Last week I donated to the Red Cross to help in the relief efforts in Haiti, after the earthquake. I had previously also made a year-end donation to another entity. But it made me think I should make donations more of a regular practice, and not just when there is a catastrophe or when I receive a year-end reminder. I have a monthly donation set up with Children.org, but I’m thinking it would be cool to pick (in addition to) a new charity each month or a few times a year to donate to. This will open me up to learning about what charities are out there, as well as help spread the love/wealth.

Yes, donations are tax-deductible, if you want to look at it in a “what’s in it for me” point of view. But it’s also rewarding in and of itself. Just knowing that you contributed to something you believe in can be fulfilling without expecting anything back.

Donations don’t just have to be monetary. Time and skills are also extremely valuable. Donate your time to volunteer at a shelter, donate your skills to help a friend with their startup business or personal project. Donate your contacts, if you know of a friend who’s starting a new venture, you can help spread the word. You can donate your experience and mentor a student looking to work in your field. I’ve seen a lot of people donate proceeds of purchases, for example Cloudy Collection is donating a portion of all purchases made in the month of January to Haiti Relief. Lady Gaga, as I hear it, is donating all the proceeds from purchases made on Sunday’s Radio City show. I hear more and more stories like this, so I’m sure you can come up with your own way to donate.

I’ve been meaning to work on a project that revolves around design donations for non-profits, more info to come, and I’m really inspired to finally make that happen. I always say that I just don’t have the time, but if I have the time to stop and watch TV or a movie, I can dedicate a few hours a day until I get it done. Wish me luck!

It also got me thinking that it’s easy to remember to contribute to big and well-known entities, but let’s not forget the smaller guy. If you’ve ever downloaded open source applications that you’ve really loved and especially ones you use regularly, why not take a minute to hit the “donate” button? They’ve worked very hard to give you a useful tool and even a small donation is greatly appreciated.

Donation Resources
http://www.microgiving.com
http://www.volunteermatch.org
http://www.donatelife.net
http://www.redcross.org
http://children.org
http://www.freerice.com
http://www.wish.org
http://giving.clintonfoundation.org
http://www.globalgiving.org
Visit my Xerpi.com Donation Bookmarks