What charity should I help ? How do I choose ?
Tags: Charity, Helping Others, Contribution To Society, Values

There are so many charities out there and organisations that collect money, help for different causes. Lately a lot have been asked from us, in regard of the events there have been even more solicitations “Here is a link to donate; read this, read that, donate here”. While it is great that words are spread on some issues that did not have light shone on them before it can be quite overwhelming and making us feel like we don’t know where to help, and make us wonder if our contribution will do any difference.

Do you feel sometimes that pressing feeling of wanting to help but not knowing how to do “enough”? Have you given some money here and then to charities but stopped ? Are you wondering how you can have a long-term impact?

Change your perspective : From rescuer to contributor

It is not about if you are doing enough. You can’t “solve” the problem on your own, do not aim to solve all of it from your gesture because this approach could discourage you on a long-term. See it as an ocean where there are spill of different colours of oil. And you decided to help people clean the “brown oil” and your neighbours are cleaning the “yellow oil” (the colours representing different causes) and so on. Your contribution matters but you need the helping hands of others too, so don’t enter this from a “rescuer” position but from a “contributor” sense of self. You are helping get rid of the brown oil, your contribution accelerate the process, do not think it is useless.

Align your choices of charities to your values

In a perfect world we would like to help each cause, but from a realistic point of view there are so much we can do as one individual. If you wish to have an impact on a long-term and feel like you are making a difference, take time to determine what your values are and align your choice of charities you want to help with your values. If for you learning, adventure, fun are some of your top values, why not having a look at how you can help kids in underdeveloped countries to go to school, or to contribute to the education of girls for example. Or if your top values are family, safety, love, why not look into charities that help patients in hospital to be with their close ones, or the charities that help ill kids that are having heavy treatments to be surrounded by their family. There are so many other possibilities, but the important part is to align them with what is important to you. It is not selfish, you will have a connection to your contributions and you are more likely to keep it going on a long-term. And considering that we all have different values if we all did it this way all charities would get contributors.

Do your research

And of course that is obvious but I had to state it here. Research the charity you are donating to, look into what they are using it for. See if you can help in any other way than monetary as well if it is something you are interested in doing.

When we connect to our values and act from them, our actions come from a place of love, of positive feelings and not from lack, desperation. The fuel to helping is stronger when it comes from a place of love rather than a place of desperation and lack.