How to help charities when you don’t have much money

Shoestring Jane gives some practical tips on how you can help charities when you don’t have much money

The cost of living crisis doesn’t only impact on households. Charities are struggling too, just at the point when many of them are needed most.

For many of us, tightening our belts is no longer a choice and we have little spare money, so donating to charities is harder than ever.

This has been dubbed the ‘cost of giving crisis’.

So, how can we help? Are there ways to help charities when you don’t have much money?

Here are some ideas for offering practical support to charitable organisations.

Organise work/school/college events

Make your fundraising efforts more effective by roping in colleagues to organise work events, or enlist your fellow students to help raise money.

Such events can encourage team building, raise morale in the workplace, and encourage donations.

You could have a monthly bake sale, create a bookstall with an honesty box, have dress-down days or a bring-and-buy sale. A group of you could take part in a sponsored walk, Race for Life, or an Easter egg hunt.

You could even do a sponsored abseil or get your head shaved if you are feeling brave!

Some employers will consider matching the amount you raise, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Individual efforts

If you don’t have a workplace you could host a coffee morning at home, ask your friends and neighbours to donate their unwanted stuff and run a car boot sale, or knit, crochet and craft items to sell.

If you are fit and well, you can sign up for a sponsored walk or run.

Reverse advent calendar

When I worked in an office, a popular way to help our local food bank was to do a reverse advent calendar. This can be done with your kids at home, too. 

The idea of a reverse advent calendar is that, instead of opening a window of your calendar each day and taking out a sweet or other treat, you get yourself a box and put an item of food or toiletries in.

For example, one day you could add a can of baked beans, the following day some pasta, a pack of soap or toothbrushes, pet food, or a box of Christmas treats, all the way to Christmas Eve.

In fact, we used to start in mid-November, so we could take our donations to the food bank in time for them to be distributed for Christmas. You can find out where your nearest food bank is and the items they currently require on the Trussell Trust website.

Volunteer

The heart and soul of many charities is their volunteer workforce. If you are time but not cash-rich, you can support charities in various ways.

All kinds of skills and life experiences can be put to good use, from book-keeping for a small charity, helping with their social media, working in a shop, working at a food bank, assisting with conservation or wildlife projects, walking dogs and cleaning cages at a rescue shelter, or training as a guide for a heritage organisation such as the National Trust.

You are likely to benefit from volunteering, too, by making friends, gaining work experience, getting out and about and learning new skills.

More from Shoestring Jane on Mouthy Money

Donating and buying in charity shops

As we approach Christmas, it is the perfect time to make some space by clearing out your unwanted books, clothing, toys and household items to take to a charity shop. 

While you are in the shop, see if there is anything you need. At this time of year, you may find Christmas jumpers, decorations, stocking fillers and gift sets on sale, giving you the chance to save money whilst supporting the charity.

Gift aid

If you are a taxpayer, be sure to tick the gift aid box on any charitable donations you make. This will increase the value of your donation by 25% at no cost to you. Many charity shops will also ask you to sign up for gift aid when you donate unwanted items.

There is more information on how gift aid works here. 

Campaign for charities

Some charities request help supporting their campaigning efforts.

For example, Age UK are requesting signatures for their petition to save the winter fuel allowance, and for people to write to their MP on the subject.

The Trussell Trust is campaigning for an Essentials Guarantee from the Government to help prevent people on Universal Credit needing foodbanks.

It will cost you no money to support campaigns close to your heart and usually just requires the time it takes to shoot off an email or letter.

Payroll giving

If you are in work, talk to your employer about offering a payroll giving scheme, where an amount is donated at source.

Many people would like to make a regular charitable donation but don’t get around to organising it. Payroll giving means employees can make regular donations without paying tax on them.

The perfect storm

Like the rest of us, charities are facing increases in their costs and their services are more in demand than ever.

However, they are simultaneously experiencing reductions in donations, leading to the perfect storm. Many charities are struggling to survive.

By offering practical support, you can help charities when you don’t have much money to give them.