Category: Charities

There are many ways to raise funds for charity. One such method, which has become increasingly popular over the years, has been through music. There have been numerous musicians who have written songs for charity. These songs, once produced, have been sold, and all the proceeds are then donated to that particular charity. When charity songs are recorded by top artists, people are compelled to purchase it. After all, it is not like you are not going to support the cause your favorite artist does, right? And some of these songs have topped the charts while others have made an appearance but the important thing is they have all become widely popular. Here are some of them:

We are the World (1985) – Recorded originally by the super group ‘USA for Africa’, this song was co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. The famous recording of the song on February 28th, 1985 brought together some of the most famous artists in the industry. Released in March that very year, ‘We are the World’ stormed global music charts, rising to the top spot, while being the first single to receive a multi-platinum certification. The song has won three Grammys, one American Music award as well as the People’s Choice Award. Records indicate that the song made well over $63 million, selling over 20 million units. A remake of the song was done in February 2010 in aid of those devastated by an earthquake in Haiti.

Voices that Care (1991) – Enlisting 110 voices belonging to famous actors, singers, athletes, the song was recorded to encourage soldiers fighting in Operation Desert Storm. Written by David Foster, Peter Cetera and Linda Thompson – it reached the eleventh place on the Billboard Hot 100, third spot on the Hot 100 Singles sales and thirteenth on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.

Sun City (1985) – Written as a protest song by Steven Van Zandt, Sun City was recorded by a group of artists who called themselves Artists United Against Apartheid, opposing the apartheid policy adopted by South Africa. There were mixed reactions to the song in the US with it reaching only the 38th spot on the Billboard Hot 100, while only a mere 50% of the US radio stations played it while others objected to the lyrics which criticized President Reagan’s ‘constructive engagement’ policy. However, the song’s worldwide performance was much better. Sun City became an overwhelming hit in the Netherlands, was placed on the UK Singles Chart and was also a top ten single in Canada. Music critics picked Sun City as record of the year, while it also reached top spot on the Pazz and Jop Critics Poll earning it the title of best single of the year.

If you have a charity event coming up, undoubtedly you would want everyone to know about it for it to be an absolute success. Promoting your event creatively and using the correct tools is a must. This way, regardless of whether it is a bake sale, a charity dinner or even an auction, letting people know is vital. Here is how you should get about it:

Tip #1: Set up a promotions committee for your charity event. Sit everyone down and conduct a quick brainstorming session for ideas. Try to pick ideas that do not cost much. If you have a budget for advertising, then spend it wisely. If not, then there are enough of ways to promote your event absolutely free. You just need to look around.

Tip #2: Get the graphics wiz in your team to design some snazzy fliers. Then you can send them out by mail or even hand them out, leave them at the local coffee shop and supermarket. Wherever you think the target market frequents.

Tip #3: Tickets are also a good way to promote your event. Get some printed right away. This way, people know when and where the charity event is being held and the cost involved as well.

Tip #4: Rope in the local newspaper as a sponsor. This way, you can ask them to advertise your event in the paper. This is very important if your charity event is a big one.

Tip #5: The Internet is also a fabulous method of promoting an event. Send out an email; make it a Facebook event, update your twitter page and so on and so forth. Make sure that you include all the important details such as the name of the event, the date and the venue etc. This is a sure fire way of spreading the word around.

Tip #6: If your charity event is a huge one, then you could also try getting the local TV and Radio channels to sponsor it as well. This would mean more free publicity for the event.

Putting together a charity is almost like setting up a business. There is a lot of paperwork you have to sift through, legal stuff you have to take into consideration and other important factors. Therefore, unless you are ready to take on such responsibility, do not venture into setting up a charity. Ensure that you look into all aspects first, and carefully plan everything out before you start. Here are five essential steps you should take into consideration:

Step 1: Decide on what kind of charity you want to set up. If there is a certain cause you have in mind, then, move onto step 2. If not, consider your interests and the available resources that will help you to meet your goals. Look at your community to find what is missing and what is needed. This should give you enough insight in making an informed decision. It is unnecessary to set up a charity that is similar to one being run in the same area. Analyzing the competition is of absolute importance – especially when drawing up a good business plan.

Step 2: Filing requirements. Check with the local authorities regarding relevant registrations and licenses you might need to get when setting up your charity. You might also need to obtain special insurance for the charity, which is over and beyond the usual insurance policy needed for a business. If you are employing people, then that paperwork also must be dealt with. Ensure that all IRS requirements are met.

Step 3: Board members. Find people who you know and can trust, who are experienced, educated and most importantly interested in the mission and goals your charity will set out to achieve.

Step 4: Business plan and budget. While a charity is not a business, setting one up requires careful planning – hence a business plan is needed. The more solid your business plan – the more successful your charity will be. Include your budget as well, ensuring that all costs are taken into consideration, no matter how minute.

Step 5: Patience. Setting up your charity will be no easy task and sometimes could pan out after a long time. Hang in there and set yourself to the task. On average, setting up a charity could take at least a year.

Charity does not always mean you need to donate money. This is just a way of giving to the less fortunate. One creative way of donating to needy families is by giving away furniture that you no longer need. Furniture is probably the one thing that most needy families lack in their homes. Their top priorities would be spending the little money they have on food, medicine, children’s school supplies and even clothes. Furniture is probably the last thing they can afford to spend their money.

When redecorating your home there must be quite a few usable items of furniture that you put away. Consider donating it to a needy family that would probably put it to good use. Donating a sofa might mean that certain members of that family need no longer sleep on the floor, a desk would give a child a proper place to do her homework, kitchen items will mean the family can make better meals more efficiently. By donating furniture, not only will you be helping someone out, but also the environment.

If you do not know of a needy family that could use your discarded furniture, look around for a charity organization that could help you. Some organizations will even come over to your home and pick up the items of furniture, while some will need you to drop it off at a specified location. Here a few of those organizations:

National Furniture Bank Association – This organization will pick up your donated items of furniture and give them to families in need.

Reuse Development Organization (ReDO) – They have a list of organizations by state that take on furniture donations.

Other charity organizations that will pick up your donated furniture are the Salvation Army, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

The local church might have a furniture donation program. It might be worth checking out.

If you are into theatre, then look up some of the theatre groups in your area. They may need your furniture for their sets in an upcoming play.

Register online on internet groups such as Freecycle or FreeShare, which have forums for donating and receiving free items, which include furniture as well.

What did you do with your old cell phone when you bought a new one? Is it still lying around somewhere at the bottom of a drawer? If you are not using it and have not thrown it out, then you might as well donate it. By donating your old cell phone, you are not only relieving yourself of clutter in your house, but also helping the environment in doing so.

A few retailers and organizations will accept old phone donations. If you look hard enough, you will also come across many initiatives that can be contacted directly in order to make your donation.

You must ensure that you delete all personal information on your old phone, including contacts, pictures, videos, etc – and double check that your service has been disconnected – before you donate it.

Red Cross

The ‘Donate a Phone’ program, a fundraising initiative by Nextel recently racked up close to $400,000 through the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services Fund. This is how it worked: every phone donated is recycled. The recycled phone brings in around $1.50 towards the American Red Cross. Even though the donation per phone seems small, it adds up to quite a large sum of money.

Welcome Home!

This project is in aid of Guards and Reserves who were part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The program raises funds from donated old cell phones, which are recycled through the EUSA – Employers United for a Stronger America.
These are just two ‘old phone donation’ programs while you can locate several initiatives similar to these in and around your area.