Tags
Charitable organization, Christmas and holiday season, Donation, Food & Care Coalition, Local community, Nonprofit organization
While we’re grateful for every donation we still continue to struggle each month to find the money we need to pay the light bill.
During the holiday season we naturally turn our thoughts to the needs of those less fortunate. I recently reconnected with a friend who got me thinking about the struggles charitable organizations have had these last several years. My friend, Brent Crane, is the Executive Director for The Food & Care Coalition – a wonderful organization that works tirelessly toward achieving the goal of permanently eliminating poverty. Like other charities The Food & Care Coalition has had to adjust to the drop in cash donations. Brent explained that while his organization receives an abundance of offers from people willing to donate their time the downturn in the economy has caused sharp declines in monetary donations.
“In fact,” he stated, “we receive 85 to 100 calls each day from people offering their time and services. While we’re grateful for every donation we still continue to struggle each month to find the money we need to pay the light bill.”
Which is a shame because the Food & Care Coalition is a great organization. Local church leaders, city leaders, and community members started the program in 1986 as part of a grassroots effort. Brent became involved as a student intern in the spring of 1989 and under his leadership the Food & Care Coalition has provided assistance for countless families stricken by poverty. The facility has an onsite, volunteer-based dental facility and barbershop. Through collaborating with a local mental health facility the Food & Care Coalition can even offer their clients professional onsite mental health services.
Brent explained, “Clients and volunteers feel good when they see the service they’re doing being returned in kind.
Perhaps the most impressive thing was their overall philosophy of balancing compassion with personal accountability. Brent explained that one of their main goals is to root out the entitlement mentality for those people they serve. When individuals take advantage of the services provided by the Food & Care Coalition, they are required to perform service themselves.
But Brent’s organization is not the only one affected by the economy. Local and national charities around the country are being affected by the economic downturn. In fact two new surveys suggest that the challenges faced by charities aren’t about to end any time soon. One recent survey indicated that nearly 60% of all nonprofit organizations saw no increase or saw a decrease in donations for 2011. Another finding indicates that nearly 20% of donors plan on decreasing their donations in the upcoming year.
But the news isn’t all bad. There are things that you can do to get involved with your local community charities. By following these 5 simple steps you can begin to make a difference:
- Take the time to research your local charities. All charities are not created equal. Find one worth your efforts.
- Find an organization that holds a special connection for you. An individual connection will make your donations much more personal.
- Take the time to build relationships with the organization leaders and volunteers. The heart and soul of your local charitable organization is its people.
- Work with charity leaders to find creative, helpful ways that you can assist. Be sure to find out what they need before donating. These organizations always have needs and often they’re fairly specific.
- Make a monetary donation to your local charity. There is no substitute for cash. These organizations need funds to keep their doors open and fund raising is always a priority.
One example of a company that’s making a difference is Reservation Nexus. They provide reservation management and online booking software for inns, boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. Through all of December and January Reservation Nexus is donating $50 to the Food & Care Coalition for every business that simply tries their product for 30 days.
I suppose what it really comes down to is serving others. Christianity calls it the golden rule. Buddhism calls it karma. Hinduism calls it the law of cause and effect. The Koran teaches that blessing flow back to you from being service minded. In every major religion or philosophy you find the idea that if you want to receive abundance and happiness you must first give it. Simply put… what goes around, comes around.
So during this holiday season, and in that same spirit of giving, our wish for you is that you find abundance in your lives through the act of giving. Happy holidays everyone!
