pls give your daughter a hug for me! That’s so awesome that she has donated that much of her time. What a good kid!
Monique, that’s a nice idea to give to the SPCA rather than exchange birthday gifts. Some little fur-friend will be happy you did that for them. : )
Sparky, that’s a nice idea for your branch to donate to a different charity each month.
July 12, 2010 at 1:55 pm
It was wonderful to see everyone at the picnic yesterday! The food was so good! I am thankful for the great big Gail hug too!
Now that it’s been over 6 months since I gave birth, I can donate blood regularly again. We also give to our church and we give our extra “stuff” that’s in good condition to either GoodWill or Salvation Army.
Recently, I learned that instead of giving wedding favours at your wedding reception, you can give a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society. Their Wedding Celebration Program has a variety of ideas for the happy couple. Had I known this when I was getting married, I would have certainly opted for this! I’m sure my guests didn’t really need a candle.
July 12, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I too have asked to have a donation made to a charity in lieu of a gift, unfortunately some of my family won’t do that saying it is not the same despite it being my wish of what I want. This past Christmas, I gave donations in the name of both my sisters and their family buying bunnies, honey bees and school supplies through a charity. I will be doing in again this year. I also have 2 monthly donations charged to my credit card (pd in full each month) for the local animal society and childrens hospital. And as Gail said time is a wonderful gift to give.
July 12, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I was busy on Friday afternoon getting everything planned and packed for this years picnic when I decided to check where it was in the park. I was a little embarrassed when I realized that it was on Sunday this year instead of Saturday! Oops! I guess I should have clued in when it was the same calendar date, the 11th, which can’t be on the same day of the week every year. And I had another commitment on Sunday! I will sure pay more attention next year, glad everyone had a good time.
July 12, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Too bad I missed yesterday, but i had to watch the oranje totally screw up their third appearance in the final
My wife and I sponsor a child through plan canada, but aside from that our charitable donations are embarrasingly low and I intend to make up for that when I can. One thing we do reguarly is donate clothes/toys, however – I just can’t be bothered to do garage sales at this point in my life. maybe when the kid is older and can help out….
July 12, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I prefer to offer my time when things are tight…. (when I have more time than money). We always get pledges to go on the MS walk, and I like to canvas my neighbourhood for the Cancer society. Honestly, I get seriously ANNOYED at phone canvassers. I am stubborn on this point but I will NOT contribute to any phone solicitation whatsoever, no matter how good the cause. If it is for something I believe in, then I will make a point of finding out more and donating on my own terms.
My favourite charitable activity is helping out the neighbours whenever I get a chance. The mom that needs 20 minutes to go to the grocery store, the shut in that needs her lawn mowed, the vacationing family that needs their place kept up while they are gone. It all fosters goodwill and the building of a real neighbourhood.
July 12, 2010 at 4:13 pm
glad to hear the picnic was a success!
i have faithfully sponsored a priest in bolivia for about 10 years; it’s a minimal cost and something my parents introduced to me. my faith aside, it’s a heartwarming way for me to help, in the big picture.
locally i have always financially supported my favorite animal shelter & like others, would adopt the older dogs if i had the space. as soon as i’m over the knee surgery, i am on the list of new volunteers at the shelter & though i won’t be able to work with the dogs, i will be a cat socializer…helping the newer kitties and cats get accustomed to being with other cats & new people & hopefully helping them to find a new home. it’s a no-kill shelter and i just melt every time i go.
and my mother passed on to me the volunteering at a food bank…i am just not emotionally equipped to be on the front line at a soup kitchen or food bank so i have no problem rounding up donations, organizing the food drive at work & getting it delivered, or boxing up products.
i encourage every one to find a way to give…time is valuable, money is valuable, donations are valuable. those who shop at thrift stores, thank you…as your money normally is going back to a good cause. and those who donate blood, the same. just find a way that makes you feel good, give as you are able, and give yourself a huge hug for doing what you can.
the universe & karma goddess with pay you back for your kindness. and truly, it will make your heart happy.
July 12, 2010 at 5:06 pm
My friend and I came to High Park, found area 3 but were unable to figure out which table was the right one for the picnic.
As for giving, my partner and I donated to a local charity of our choosing instead of buying each other Christmas gifts last year. It was perfect since I was able to combine what I had saved to donate over the course of the year plus what I would have spent on a gift to have a reasonably sized donation. Neither of us needed anything and it was great to give something back to our community.
July 12, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Nelson Rockefeller taught his kids:
Give 20%
Save/invest 20%
Live off the rest
Three simplest personal finance rules ever.
Yes they were all immensely, but the principles still apply.
July 12, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I subscribe to MoneySense magazine, and that was the first thing I read when I got that issue. Some charities do a great job of applying their funds received to the cause, others need some money management help. The particularly interest column is the one that lists how much it costs the charity to raise $100. One, maybe more had the cost pegged at $30 or more. That is crazy.
