Ways to Get Involved: Part 1 - Donate
If you’re like me, this past November was a big wake up call. A wake up call to be a more active citizen. I have always been pretty clear on my political leanings and I have always really enjoyed politics. But I never really realized that I needed to be an active part of the conversation, of the debate, of the action. It’s hard to know where to get started and I am just getting my feet wet. Right after the election I felt like I needed to immediately become a politician or activist and then I quickly realized that it isn't easy or fast. So I'm trying to do some smaller things, closer to home, in hopes that if we all choose to just take a few more small actions it could make a world of difference. This will be a three part post, so for today the first suggestion is DONATE.
- Pick one organization and become a regular donor:
- Even though it’s tempting to donate to every single organization out there, unless you are a billionaire, it’s not realistic. I suggest picking one or two organizations you feel very strongly about and donate a set amount monthly. Non-Profit organizations need the money to keep them going and as it was explained to me by an excellent canvasser, they need to know that they can rely on a steady stream of money each month. I started donating $20/month to Planned Parenthood which I feel really good about, and puts them in better situation of understanding their cash flow.
- Give donations as gifts (and ask for them as gifts from others!)
- My grandmother made this a tradition many years ago for Christmas, we all get a great card with a list of the things she donated in our name. Usually food/animals for people in rural places around the world.
- As a cancer survivor one year for my birthday I asked for people to make donations in my name to the American Cancer Society.
- This year for Christmas I added a few donations in as gifts to family members - ACLU & Special Olympics were the two I went for and extra added bonus, if you do it on Giving Tuesday there are usually all kinds of matching bonuses!
- If you would rather donate THINGS instead of MONEY:
- Donate food to a homeless shelter or food bank
- Donate clothes to GoodWill
- Donate gifts to organizations like United Way around the Holidays for programs like Adopt-A-Family