Large charities have robust fundraising campaigns and global reach, increasing their visibility on the world stage and allowing them to undertake significant aid projects. Local charities aren’t in the spotlight as often, but they’re another excellent option for your charitable giving that directly impacts your community. Giving to local charitable organizations improves the social and economic health of the neighbourhoods you call home, making them more secure, prosperous, and inclusive spaces.
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Local Charities Directly Affect Your Community
Major charitable organizations do essential work worldwide, while local charities focus on the community’s needs on a smaller scale. One of the advantages of donating to a local charity is that you learn what these needs are, and in this way, you get a better picture of what’s going on in your community. Local non-profit organizations are generally run by people who have a deep understanding of specific issues affecting your community. These organizations’ staff and volunteers often have boots on the ground every day. They can see shifts in needs as they occur, making them highly responsive to changes without much preparation.
Large charities provide information about how they’ve used the money. Still, the information tends to be an overview illustrated with a few evocative examples that highlight the impact of their work. You can get a much clearer picture of how the money is spent with a local charity because it happens right where you live. You can see it first-hand by visiting charity offices and getting to know the staff and volunteers. Seeing their work as it happens gives you a good sense of the difference the charity makes in your neighbourhood and the surrounding area.
Another benefit of giving locally is that it enables those charitable organizations to grow, creating more jobs and volunteer opportunities in your community, not just in the charity itself but in the businesses and suppliers that work with the charity. The helping becomes exponential when everyone gets involved.
Opportunities to Give
Giving doesn’t have to be strictly financial: with a local charity, you can volunteer to do everything from fundraising to office work to directly helping people in need. There may even be opportunities to use skills you’ve acquired through your work to support local charities.
Many volunteer positions ramp up during different times of the year. This is a chance to see the cycle of the seasons and celebrations through fresh eyes. It can also give you a better understanding of the challenges people in your community face and a deeper appreciation of what life offers when we give to others.
Depending on the charity, donations in kind (e.g. clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items) may also be welcomed. It’s not always possible for larger charities to accept these because they would have to transport these donations to sites that might be quite far away. Many people enjoy giving physical items or donating services rather than making financial donations; local charities can be a good option for these giving opportunities.
Getting involved with a local charity can also guide children onto the path of giving: many young people enjoy doing volunteer work and learning about other people in the community. Including them in this work or even letting them do their fundraising is an excellent way to instill community-minded values.
Building Bonds in Your Community
By getting involved with your local charities, you’ll meet other like-minded people who live in your area. This gives you local contacts, and it builds bonds within the community; when neighbours get to know their neighbours, they look out for them and their families. These bonds can define a community and establish local groups and organizations so that the community lives on even when the residents change. Local businesses also benefit by providing goods and services to charities so that the neighbourhood grows in prosperity and familiarity. Even in the heart of large cities, these close bonds can improve the social health of everyone involved.
A Novel Way to Contribute
A great way to contribute to your community is through a Foresters membership1. Foresters Financial™ is a member-based life insurance organization that works to improve the lives of its members, their families and their communities. With a focus on well-being and social responsibility, Foresters has a 150-year history of giving back to the community. Membership gives you access to a competitive scholarship program, a community grant program, and several volunteer opportunities. Members can get involved with local Foresters branches which helps them make contacts and develop leadership skills. Members can also participate in one of the Foresters’ local projects, providing hands-on help with everything from preparing meals to building playgrounds.
Charitable donations strengthen and grow your community. Whether you give to large charities, local organizations, membership activities, or a combination, know that you’re contributing to a bright future for your family and others in your neighbourhood and beyond.
- Foresters member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions and limitations and may be changed or cancelled without notice or are no longer available.
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