September 5, 2019

How you can get on board with the International Day of Charity

From Kiss A Ginger Day to Waffle Day and Fight Procrastination Day. There are plenty of bizarre days of the year celebrations, but why do we have designated days? Designated days of the year encourage us to celebrate something each and every day. The International Day of Charity is no different.

What is the International Day of Charity?

Charity is important as it allows us to help those most in need, both within our own communities and wider afield. The International Day Of Charity is a global celebration held every year on the 5th of September since it was officially declared by the UN General Assembly in 2012. It all started from a Hungarian civil society who had the idea, quickly backed by the Hungarian Parliament who took it to the UN. Why the 5th of September? Well, this date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, who is known the world-over for working tirelessly to lessen the suffering from poverty.

The International Day Of Charity is part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development which recognises the barriers that poverty places for the international community in terms of sustainable development. The aim of this global day of goodwill is to inspire people around the world to acknowledge their social responsibility and increase public support for charitable causes both at home and internationally. This helps us to better meet the needs of those that are most vulnerable across the world and help the international community progress forward. So, how can you get on board this year? We’ve put together a list below of some of the International Day of Charity activities you can do to show your support.

International Day of Charity Activities

Lend a helping hand

One of the best ways to help out one of your local charities is through manpower. The majority of charities are heavily reliant on a volunteer base. In fact, only 9% of charities employ paid staff, the other 91% are solely reliant on their volunteers. So providing your time on this international day of giving is a great way to help out charities whose cause you care about. Why not volunteer locally for a charity making a real difference in the world?

Charities such as Refugee Action depend on volunteers who can offer their time and expertise to help refugees and asylum seekers rebuild their lives. By volunteering to teach refugees a specific skill, from money advice to football skills, you can help refugees feel more welcome and help them create a new life for themselves. There are already plenty of programmes out there to take inspiration from. Sync Accelerator is an employment matchmaking programme in Sweden that aims to help newly arrived ICT engineers and programmers find a qualified job in a Swedish company. Programs such as Migrateful, Refugees Welcome dinners and Cook For Syria are using the power of cooking to bring foodies, both refugees and non-refugees, together over a dinner table. Small gestures of friendship and kindness, whether they are through programmes like these or one-off events, can mean a great deal to those who are experiencing feelings of isolation and trauma and build a sense of community.

You can also help out at not-for-profit social enterprise projects like Sutton Community Farm, a community-owned farm that offers a space for locals to learn new skills, socialise and produce fresh, healthy veg for their community. Give your time to help battle loneliness in the elderly by becoming a volunteer for charities such as Independent Age and The Silver Line. Support organisations such as Streets Kitchen by helping to bring hot food and drinks to those sleeping rough. Or why not get involved with organisations like Keep Britain Tidy by joining their regional environmental clean-ups. There are hundreds of ways that donating your time, expertise and skills can help those who are less fortunate and the wider community. All you have to do is reach out.

Use your expertise

When you think of volunteering, you might think of rattling a charity collection box or participating in a sponsored sporting event. But as mentioned above, you can also help out by utilising what you’re already good at. Often, passing on vital skills can be more helpful than donating funds! Ever heard the phrase ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’? By using your experience and expertise to teach others, you can help to change the lives of those who are the most vulnerable for the better.

For example, if you are a lawyer you can provide pro bono support to those in need of legal support, such as refugees or the homeless with the help of charities like Shelter, Centre Point and Refugee Legal Support. If you are creative, put your artistic talent to good use through running a local paint jam, or using your skills to work with vulnerable individuals who have trouble with communicating, such as children with special needs.

Donate to a good cause

As well as relying on volunteers, charities are also dependant on the generous donations of their supporters to carry out their good work. However, for this International Day of Charity why not fundraise in more creative and forward-thinking ways than simply donating your spare change (because let’s be honest, how many of us actually carry cash anymore?). If you’re a local business owner of a restaurant, cafe and similar company, you can organise to donate your profits from sales on the 5th of September to a charitable cause. If you’re an employee, why not see if your company is happy for you and your colleagues to donate a day or hour’s pay to an organisation of their choosing, or choose one of these office fundraising ideas to raise money on the day.

