It’s almost the end of 2021, have you reached your donation resolution at the beginning of the year? If not, don’t worry, we still have time to prepare our donation game. However, if we want to donate to charitable organizations, what charities should I donate to before the end of this year?
In this year’s giving season, of course, we want to give our best contribution because we have survived this year, feeling grateful for what we got this year-round. Also, we need to share with those who really need our support.
How to Choose The Best Charities To Donate
Our team has created a list of things to do on how to choose the best charities to donate to and make a big impact, from checking charity organization recommendation pages, making donations overseas or locally, doing your own research, etc. So, if you’re still confused about choosing “What charities should I donate to?”, here is our list.
1. Check the charity recommendation page
We can do our own research to find out which charitable organizations deserve our support because of their effective performance and impact. However, there is nothing wrong if we also consider the charity recommendation pages that carefully and strictly evaluate charitable organizations. Some recommended pages that you can see are GiveWell, Charity Navigator, Guidestar by Candid, and Charity Watch.
2. Maximize your impact by donating abroad
Donating overseas is a good thing to do if you want to maximize the impact of your donation. Many developing countries still have extreme poverty where people live on about $2 a day.
Although in developed countries there are also poor people, some still have access to health and education systems. If you want your donation to save lives and improve well-being, you might consider making a donation overseas.
When developed countries go through a brutal pandemic, which the whole world was experiencing, including developing countries, it is the poor countries that have the most devastating effects, as happened in 2020. The pandemic also affected the health systems of low-income countries.
If you are considering donating to an international aid organization, here are some recommendations if you are thinking about what charities should I donate to.
Doctors Without Borders (doctorswithoutborders.org)
A group of doctors dedicated to helping victims of war and disaster-stricken areas founded Doctors Without Borders in May 1968. Until now, around 30,000 employees worldwide are stationed in various countries.
Focusing on medical care to save lives for those in need, Doctors Without Borders also helps communities to build long-term facilities and resources for medical care.
Direct Relief (directrelief.org)
What charities should I donate to when I want to help humanity? Direct Relief can be an option. An Estonian immigrant in the United States, William Zimdin, founded Direct Relief in 1948. He sent thousands of aid packages to Europe after World War II. Direct Relief’s programs include health care for people from neglected areas of the world. They also provide assistance for emergencies and refugees.
If you wish to donate aid to Direct Relief, they accept several types of donations which can be paid once or monthly. There is also online fundraising via Facebook or GoFundMe.
CARE (care-international.org)
CARE is a charitable organization that provides humanitarian aid and development support, it is one of the oldest organizations founded in 1945. They serve a variety of purposes to fight poverty, improve education and also combat climate change and concentrate on women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Americares (americares.org)
Americares addresses the needs of people affected by crisis and poverty globally. They provide assistance for development and health programs with medical supplies and medicines. The organization has served 164 countries worldwide since 1979. Access to medicines and medical supplies is their main program. Americares also delivers quality healthcare to various regions.
International Rescue Committee (rescue.org)
Founded by Albert Einstein in 1931, the International Rescue Committee provides humanitarian and development assistance. Their main focus is safety, education, economic welfare, and health.
They also aim to find long-term solutions that have a major impact on the people affected by the crisis. Employees of the International Rescue Committee also work to lobby for humanitarian policies.
MAP International (map.org)
MAP International’s goal is to help with health issues, prevent and treat disease and provide disaster relief. They obtain medical supplies and medicines from their pharmaceutical partners. Other activities of MAP International are purchasing medical supplies to supplement their donations and working with international non-governmental organizations to deliver products that people need and then deliver them to their global partners. They have provided medical care and supplies for 67 years to a total of 86 countries.
Children International (children.org)
Children International is one of the leading humanitarian organizations in the United States. They have a goal to lift children from the impact of poverty. In addition, its members also take on the responsibility of providing support in education and preparing children to become responsible citizens. Children International also provides medical, dental, mental, and employment assistance.
To donate to Children International, the donor will provide a family gift and there is also a sponsor or Visit a Child Program to provide a better future.
International Aid Transparency Initiative (iatistandard.org/en/)
The International Aid Transparency Initiative is a global organization founded in 2008, they work towards transparency about how organizations spend their money. They channel aid to alleviate poverty so that families can achieve a better standard of living.
3. Choose a local organization
If you consider local organizations to donate, you can still make an impact. Although most people in developed countries choose to donate to developing countries because it tends to have a real impact.
Donating to local organizations can also encourage you to get involved further. For example, you can make a donation to a specific community for a personal reason that relates to you. And this way, you can be more connected to a cause. Suggestions to help local communities can be an alternative if you want to know how to help concretely and get directly involved.
4. Giving to small charitable organizations
Large, well-known charities are likely to already have a lot of support for their programs. In addition, in general, large organizations tend to be less transparent about where their money goes. Overall, your donations may be difficult to track in these organizations, even though they have many diverse program agendas. They are usually backed by the government and other large donors of funds.
While small charitable organizations tend to be more in need of our help and support financially. They are also more open about their finances. This is also why recommendation pages like GiveWell tend to recommend small charities.
5. Giving money directly to the poor
You can donate directly to the poor by meeting them in person or by giving it through GiveDirectly, a charitable organization that provides funds by transferring them to people in need. GiveDirectly has also received a high rating from GiveWell. The idea of providing cash transfers is also quite interesting.
Founded in 2008, Give Directly (givedirectly.org) aims to improve the welfare of families living in extreme poverty by providing cash transfers. They operate in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and other areas of East Africa. In addition to making cash transfer donations, they also conduct research and report on how families spend their money.
Cash assistance for the poor is also very helpful, as the rich may not know what the poor need. If you are one of the lucky ones, you may lack confidence in giving aid in the form of goods because the needs of the poor may vary. By providing a cash transfer, they can determine what they can do with your assistance money.
However, if you want to give something directly to them, you must make sure that you know the needs of the person receiving the donation. Our advice is that if you have never met them and do not know their circumstances, giving cash should be taken into account.
Those are some things you can consider if you are thinking “What charities should I donate to before the year ends?” You can check the recommendations page to see how charities are doing, donate abroad for greater impact, or instead choose a local organization to feel more connected. Another option you can do is to make a donation to a small charitable organization or provide cash transfers directly to the poor.
