Nonprofits: Supporting Others Everyday

Source: Hillary Ungson on Unsplash

While working for a nonprofit can be an extremely rewarding experience, no matter who you are or what you are doing, you can make a difference in the world by supporting nonprofits – whether that’s as a volunteer, donor, board member or advocate. In fact, there are things you can do every day to support nonprofits and cause-oriented organizations by slightly changing your behaviors.

In this post, we’ll explore options and actions you can take to create a more conscious world for others, animals and the environment. Remember, beyond these actions, as a conscious consumer you should always be curious about where your products come from, who or what resources were involved with the production and what the impact of post-consumption is. Learn more about conscious brands and products our team at The Good Camp loves in our lifestyle blog, too!

Small Change, Big Impact

To start, let’s talk about three ways you can give back to charities and nonprofits through normal consumption, at no extra charge to you.

1) AmazonSmile: When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll have the same great experience with Amazon shopping but 0.5% of eligible purchases are donated to a charitable organization you select. Choose from over one million charities to find an organization aligned with your values and goals. You can even step up your impact by browsing Charity Lists of items needed, purchasing them and giving online.

2) Browsers: At work or at home, odds are you spend quite a bit of time using search engines during the day and the browser you choose matters! SearchScene is a charitable search engine fighting climate change. Like other browsers, it makes money from advertising, but 95% of profits are donated to charity. Add an extension to your browser or search on the site.

Another great search engine that benefits the environment is Ecosia. Ecosia plants trees with the search engine revenue generated in the areas of the world that need them most. Over 124 million trees have been planted so far and you can even keep track of how many trees you have individually contributed through your searches. Tell your team at work to use these browsers, too!

3) Credit Cards: Even the credit card you select can make a difference in the world. Offerings may change over time so do some of your research but here are a few to start. The Charity Charge World Mastercard® Credit Card benefits over 950 nonprofits, has no annual fees and is available both for individuals and nonprofit organizations. Choose a nonprofit (or multiple) and 1% of all your purchases will be donated back.

Next, the Susan G. Komen® Cash Rewards Visa® also has no annual fee and when you open the card Bank of America donates $3 to Susan G. Komen along with 0.08% of retail purchase amounts. You’ll receive 3% cashback in the category of your choice, too. Get your pink ribbon card today! 

Last, with many other cards, as you earn cashback you have options to donate. See what you can do with your credit card provider and keep your eyes open for other organizational partnerships that will help you give back (and boost your credit)!

Source: Joel Muniz on Unsplash

Sharing Talents

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved getting in on the action and volunteering. However, volunteering itself has a wide definition and there are many ways for you to share your talents with the organizations you love. Here are two ways to start, but always keep in mind that often charities and nonprofits will welcome your help. Contact local organizations or larger groups to find where you can offer your support.

1) VolunteerMatch: Scout for opportunities to volunteer virtually or in your community. Through VolunteerMatch, you’ll be able to search for experiences based on causes you’re interested in and can find both one-time and ongoing opportunities. The organization has connected 16.4 million volunteers with 132.4 thousand nonprofits – but there are 3.5 million volunteers needed now!

In addition to more traditional volunteer roles, you can also find organizations that are seeking board members on VolunteerMatch. If your skills are a better fit for governance – do it! You can search by skills as well as the type of activity. Filter by groups and find a way to engage your friends or work team, too. Using an earth-helping search engine, you can look for other ways to volunteer as a finance professional, marketer, web designer or through whatever other professional skills you have. Make a difference outside of your day job.

There are other ways to use your passions and talents to give back, too. If you’re creative, consider making cards for children in hospitals or elderly care residents. If you play an instrument, host a benefit concert for your favorite organization or cause or perform for the people who need your light most.

2) Charity Miles: Charity Miles is an incredible app that takes your daily workout and makes a difference – and it’s free in the Apple and Android app stores. Create your account, select a charity and move for the causes you feel most passionate about. While this is a great app for runners, the app tracks all kinds of movement and whether you’re dancing or doing a HIIT workout, every mile you move will earn money toward your cause from Charity Miles’ corporate sponsorship. You can even get sponsored by your friends or participate in a corporate challenge with your work team.

Keep your eyes open for more apps like this and ways to easily share your talents with the world!

Source: Seth Doyle on Unsplash

Action Online

Through social media and digital sharing, social issues have come to light in many important ways. When you are passionate about something, tell others about it. Positive change comes from us all working together. A great way to add your voice to the numbers advocating for change is by signing petitions. Support the organizations and causes that matter to you and to our futures.

Change.org has a powerful list of petitions you can browse to sign and you can even start your own! See how many people have signed and how far there is to go. This platform is empowering everyone to be the change and supports activism technology development and influences policymakers with its impact. Another great place to look for petitions to sign is Care2 Petitions. Here you can find petitions by activists as well as nonprofit organizations. Remember to share with your friends and encourage others to join the fight, too!

Last, if you need a break during the day and want to make a difference through a distraction, why not play a game for change? Games For Change provides digital and non-digital games that engage social issues and allows you to make an impact through play. Note that some games are free while others have a fee as they’ll link to external sites. One game I love is called Free Rice. By playing this game, grains of rice are donated to help fight global hunger through the World Food Program. 

Make your fun meaningful!

Source: Jackson David on Unsplash

Contributing Considerations

Incorporate the ideas from this post into your daily life to start giving back through your everyday interactions. Whether buying, browsing or taking a break, your time is meaningful and within clicks, you can contribute to a brighter future. We want all organizations to operate consciously and to put people, animals and the environment first, but keep in mind that you can verify how organizations are using your donations and how they are operating. Resources like CharityWatch will help you to assure the nonprofits and charities you support are in it for the right reasons.

Give thoughtfully, offer your time for the good of the world and always support others – we’re in the good camp together!