I know in speaking with one of my former college classmates who is the administrator of the local food bank. He told me, that cash donations go far. For almost every $1 donated, they can purchase $8 worth of food. That is a good deal! Considering our city has about 10% of its’ population using food banks on a monthly basis, this is extremely important.
July 12, 2010 at 10:04 pm
So happy to hear those that attended the picnic had a wonderful time! You certainly had a beautiful day for it.
for the Christmas Bureau. The store where we went certainly went above and beyond. We bought one set and they donated the other…so we then could buy clothes in different sizes with the rest of the money.
We always pick two things per year that we want to donate to. I don’t hesitate to say to everyone with their hand out coming to our door that I’m sorry, their organization is not one that we picked for this year…or if it is…..lucky them. A few dollars here and there would probably help, but, I’d rather give a larger donation to the organizations we chose.
Must admit though that the Salvation Army usually does well from us.
Funny how things in your life can make an impact. When my Dad was in WWII going back and forth between Halifax and England on his ship as protection for the ships they were taking over there, they would always have to disembark for a certain period of time in England. One trip someone stole his wallet. He had no money and no where to go. He made his way to the Salvation Army. The man there asked why after so long at sea he wasn’t out enjoying a pint at the pub with his mates. My Dad explained that he had no money. The man gave him money, thanked him for his service to our country and his and sent him to the pub. On the next return trip, my Dad went back to that same Salvation Army and repaid the man for his kindness. So….I have a soft spot for the Salvation Army because of that one man.
Last year another couple and the two of us went to buy two – two wheelers, helmets, knee and elbow pads (aged about
Right now I’m decluttering. Heart wrenching…a lot of my Mom’s antique glass. Anyway, I am donating my, my Mom’s and my grandmother’s cups and saucers (and there are many!) to my girlfriend’s church in Toronto. They still use cups and saucers for their elegant funeral lunches.
Each small step hopefully sends me in the right direction.
July 12, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Yikes! Where did the sun wearing sunglasses come from? That is supposed to be the number 8.
Ha….as I type this I’m wondering if another will show up? Here goes…..
July 13, 2010 at 9:23 am
At the university where I work the alumni office is always in need of donations for scholarships, research etc. Some people contribute by way of ”planned giving”. The donor takes out a life insurance policy on themselves with the university as beneficiary. The monthly premiums made by the donor are tax deductible as they are considered charitable donations. I imagine most charities participate in some sort of planned giving. I am not quite ready to donate at that level, so I make my contributions when they make their yealy pledge for donations. And I always contribute (usually in the $25 – $50 range) when co-workers and friends & family are raising money for things like MS, Heart & Stroke, CNIB, SPCA etc. I try to donate whenever I can to worthy causes.
The one thing that has always bothered me about fundraising, though, is when you go to a store like Walmart or Shoppers and the cashier asks if you want to buy one of those paper balloons (or other such symbols) for a dollar. Then you write your name on it and they tape it to the wall along with the hundreds of other balloons that people have bought. All that paper goes to waste! I don’t mind putting in the dollar, but couldn’t they divert the money and resources that it took to produce all that and give that to the charity they are trying to raise the money for!!!
July 13, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Vacation credit cards might be a lot much more than pre-printed credit cards stuffed in envelopes with mailing labels applied. With some imagination and also the correct greeting card supplier, a greeting card can be a really unique, higher high high quality present that projects company professionalism as nicely as heartfelt wishes for that holiday season.
July 13, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Ditto on the phone solicitations. Except this one time- it was Christmas season- and this really old sounding lady was calling soliciting for Christmas food baskets. She sounded so old and frail that I could not say no. That’s the only time, though.
July 13, 2010 at 9:41 pm
This one is pretty personal so…
Right now, we’re not donating. Because my family is one of the families receiving charity. I’ve been fighting health problems, including major vision issues, over the past two years – we’ve benefited from services offered by the Red Cross, Salvation Army, the CNIB, and public health. Now my son is also sick, and will be having neurosurgery on Friday, the first of several operations. We are the ones who benefit from donations to hospitals and health organizations, and community organizations that offer services for reduced fees or for free.
Although we can’t donate right now, we do what we can. I did a 5k Run for Retina a few months ago, to benefit one of the hospitals that I go to. We now have provisions in our will for the organizations that have helped us up until now. And we use our resources wisely – we don’t take more than we need, and we give back what we can.
Thank you for all who do donate.
July 14, 2010 at 5:07 am
CassandraSL: My heart goes out to you and I will be thinking of you and your son on Friday. Warm loving thoughts to you and your son.
July 14, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Thank you, Gail. We appreciate it.
July 15, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I love Habitat for Humanity because they have no administrative overhead since all funds for that are raised through their Restores (it’s like a mini cheap Home Depot) -great place to volunteer and a great place to shop, so when I’m spending money on something I need, the money is going to a good cause. What a great surprise today when I learned they are also HST FREE, more savings for me, and hopefully more business for them-I know I’ll be popping in more often!