If you want to find an easy way to become a regular donor, sign up to Amazon Smile to mark the global day of charity; this will mean that 0.5% of the price of all eligible purchases you buy will be donated to a charitable organisation of your choice. Or make a change by starting to buy your clothing, beauty products, food etc. from organisations such as TOMS, who donates shoes to some of those most in need every time someone buys a pair from them. There are loads of different ways to raise funds beyond jingling charity buckets for loose change.

Take part in a viral challenge (or create one)

Viral charity campaigns work because they capture the imagination and often competitive nature of the general public to great effect. They are normally simple in concept, but at the same time convey a powerful message that everyone can understand and emotively connect with. When done well, these campaigns can become world-wide phenomenons that help raise thousands for those in need.

In 2014, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge exploded on the Internet resulting in 17 million ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos being posted on Facebook within one month. The videos had over 10 billion views and had some rather famous participants including Lady Gaga, Bill Gates and Oprah. As a result of the viral campaign, the ALS raised $115 million, which was put towards further research about the neurodegenerative disease ALS.

In San Francisco back in 2013, the 5-year old Miles Scott told the Make-a-Wish Foundation that he wanted to be Batkid for the day. After a few emails and invoking the power of social media, the San Francisco Batkid turned into a huge event with 12,000 attendees ready to support Miles’ dream becoming reality. In true superman style, Miles got to run around the city fighting crime, including stopping a bank robbery, police escort and chase as well as rescuing captives. After he had saved the day, Batkid met the mayor and received the key to ‘Gotham’ city, to the applause of the crowd.

There is no way to predict whether your idea will go viral as these campaigns are, by their nature, unpredictable. But when they do take off, the end result is truly impactful and succeeds in bringing thousands of people often from across the globe together for one cause. To try to get your idea off the ground, look back at previous successful campaigns as you can get a pretty good idea of how to create a message that will capture people’s attention from these. And what better day to create a viral campaign for a good cause than the International Day Of Charity?

Organise a fundraiser

Everyone loves an event – whether it’s a fancy meal, a music concert, a family do or Christmas party. A fundraising event can be a great way to not only raise funds for your chosen charity but also raise awareness about their cause for a new audience. If you’re thinking of organising a fundraiser to mark the International Day Of Charity, check out these wacky fundraising ideas or these office fundraising ideas for some inspiration. Before you go ahead and start booking venues and ordering balloons, make sure you read through and follow our straight-forward checklist on How To Plan A Fundraising Event.

Get on Insta

A very easy way to take part in the spirit of the day is to donate to some of your favourite causes right from Instagram. Charities can now use the Instagram Stories ‘Donate’ sticker to help collect donations right from the favourite photo-sharing app. Why not use the ‘Donate’ sticker to give to a charity which is close to your heart this International Day Of Charity?

Showcase what you do

If you are a charity or company, the International Day of Charity is also a great opportunity to thank the staff, volunteers and supporters who have helped you make a difference in the world. Companies who have formed corporate-charity partnerships with organisations can also show their appreciation for the charities that they work with and showcase what they have achieved together. It’s also an opportunity to ask for more support from your donors and audience as you can announce the future goals of your fundraising strategy to help raise awareness early on.

However you decide to get involved on the International Day Of Charity, make the most out of the day with GoodBox. Whether you are collecting donations, offering your expertise, or organising a fundraiser, we can help. We are dedicated to helping charities optimise their fundraising and evolve for the better. From our custom-built contactless payment technology to hosting roundtable events with industry leaders, we are continuously finding new ways to help charities keep pace in an increasingly digital world. If you want to help charities make more of an impact this International Day Of Charity, get in touch with us today.

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