Five ways to make charitable giving enjoyable

Give people an excuse to do something they want

Throughout the years people have run marathons, jumped out of planes, climbed mountains, and performed unimaginable feats  to raise money for good causes. These have all benefited charities, but it isn’t a one-way street – charities have enabled people to do all these amazing things. Just think about how many people wanted to get involved in these activities, but only decided to do so because they could justify it by using it as a reason to raise money for charity. Though many would see this kind of vanity as a bad thing in charity, others are harnessing it. If people want to show off their natural beauty by posting pictures of themselves without makeup, that’s great. If they then want to raise money for charity while doing it, even better.

Who’s doing it? – Guilty Pledgers

Everyone has, at one point or another, hijacked the music at a party to play that one some song that they know everyone will love. If the music is left unattended it’s an inevitability that someone will sneak ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, ‘Gangnam Style’ or whatever song is getting stuck in people’s heads at the time onto the playlist. These guilty (or not so guilty for those of us who shamelessly love the timeless sound of Baccara) pleasures are songs which, though we’re ashamed of, we love to share with others.

Much like those people hijacking the music, Guilty Pledgers is an app that hijacks this concept and uses it to raise money for charity. Users join a ‘party’, on the music streaming service Spotify, where they can listen to all the tunes that other party members are adding. Then if someone wants to add a song for everyone to hear, all they need to do is pledge a bit of cash to charity and then they can subject their friends to the very worst of their music tastes. And, in the end, who wouldn’t pay a few quid to force their friends to listen to the entire Spice Girls discography?

Add giving to something essential

There are some things in life that you just have to do, whether you like it or not. These everyday chores become a habit for many, a forgettable routine. Now, imagine that you could use these mundane parts of people’s lives as a force for good.

Who’s doing it? – Give as you live

Shopping – though many may hate it, it’s a pastime, hobby, even obsession for some. Online shopping is growing in popularity with every year that passes and we now spend more time purchasing things through the internet than ever before. Even better, with its increasing presence there are more and more people turning it into something much greater, a way to raise money for charity. Give as you live takes a small commission from every sale made through its toolbar and donates it to charity. Allowing people to raise money by doing what they would have done anyway.

Offer tangible rewards

Everybody loves winning something. Whether through skill or luck, it’s great to feel that things are going in your favour. It’s also great to feel that you are helping a good cause. So why not combine the two? Think about what you can offer and what appeals to your supporters. If you have a celebrity who people would like to meet, that’s great, you’ve got an easy reward right there. But if you don’t, then although you may have to think a little bit more, you can still offer amazing prizes. Just think, what can your charity do, that people can’t do on their own?

Who’s doing it? – Prizio

Imagine having a cooking lesson with Jamie Oliver, spending an evening with Muhammad Ali or crushing things in a tank with Arnold Schwarzenegger. These are the sort of things you’d be talking about for the rest of your life, the stories that you’d bore your friends with at every chance and that you’d bring out to one-up at every party. They’re the sort of experiences that are truly once in a lifetime, and they’ve all been offered as prizes to raise money for charities on Prizio.

In essence, Prizio is a reimagining of the traditional charity lottery for the internet age. It allows people the chance to buy into a chance to win unforgettable experiences. All while raising money for charity.

Make the physical act of giving fun

The physical act of giving is pretty boring. If you are giving money then it’s a usually a case of handing over cash or typing a few digits into a computer; if you’re giving clothes it’s just dropping of bags at a charity shop. Sometimes people have the intent to give, but get put off by the tedium of actually doing it (as the bag of clothes that was sat at the top of my stairs for a month earlier in the year can attest to). So how can you get around this problem?

Most of the time, simply making it as easy as possible to donate will solve the problem. One-click online checkouts and seamless payment methods are doing wonders to increase charitable giving. Making it easy is one thing though, going the extra step and making it fun is another. It takes a bit more ingenuity, but it’s by no means impossible.

Who’s doing it? – Canstruction

Canned food is a marvel of science that is often taken for granted. How many other types of food can last seemingly indefinitely, be kicked around and beaten up, and still taste delicious? That’s one of the reasons that canned food gets donated and delivered around the world. As great as it is, sometimes canned goods can be a bit boring, and while giving canned food to charity is essential, it’s not the most glamorous. Canstruction aims to change all this though, not only by making it fun, but making it an artform.

Since ‘92 Canstruction has been putting on competitions, exhibitions and events to see who can create the most impressive sculptures out of cans of food, and after each event all the cans are donated to hunger relief charities. Thus proving that giving is beautiful in all ways.

Say thanks

Sometimes the simplest things are the most precious. Sincere gratitude is one of those things that many people take for granted, but to others it can be the most important thing in the world. A simple thanks, whether that be in person, by text or email, takes no effort, yet it’s something that’s forgotten so often.

Remember, that behind every donation there is a human who supports your cause. They’re giving their money or belongings so you can go help change the world. That deserves at least a quick thank you.

People want to give to charity. You can easily see this by just looking at the extraordinary lengths that people will go to to do good. So it only seems right that we should try and make giving not only easy but enjoyable for people.