Donating to Charity the Frugal and Green Way

It kills me when I see people who can’t pass up a good deal or a freebie even when they know it’s an item they can’t use. Even if it’s free, there is no need to accumulate something you don’t want and won’t use. Leave it on the shelf so that someone else who does want it or will use it can pick it up now. If you have a coupon that is really that amazing, I’m sure you can find someone who will actually use the product to give the coupon to.

Many people justify this type of purchase by saying they can donate it to charity. Yes you can, but most charities would be better off with your monetary donation. Charities have to spend money to sort, organize, store, transport, and distribute donated goods. Those goods might not even be what the charity needs and if you’re donating at the time of an emergency, inappropriate items can even delay more vital items from getting to disaster victims. With monetary donations, the items the charity needs can be purchased as close to the distribution point as possible at the time they are needed. When you donate money, you’re helping the charity be more frugal (they can spend less money maintaining donations) and more green (they don’t have to transport the items they want to distribute as far).

Here are a few links about charities preferring financial contributions:

• Hang onto Old Clothing — Send Money from The San Francisco Chronicle
• BBB Cautions Donors on Tsunami Relief Appeals from The Better Business Bureau
• Scammers can Pounce on Patriotic Do-Gooders, be a Smart Giver from USA Today
  

And of course, I still advocate donating goods in the following situations:

• Clean out your pantry every time a food drive rolls around. Get rid of anything you had purchased with the intent of using yourself but have since changed your mind on.
• Donate clothing and household items in good condition to the likes of Goodwill or the Salvation Army rather than throwing those items out. You’re wasting the charities’ time when you donate something in such poor condition they have to throw it out themselves. Think to yourself: if you saw it in this condition while thrift shopping would you buy it?

So, where do I donate my money?

My favorite charities are the American Red Cross and local public schools. These are the charities I feel most connected to because I used their services the most; I attended public school and worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor during high school and college with all my training through the American Red Cross.

DonorsChoose.org is a great resource for finding specific projects in your local schools that need support. The website collects donations in any amount and you can specify what project your donation goes towards. I once received a $100 giftcard to DonorsChoose and donated it to a 4th grade teacher at my former elementry school so she could buy a microscope for her classroom. A few months later, I got a packet in the mail with thank you cards and drawings from the class.

Related posts:

1. Time to Squeeze in an End of the Year Charitible Donation
2. Double Your DonorsChoose.org Donation with Groupon
3. The Best of It’s Frugal Being Green: June 2009
4. 30 Quick, Green, and Frugal Meal Planning Resources
5. The Best of It’s Frugal Being Green: July 2009

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