Fundraisers are a lot of hard work. Often they involve hours of selling overpriced items with very little profit going to the charity or individuals involved.
Below are some online resources for getting and giving money and help directly.
Ideas for Non-Profit Organizations
JustGive is a non-profit organization website that may be able to help raise money for not-for-profit groups with a fee of only 3% taken from donations. The fundraising group lists their needs on JustGive and gets the word out to possible donors via their own website, or through other sources. Donors can then go to the JustGive site for an easy way to donate. JustGive's mission statement: Dedicated to creating tools and services to make charitable giving part of our everyday lives, JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about.
If you want to help but have no cash, look into Operation Hero Miles, which gives ordinary citizens an opportunity to help our troops in a very direct way. The program is very simple. Travelers donate their unused frequent flyer miles and those miles allow troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan to fly home on leave for free. It also gives family members of wounded servicemen and women free plane tickets to visit loved ones recovering at military hospitals across the country.
Ideas for Individuals and Those Without Non-Profit Status
People can be at a loss for how to get non-government help for themselves, a group, or for help because of a traumatic event. Now there is a website which may be of help.
Sometimes referred to as "the eBay of Giving," RealityCharity is a direct fundraising website and philanthropy community. Here, anyone or any group can instantly give charitable gifts of cash or request money donations for virtually any reason. There are pleas from people with high medical bills, postings to help beloved pets, requests for business or non-profit start-up costs, and appeals for help from the jobless and homeless. On the site you can browse by cause or search by keyword or the name of the group or person who posted the request. One good thing about this site is there is a place for explaining situations and financial needs, including photos and documentation (such as bills, non-profit status papers, testimonials, etc). Verification of identity is provided as well, in some cases.
Giving to Others Can Change Lives
To feel the concept of how giving to others in little ways can change the world in larger ways, consider watching the movie Pay It Forward (Oct 2000 Bel Air Entertainment, rated PG-13, mainly for adults and older teens who can deal with some violence and mature materials). Like the movie Pay it Forward, RealityCharity will lift your spirits, break your heart, make you look at the world in a new way, and just perhaps change your life.
Another option is to watch Extreme Home Makeover or Oprah's Big Give on ABC television.
Sometimes in life, people want to give help to others, but don't have large amounts of money or know how to donate. Other times, one just needs a little lift to get back on their feet but doesn't know how or where to get help. Everyone else's problems may seem bigger or more worthy. It can feel embarrassing to ask for a handout. But with these types of sites, people can offer help when they are strong, and ask for assistance when life seems overwhelming. What a wonderful trade-off.
For job help, read March for Meals by Meals on Wheels, Unemployment & Job Loss Support or Get a Pay Raise or Job Promotion.
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