Make a Donation
You can donate money, goods or your time and expertise.
If you would like to donate some money but have no favourite charity, the Institute is not able to officially recommend one organisation over any other. However, there are a number of databases of charities which will enable you to search by geographic area, field of charitable benefit, etc.
Remember to Gift Aid donations if you are entitled to do so, so that charities can add an additional 28p in the pound to your donation, with no extra cost to you.
Donate Goods
Most people like to donate good quality unwanted goods to charity shops. In addition to helping a favourite cause, goods are recycled which is good for the environment.
To find out what you can donate and to locate a local charity shop, contact the Association of Charity Shops. You may be able to Gift Aid your donations to charity shops.
Donate Time
If you would like to offer your services as a volunteer, contact the charity of your choice, or visit your local volunteer bureau. Many people begin their careers in the not-for-profit sector as volunteers.
Some larger charities have volunteer co-ordinators, while others deal with volunteers through their human resources departments. In some charities, you may need to make direct contact with the departments in which you would like to work to obtain details on volunteering.
If you want to find out more about what being a volunteer is about, or where to start looking for a volunteering position, the web can be helpful in enabling organisations and potential volunteers find each other.
To find volunteering opportunities in your area, you could contact your local voluntary service council or try one of the following organisations:
Avoid Scams
In some cases you may be asked to donate to a 'cause' that is actually a scam. To make sure you donate to real causes, read the Institute's briefing.
