5 Ways to Give

posted 7th January 2011    Written by: Alisha    CATEGORY: Alisha, All Posts, Inspiration, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 3, Tips & Tools

I spent a lot of my free time in high school and college spending my Thanksgivings feeding the homeless, reading to children and dunking my sorority sisters to collect money for various organizations.  But the reality now is that I am short on two things: time and money.  And I know my situation is not unique.  Now that the holidays are over and the toy and food drives are coming to an end, here are 5 ways you can continue to give–and they won’t cost you a dime.

Surf the web.  You probably spend a good portion of your week online searching for random things so why not use the search engine www.GoodSearch.com which donates 50% of its advertising revenues for every search conducted through its website.

Sell your stuff. I am constantly purging my drawers and closets to create more space in our small home.  I usually try to dump everything on Craigslist, but next time I think I’ll try Ebay’s Giving Works.  This special portion of their site allows you to sell your items and choose how much of your profit you would like to donate to charity.  Win-win.

Tweet and blog about your favorite causes.  The best way to generate interest in anything is by word of mouth.  Tweet or blog about your favorite charities and how they change the world.  If you inspire at least one person to donate some money, that can make a big difference.

Do You.  Are you a web or graphic designer?  Offer a free site or logo makeover to your favorite local charity.  Love to paint or draw?  Create a piece of work to be used in their next fundraising campaign.  Maybe you’re a master pianist.  Why not offer to teach a few piano lessons at the local children’s home?

Be You.  Hold open the door for the old lady behind you.  Shovel your neighbor’s walk.  Pay for the coffee of the person in front of you.  Smile at passersby.  Send a nice text or email to someone you haven’t talked to in a long time.  Just be your kind, generous, compassionate self.

Giving doesn’t have to be done with grand gestures and fanfare.  It is as much about the little things as it is about the big things.  What really matters is the love and intention inside of your heart and how you share the pieces of you.  Believe me, that is what truly makes the world a better place.

(photo credit)

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Comments (6)

6 Responses to “5 Ways to Give”

  • nikki_klecha Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 9:16 am

    Thank you so much for this!!! I didn't know about either of those links but I will FO SHO be using them from now on. Thanks for giving us ways to take action & give. xo

  • Marcelina McGinnis Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Thank you for sharing, I love this!

  • erinmakesitwork Says:
    January 7th, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    I absolutely adore every inch of this. One day while shopping recently, an old man was parked next to me in the last row of the store's parking lot. I offered to push his cart back to the cart return for him and you would have thought I had given him the world. Thanks for the tip about good search. Since I do internet-based research ALL day long, I will definitely have to do some through that site. :) Love it.

  • Lindsey Says:
    January 8th, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    I so agree. I've definitely put in my time at the soup kitchens and home builds, but that isn't the ONLY way to give. I love these tips!

  • Alisha Says:
    January 9th, 2011 at 9:19 pm

    Thank you, Erin. That's a great story. I think we forget how often we have the opportunity to brighten someone's day.

  • Alisha Says:
    January 9th, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Thanks, Lindsey. We are capable of making a difference in so many ways…just need to think outside the box a little.

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