Why Support Nonprofit Organizations with Donations
Winston Churchill once said, ”We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Have you noticed how different people carry different passions? One person is passionate about being a voice for the voiceless, another cares deeply about a lack of clean water, and yet another has a desire to preach and teach God’s Word vocationally.
Caring Network is a Chicagoland non-profit, whose mission is to reach women facing unplanned pregnancy. Since 1981, we have been offering hope and compassionate support that empowers women to choose life for their children. Learn more about Caring Network by checking out our About Us page.
Why Donate to a Local Non-Profit Organization?
God created us in His image, and this means we He created us to care about things He cares about. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Bodies consist of different parts, each with different functions, and the body of Christ is similar. Each of us is a valued part of the body and necessary for the whole to function well, so embrace the passion God has put on your heart with confidence, which may include supporting a non-profit organization close to you.
When you consider donating to a local non-profit organization, you might choose it because you love its mission. Or perhaps you benefited personally from the organization, and you want to give back.
But did you know that in addition to helping a local non-profit organization fulfill its mission, your donation profoundly impacts your community and society? First, let’s discuss various ways to donate.
Ways You Can Donate
When we talk about donating, we usually think of giving money first. Although financial support is crucial for any organization, non-profits also need your time and talents. Here are a few non-financial ways to help a local organization:
- Ask the organization where they need help
- Provide quality services through your business
- Provide connections to other resources and services
- Get involved by offering your area of expertise
- Promote awareness about the organization through your social media or with friends and family
5 Reasons to Donate to a Local Non-Profit Organization
When you think about donating, you might be primarily thinking about the people who are impacted directly by the organization. You may not have considered that when you contribute locally, you are not only benefiting those within the organization, but you are also significantly impacting your community socially and fiscally. Here are five reasons to donate to a local non-profit organization:
1. YOU HELP CREATE A GREATER SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
When you donate locally, you have opportunities to become involved face to face. Fellow donors and volunteers often create a supportive community around the organization that benefits everyone. You may develop lasting friendships as you work alongside one another to support a cause with which you all have a passion.
Your family and friends may also catch your passion for the organizational mission when you invite them to local events. Fundraisers like golf outings, 5K events, and dinners are community-building ways to include people you love in the organizations you care deeply about.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV)
2. A MORE SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF YOUR DONATION SUPPORTS THE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION.
Smaller, local organizations typically use a lower percentage of donations for administrative costs than large organizations, which leaves more of your donated dollar to be used towards the mission.
You may notice that smaller organizations tend to score higher on charity assessment tools like Charity Navigator than larger, global organizations. Their higher scores are due to charity assessment organizations weighing operating cost percentages heavily, and smaller organizations tend to score higher in this area.
3. YOUR GIVING CAN STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY.
Research has revealed that giving benefits the well-being of givers , which strengthens communities.
Giving can make people feel happier.
Brain scans show that generosity causes the amygdala to become less active. The amygdala is the part of the brain that becomes overactive with anxiety. Giving also causes our bodies to release “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin into our brains. Imagine how different our community roadways could look with more happy people driving on them!
In addition, depression has been linked to many health problems.
Giving benefits physical health.
Since giving reduces depression and increases an overall sense of well-being, those who give benefit from improved physical health. Volunteers tend to have healthier body weights, less belly fat, lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and better cholesterol levels. Each of these factors reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Healthier communities are stronger communities.
Those who benefited by your giving may then go on to give to someone else.
4. You benefit as much as the non-profit organization benefits.
You will feel a sense of fulfilling your God-given purpose, and that’s important too. It’s also a segway into experiencing the health benefits common to givers.
5. Donating locally fiscally benefits your community.
We often don’t consider the domino effect our local donations have and how they fiscally benefit our communities. The money we give to local organizations creates jobs. Those jobs generate tax revenue even though the organization itself is tax-exempt. The people employed at the non-profit pay income tax, sales tax, real estate tax, etc. Also, non-profit employees spend their earnings at local businesses, which creates additional jobs, tax revenue, and so on.
So when you give to a local non-profit, you aren’t only supporting that organization, you are also impacting society and your community in powerful ways.
Caring Network is grateful for committed supporters like you! We have many opportunities for you to partner with us and get involved in sharing the pro-life, pro-woman message of life. Reach out to us today. We look forward to hearing from you!
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:25
