If you are considering supporting a charity, often there is more than one way to do this. People are most familiar with the idea of donating money, but many charities also encourage people to volunteer.
The Anonymous Project relies on a combination of donations and volunteers in order to carry out its activities. Both are vitally important to us. Which way of giving is right for you will depend on a number of factors. This article will take a closer look at each type of giving and cover some of the extra perks of volunteering.
Donating
Donating is the most popular way to support a charity. It is quick and easy. All you need to do is make a payment and let the charity do what it deems best with those funds. It is hard to go wrong when it comes to donating, so long as you have done your research on the charities whose goals best align with your values and you know that they are reputable.
Donations are the Most Practical Option for Most People
Most people, especially in this day and age, lead fast paced lives with little free time. Time is our most precious resource, one we cannot earn back from any employment. As such, many people cannot spare much time to volunteer. This makes donating money a more ideal option for most. By donating money, we are enabling an organisation to do good on our behalf.
It Is Easy to Support a Range of Different Causes
There are so many worthy causes you could choose to support and none of these can happen without donations. Causes that we support range from sponsoring an orphan in Uganda, helping to preserve a mosque destroyed by conflict in Gaza, to contributing to a sustainability fund that will provide a community with everything they need to produce their own food.
Donations are essential for the functioning of charities, so any amount, large or small, is going to help. The Anonymous Project has tried to make the process of donating as simple as possible. We offer the option of making a one-off payment or monthly payments.
Volunteering
Volunteering typically requires more time and greater personal effort than donating but comes with its own set of rewards. Time is arguably more valuable than money, given the fact that it is finite and no one knows exactly how much they have. So, when you choose to spend your time doing volunteer work for a charity and helping it run its activities, you are giving something priceless. Volunteering could involve anything from going out and raising awareness about a charity’s cause, to flying overseas and offering some hands-on help with delivering aid.
Volunteers Give a Lot to Charities
A volunteer gives more than just time and energy. Volunteers often bring their own unique skill sets. This can help by offering fresh insight on how to solve problems or perform certain tasks. Volunteers offer more than just an extra set of hands, each person offers a whole new perspective.
Not all projects require a lot of time from volunteers. The Anonymous Project is grateful to those who are willing to sacrifice only an hour or so per week, locally. Just a little extra help means a lot to us. We also have more long-term projects abroad where volunteers can make a huge impact. One of The Anonymous Project’s latest ventures is the building of some wells in Bududa, Uganda. You can read more about this here. We are always looking for volunteers to help and encourage you to contact us if you are interested in helping.
The Act of Volunteering Gives Back
Volunteering is not all about giving. Quite often, volunteers find that the activities they are involved in are rewarding. There is the opportunity to gain new skills and experiences, which may be useful in their future work and life. It may also help to shape their purpose and guide them along a career path.
Travel Off the Beaten Track
Volunteering can allow you to travel to new places and see, first hand, the lives of the people the charity is helping. You get to see the side of a country that most others would avoid or not even think of visiting. It can be a humbling experience to work in these places. It can give you a more worldly understanding of people, economics and societies. When it comes to funding your travel to these places, there are numerous crowdfunding platforms, some catering specifically to charitable causes, as well as social media, all of which can be utilised to help raise funds to cover your travel costs.
Gain Real Insight into the Workings of a Charity
When you choose to volunteer, you gain real life insight into how the charity works, what it is doing and the impact it is having. Many people are sceptical about donating as they feel their donation may not be used appropriately. Volunteers get a clearer view of how money is handled by a charity and the magnitude of benefit it is providing.
Meet People Who Care as Much as You Do
If you are volunteering for a charity whose cause you truly believe in, there is a good chance that you will meet other like-minded people on the way. You will meet other volunteers who are willing to put time and effort into making a difference and helping those in need.
Volunteers offer great value to charities, but this is by no means a one-sided exchange. Charities offer many rewards in return, from unique experiences and transferable skills to the opportunity to meet other people who care as much as you do about change.
Which is Right for You?
Donating tends to be the easiest option for most people, as it is quick and easy to give money or set up regular donations. Although volunteering is more demanding of your time and energy, it can be hugely rewarding. By becoming personally involved in the activities of a charity you can gain invaluable skills and memorable experiences which you can use in other aspects of your work and life. It can also gain you new friends and help you decide the direction of your future.
Charities like The Anonymous Project are always grateful for help from volunteers, but we know that it is impractical for a lot of people to get involved in charity work despite their best intentions. For those who still want to do what they can, donating is an easier option and is no less important. All forms of generosity provide great value to charitable organisation.