This Valentine’s Day, the Better Business Bureau urges
you to spread the love and show local charities how much you care. The following is a list of seven, sweet
suggestions on how you can do just that.
1)
Monetary Contributions – with state,
federal and corporate funding reduced year after year, many local charities
would not survive if it wasn’t for individuals like you. Check your finances and see if this year you
can’t help out a little more. And, of
course, be sure to check out any charity you plan to donate to at www.bbb.org.
2)
Donate
Items –contact a charity you are interested in to see if
they are in need of any used items. Many
charities are on the lookout for office furniture, clothing, vehicles, and
other items they can use or resell. Keep
in mind you want to make sure anything you donate is in good condition. Giving a charity something they cannot use
because it is in poor condition creates an undue burden on the charity you are
trying to help, as they will be tasked with trying to get rid of it.
3)
Donate
Time
– many people don’t have any extra money to donate to charities right now, but
you can donate your time. Most charities
rely on volunteers to provide their services.
Few charities will turn down an offer for volunteer help.
4)
Cause
Related Marketing – as you are shopping, consider purchasing
products that will benefit charities.
Before you make a purchase, verify the charity, what portion of the
purchase will benefit the charity, how long the cause related marketing
campaign lasts, and if there is guaranteed minimum or maximum contribution
amount.
5)
Embedded
Giving – this is becoming more common at grocery stores and
fast food chains. When you check out you
are asked if you would like to give a small donation by adding that amount to
your receipt. Make sure you know the
charity that will be receiving the donation and verify they are a charity
worthy of your donation.
6)
Crowdfunding –
this is a relatively new fundraising method by which you donate a very small
amount to a campaign, but do so along with many other individuals to help
raise, hopefully, substantial funds.
Just make sure you know exactly how much of your donation will go to the
program you want to support. Make sure you are donating directly, otherwise you won’t be
able to take advantage of tax deductions.
7)
Advocate -
if you don't have other means to contribute this is a great way for you to
help. As a vocal advocate for the
charity you support you can help spread the word about their cause. Word of mouth and social media are great ways
to promote the charity of your choice.
About BBB Wise Giving Alliance: BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on over
1,300 nationally soliciting charitable organizations, and BBBs report on
another 10,000 local and regional charities. BBB Wise Giving Alliance does not
rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments
by providing objective evaluations of national charities based on 20 standards
that address charity governance, finances, fund raising, appeal accuracy, and
other issues. The outcomes of the evaluations are available online at www.give.org. BBB Wise Giving Alliance is an affiliate of
the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
About BBB: For 100 years, Better
Business Bureau has been helping consumers find businesses, brands and
charities they can trust. In 2011, consumers turned to BBB more than 100
million times for Business Reviews on more than 4 million companies and Charity
Reports on 12,000 charities, all available for free at www.bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the
umbrella organization for 114 local, independent BBBs across the United States
and Canada, as well as home to its national programs on dispute resolution and
industry self-regulation.
