Donating in these hard times

Ok, if you are like me and try to give something back in some way each year, like me I’m sure you are finding harder and harder. Money is not so easy to come by these days so either you don’t give or you are looking at different areas than you normally would.

A lot of people never think past donating money, but a majority of charities operate almost entirely on donations of non money items. From your local humane societies and other pet rescue groups to national and international organizations such as Goodwill, charitable donations are an integral part of many important programs that assist thousands of individuals in need.

If you are one of those philanthropic souls that donate large amounts of money and goods to these charity organizations; great! But for the rest of us the faltering economy has left us with little or no money to spare. There are, however, many ways you can donate to charity without opening your checkbook or digging in your furniture for change.

Donating Eyeglasses and Sunglasses

One of my most recent discoveries is that there are several programs that supply the poverty-stricken with free eyeglasses. You donate your old eyeglasses and sunglasses to help people with eyesight difficulties worldwide. (Sunglasses can be non-prescription. They are needed in countries near the equator to help protect people's eyes from sun damage.) These groups collect donated pairs of glasses or sunglasses, which are then sent in to be refurbished. The frames are adjusted if needed, and then the lenses are re-ground to the prescription of their new owner.

Adults usually need new glasses every few years, and children with eyeglasses tend to need a new, stronger prescription on an even more frequent basis as they age. The outgrown pairs are ideal candidates for donation. If your workplace has a lost and found, consider donating glasses left beyond a certain length of time to charity.

Collection facilities include Goodwill Industries stores, LensCrafters stores, and Lions Club drop boxes. Items also can be sent in padded envelopes or boxes to: New Eyes for the Needy.

Donating Clothing

Everyone has clothing that we no longer wear; consider donating it to a charity like Goodwill, AMVETS or The Salvation Army. As most of you know these organizations rely mostly on donations of goods, the proceeds from the resale of those items fund programs ranging from food pantries to disaster relief.

Sorting through your closets and drawers pulling out all the garments you no longer wear, like or that no longer fit properly will not only help a charity but give you more space for what you keep. Ditto for children's clothing, children are perpetually outgrowing their clothes, and can likely be donated on a regular basis as new clothing is purchased. You might be surprised to know that even damaged clothing can be donated, as most of these organizations sort out items that are stained, torn or damaged in some way, selling them by weight as rags to companies that recycle the fabric. So not only are you donating you are also recycling.

Just remember when making donations to charitable resale shops you should approximate the value of the items you donate and be sure to request a receipt. This type of donation is subject to the same tax deductions as those monetary ones, and donating enough items to charity could even help you get a bigger tax refund!

Donating Hair

I find this one to be very special; I see it as a way to literally give a part of you to someone in need. A lot of times patients undergoing chemotherapy will lose their hair as a side effect. To make the patient's daily life as normal as possible and help them avoid the stares; organizations like Locks for Love, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, and Wigs for kids supply these patients with wigs. These wigs are made from real hair which caring people have donated for this purpose.

To do this special type of donating your hair must be long enough to meet the minimum donation length of ten inches. You need to braid and secured both ends of the braid before its cut. You then need to bag the hair and send it to Locks for Love or any other hair donation charity.

Some salons even offer discounts to those who are donating their hair to charity! Your donations will need to be accompanied by a donation form; which can be found on online but many salons keep copies of this form on hand and will even send in the donated hair on your behalf.

Recycling

In most communities these days, schools and community organizations collect recyclable materials as an ongoing fundraiser. These programs usually have specific drop-off point and/or times, where residents can take their recyclables. These organizations then, sell the collected items to companies that turn them back into raw materials, which are then used in the manufacture of new products.

Be sure to check with the local groups to see which materials they will accept. In today’s market everything from cell phone and computers to aluminum, paper and cardboard is collected. Research in your local area to see if any such programs exist, find out which recyclable materials you can be donated, and to which schools or charities.

Donating Blood

Here is one way to donate that a lot of people don’t think of as donating. The need for blood donations is constant and will never go away. Every year, countless lives are saved because of a blood transfusion. The American Red Cross holds countless blood drives across the country to stock their blood banks, which then supply hospitals with much-needed life saving blood.

Just please be aware that there are some medical conditions which may prohibit someone from donating blood. If you have traveled to certain areas of the world, if you have recently gotten a tattoo (surprised me too), or if you have certain medical conditions, you may not be eligible to be a blood donor.

Click to Donate

Here is an interesting idea that has spread all over the internet. The concept is that you can donate for free simply by clicking. They say “You CLICK and Sponsors PAY!” I have not really looked too far into this so please be careful if you try this option. But from what I have seen there are tons of sites that use this type of donating. If you want to view some look here http://www.thenonprofits.com/ or do your own research.

Other Donations

So there you go, that is just a few of the ways you can continue to donate to charities on a tight budget. Research, research, research! Search your local area first, you will likely find many places to make non-monetary donations of all types. You will quickly find there are many charitable organizations that seek a plethora of donated items, and these donation opportunities vary from town to town. Nearly anything that has value can be donated to someone, somewhere, and they will greatly appreciate your kindness.

Oh, one last thought don't forget you can always donate your time! There are alot of organizations that would rather have your time than your money or items. But please find a group that does something you like, there is nothing worse than an unhappy volunteer...

c Shell Franklin
www.designonastick.com