In the time of a global pandemic, charity organizations in the development, education, environment, and other sectors need your support more than ever. At a time when funding and in-kind resources are harder to acquire, every donation—no matter how small—counts for a lot. This is the perfect opportunity to revisit an organization you’ve volunteered with before or whose advocacy you share in your personal life. You can contribute your time, money, or resources, and by doing so ensure that their good work continues even in the midst of difficulties.
Here are seven simple ways that you can support a Filipino charity that you hold close to your heart. Pay it forward for them today using any of these methods!
Send Money from a Safe Distance
Donating money to charity organizations is one of the many possible applications of contactless payment. Instead of donating in kind or going to the bank just to send cash, you can course your donation online using cashless payment platforms like Maya. Donate now for your beneficiaries to receive money in real-time. It may not be as easy for you to leave your home and volunteer in person, but it’s still easy to send much-needed financial assistance to a charity organization if you do things online.
Do a Fund Drive
Another great way to raise money for a charity you hold dear is to hold a fund drive for them. There are several ways you can do this, and you can get as creative as you want to be. For example, if you and your friends like to draw, you can form a collective to do art commissions for charity. You can also hold an online garage sale to sell preloved items and donate the proceeds to a non-profit organization. You have the choice of managing the money yourself before donating it, which is what most people do during fund drives. Alternatively, you can ask for people to make direct payments to the charity’s account and ask for proof of donation before releasing the item.
Volunteer Your Skills
Your creativity and talent can also shine through for your partner organization if you volunteer your abilities to them. If you’ve got a valuable talent or skill, you can offer it in their service for free. If you’re good at visual art or design, you can create an appealing poster for the charity’s social media page. That poster can come with a QR code that other donors can scan to pay. But what if you know how to tutor kids or develop educational materials? Then, perhaps you can create a free module on a subject you’re passionate about for distribution to an educational charity. Think about how you can align your talent with the organization’s needs, and use it to advance their mission and vision.
Donate Items for Those in Need
Spring cleaning may be on your agenda soon, and if it is, consider donating items you no longer use to people who need them more. Sort out clothes, books, gadgets, toys, and others, make sure they’re in good condition, and make arrangements to donate them. You can drive them to the non-profit’s office yourself or make arrangements for them to pick it up.
Cover Their Needs for a Specific Day or Event
You can also volunteer to pay for a specific need during an event—for example, meals for staff during a medical mission. You can order food from a restaurant, Pay with Maya, and then arrange for delivery to be made to their office or to the site of the event. . The partner org will be thankful for your contribution, as that gives them one less thing to worry about during a busy event. It may also inspire their workers and volunteers to do well in their assigned tasks, knowing that they have your support.
Spend Time with the Beneficiaries
Offering your money isn’t the only way you can demonstrate kindness and generosity to those in need. Your beneficiaries might appreciate it if you get to spend some time with them and get to know them. Perhaps you can schedule a kapihan session on a video conferencing app for adult beneficiaries and staff, then talk with them about their day-to-day lives. If the beneficiaries are children, you can volunteer a free online art or dance class supervised by parents and staff. It’s always good to remember the human element that drives charity work and to be in touch with the people you want to help.
Signal Boost
Lastly, don’t forget to show your support for the charity organization by boosting awareness on who they are and what they do. Speak with your friends or family about joining you in your support for them. If the organization maintains an active social media presence, share their info to your newsfeed. If other people find out about them the way you did, there’s a chance that their network of support can grow.
Though the circumstances have changed for charities, and in many ways have become more difficult for them, their good work should not stop. Now, more than ever, they should be equipped with the resources to help other Filipinos in need. Keep their legacy alive by supporting them however you can, no matter how far away you are!
