How to Give Without Spending a Cent

When people think of giving often the first thing that pops into you head is donating, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. There are so many other ways to give without having to open the purse strings. Here are some great ideas to get you started:

1.   If you like to eat and socialize see if you could host a fundraiser for a night at a local restaurant or bar. Most restaurants are open to the idea of allowing a certain percent of the night’s profits to go to charity as long as it is scheduled in advance and you are in charge of the crowds.

2.   If you are an aspiring photographer reach out and see if you can offer your services to a nonprofit organization. Most nonprofits never run out of opportunities for volunteers to help with public relations or marketing. See if you can use your camera to help photograph their next event, make a video for their website, or add graphics to their newsletters. 

3.   If you have a nice home and enjoy interior decorating see if your home could be the next space for a nonprofit to host one of their events.

4.   If you enjoy reading and have an eye for grammar volunteer to be a copyeditor. Most nonprofits don’t have one in house and it’s an easy job that you can do nearly everywhere.

5.   If you have a special talent, maybe you could be the biggest seller at a fundraising event. Offer to teach someone how to knit, speak a different language, salsa dance, or anything else that you can do. It’s free and will help someone gain new skill and knowledge.

6.   If you have a youthful side, become a mentor. Organizations often have mentorship programs and are in need of volunteers to fill empty spots after school, during the summer, and on weekends. See if your schedule allows it then go ahead and sign-up.

7.   If you have a knack for the Internet and social media put these skills to use and do some online marketing for a nonprofit organization near you. Help them build their network by connecting them with powerful influencers and other nonprofits, build them a new website, redesign their newsletter, or help them find new resources to make online marketing easier.

8.   If you like to sweat, run a race on behalf of a nonprofit. Even if running isn’t your thing there are other types of events that you can participate in and donate the funds you raise to a nonprofit.

9.   If you enjoy trying new food, look for “charity nights” at restaurants you’ve never been to. These nights are beneficial for restaurants to gain new customers and it’s also a great place to meet people who are passionate about nonprofits too.

10.  If you have friends with the same interests as you, volunteer together. This is one of the easiest and best ways to give without spending anything. The time you and your friends give will surely make a change in any nonprofit organization that you volunteer with.