Author: admin

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.

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity’s concept comes from a little farming community called Koinonia Farm. Founded by Clarence Jordan and a few others in Georgia, the farm was built in a bid to promote interracial harmony.

When Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, visited Koinonia Farm in 1965 with the wish to turn a new leaf jumped headfirst into Christian service, leaving behind a successful business and a wealthy lifestyle. The two put their heads together and hatched a new concept: partnership housing. This meant that families in need of shelter would work alongside other volunteers to build themselves a simple house. The ‘no profit’ concept was funded by ‘Fund for Humanity’ which in turn was supported by new homeowners’ donations, house payments and no-interest loans as well as money raised from fundraisers.

In 1968, Koinonia laid out the basic model for Habitat for Humanity with a site enough for 42 half-acre housing plots, and a four-acre area for a community park and recreation. Funding came from all over the country and once homes were built, they were then sold to needy families with no profit or interest charged.

Taking the concept to an international level, the Fullers moved to Zaire in 1973. Three years of hard work bore fruit and they managed to provide shelter to close to 2,000 people. In September 1976, Linda and Millard along with a group of friends and supporters sat down at a meeting at which Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) was created.

Habitat’s work around the world has helped numerous families in need to find affordable housing solutions. At present, HFHI is responsible for the construction and rehabilitation of over 300,000 houses and for providing shelter to over 1.5 million people across North and Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific. Their work is supported by 132 partners in the Asia Pacific region and 2,291 partners globally.

An American family’s typical ‘get-together’ activities would include a game night, dinner, or even a trip to the lake or the beach. However, one such family activity that is generally overlooked is volunteering.

Volunteering as a family has its benefits. It helps the family work together towards a cause while strengthening family ties. It is also an excellent method of instilling the value of volunteering in young children.

An example of such family volunteer activities is the Montcalm Schools, a private family-referral residential treatment program for girls and boys that uses volunteering as a therapy tool. The school is based on a 90 plus year history with its parent company known as Starr Commonwealth, and works with over 5,000 children, families and professionals on an annual basis to enhance the lives of the less fortunate.

Dr. Jim Longhurst, licensed psychologist for Montcalm Schools says that a vital part of the treatment at the organization is volunteering. “Montcalm is trying to rekindle that part of ourselves that is more or less dormant in the kids we serve. Volunteering as part of their therapeutic treatment develops a compassion for others and teaches them to be more empathic. Volunteering and making a difference in the lives of others, helps children who are obsessed with their own shortcomings and life struggles build self-esteem. The magnitude of their perceived deficits decreases and their self-esteem increases because they see someone appreciative of their ability and desire to help.”

The same volunteerism principles the Montcalm School uses for its therapy works well with any family. Volunteering together brings about that essential spirit of cooperation and teaches children important practical life skills.