Myths about Giving

After working in financial development at the American Red Cross and as an intake case manager at a homeless access center, I have discovered that there are several common myths about giving to nonprofits that may seem true, but are actually quite unhelpful. These come up SO frequently that I felt compelled to address them!

Myth #1: If I give $5, $1, or 50 cents to a nonprofit, it's all good because it doesn't cost me much and it still adds up to benefit them.
False! If you give that little to an agency, it will cost them MORE to process the donation, cross-check the information, and send you a thank you than your donation is actually worth. Think about it: the stamp alone is 42 cents! You are actually causing your beloved nonprofit to LOSE money processing your donation. The bigger chunks of $ you give, the more money actually goes to the cause that you believe in, because each donation takes relatively the same amount of time (and therefore money) to process. Since working in the donations section of the Red Cross, I no longer give less than $20 at a time. My coworker, who has been working there longer, doesn't give in smaller increments than $50. Can't afford to give that much? Pool your money with friends or family members, do the work of combining the money on your end, and send the donation with one check or credit card. Holding a penny drive for an organization? Do the work of taking all those pennies to the bank yourself to get a cashier's check that you can take to the agency, instead of wasting some staff member's time making them count ridiculous numbers of pennies (oh yes, I have had to do this). If you give tiny amounts of money, the only one that will benefit is you, because you will feel good but nothing will actually be accomplished with your gift.

Myth #2: I hate to throw away my stained & ripped clothes or my broken appliances, so if I donate them, someone can make use of them.
False! Homeless shelters are NOT your local trash removal service! If your clothes are stained or ripped, throw them away or use them as rags around your house. I also used to hate to throw anything away that could possibly be useful, but honestly, staff at homeless shelters do not have time to mend your stuff. Same goes for broken TVs, breadmakers, computer monitors, etc. Trash those items yourself, because if you donate them, they are going to go into the trash anyway. Or find businesses that specialize in rebuilding old computers, for example, and take your applicable items directly to them. Give away your nice clothes, your homemade scarves, your coats, and remember to make sure they are CLEAN. Remember, homeless men and women need to go to job interviews and such too, and wearing your ripped tshirt is not going to help them out.

Myth #3: But I LOVE your organization! Why are you rejecting my [clothes, broken TV, insert whatever item you like]? I don't want to give to any other organization; I want to support YOU!
False! Umm, allow me to point out that if you truly want to support an organization, you will find out what is actually helpful to them instead of imposing what you think is helpful. A particular homeless shelter may not happen to accept clothing donations, but perhaps they need help with a new sock drive for their clients, or they need a new microwave, or they could use sugar for their shelter, or they have homeless children that could use tutoring or a game night. Ask what needs they have, and then try to address those needs. Of course it is worth trying to find a second home for the items that you have and no longer need--that's practicing sustainability and generousity--but if a place turns you down, stop harassing them to accept your stuff and find someone or someplace that it will actually be useful for! Or call various agencies to find out what kind of donations they accept so that when something does come along that you want to give away, you know who it will actually benefit.

Anyone have more myths about giving that they want to address?

Many nonprofits could not survive without the kindness and generousity of their doners, but if you really want to be a giver who makes a difference--who TRULY makes a difference instead of just making yourself feel good--try to remember the truth about these three myths. And good luck with your giving!! :)