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In a perfect world, the act of charity wouldn’t need to exist because everyone would have their fair share of wealth and have no restrictions preventing them getting a days food to feed their family or having access to all-important medical care and education.

Unfortunately, while the world we live in is slowly maturing, it is far from perfect and conflict, disease, poverty and persecution still exist around the globe. Charity is the lifeline that so many vulnerable people and communities have to depend on in order to live and without generous charity, their futures would look bleak with their health and wellbeing affected.

What is Charity?

Many people consider charity to be a monetary contribution made to support a good cause. However, monetary donations are just one method of giving charity and charity can be summarised as any good gesture that is made without the expectation of something in return to benefit someone less fortunate. Charity is also the name given to dedicated organisations that raise funds to support good causes around the globe. A charity might help support nations affected by natural disaster or provide life-saving aid to communities isolated by conflict or a combination of support.

How Can I Give Charity?

We mentioned one method of charity – monetary donations; these tend to be the most common method of giving as it’s a low effort but makes a huge difference. Donations can be made directly to the charity by direct debit online or providing payment details over the phone, whichever the donor feels more comfortable with. Contributions are also collected via collection boxes, usually set up in brick and mortar buildings owned or managed by the charity – think charity shops and cafes, or via fundraising sponsorships. Sponsorships are often given to friends or family members when tackling a challenge such as skydiving, running a marathon or shaving all their hair off.

Another equally-weighted method of giving to charity is to offer your time. Time is an invaluable resource that cannot be generated and where charities don’t have many funds to spend on staff and marketing, volunteers are a fantastic asset. Volunteers who are happy to handle admin tasks can free up time for more fundraising ideas and volunteers that offer to spread awareness through marketing and word of mouth can offset a huge cost to any business.

How Do I Know Which Charity To Give To?

Choosing a charity is a personal decision and depends on your own values and how you want to make your mark on the world. If you are an animal lover, you might choose to support a quality animal charity such as the RSPCA, Cats Protection or Dogs Trust. Alternatively, if you think children need better support for a brighter future, a child’s charity such as Barnardos or the NSPCC. Similarly, charities exist that cater to certain faiths including Muslim Aid. This can be excellent if you need resources for donating, such as a zakat calculator for calculating the obligatory zakat charity donation that is made every year by followers of the Islamic faith.

Do Your Research

Whichever charity you choose to donate to, make sure to do your research on their values, goals and history. Recognised charities will be supported by Gift Aid and have a charity registration number. If you are still a bit unsure of a particular charity, try to reach out to existing or previous donors and ask their opinion on the charity and its inner workings. You should also be able to find some hard numbers from the charity or a representative of the company explaining how, where and who they have helped over the years with proof to back up their work and how they are still maintaining it.

Summarising the Importance of Charity

When it comes to supporting a registered charity, you want to know your money is supporting the causes you want to help with. Good quality and trustworthy charities won’t hide this information from you and should display this front and centre for you to inform yourself.

For many vulnerable communities in the world, charity is what keeps them from a hopeless future and without the support and generosity of people throughout the world, these charities wouldn’t be able to function. If you are living a comfortable life without fear of making it through tomorrow, consider what you can give to charity, whether it’s monetary donations, food parcels for the hungry or simply your time to volunteer. Anything you can spare will be gratefully received and will even help give a positive boost to your own emotional health.