The term “be the change you wish to see in the world” can seem reductive, but it’s ultimately true. If we wish other people were more patient, exercising patience can be a fantastic method of leading by example. If we want to experience more kindness, expressing kindness will often see that energy reflected at us. Moreover, although many of us are limited in what we can achieve as individuals, that doesn’t mean our contributions are worthless. Far from it, in fact.
For this reason, if you intend to support a cause you care about, knowing where to start is the only thing holding you back. Perhaps you hope to raise awareness about an illness that a loved one is suffering, or you intend to be an advocate for a cause that you do empathize with. Supporting a cause you care about can help us feel like we’re contributing, especially at the local level.
In this post, we’ll detail eight methods you can take to perfect that cause-first approach, inspiring you to get out there and deliver the worth you’re more than capable of.
Researching The Cause
Sometimes, just learning about the cause can be enough. It may feel as though you need to immediately spread awareness but don’t forget other people are doing that too, and they would love nothing more than for you to listen. That’s all you have to do.
After all, you don’t have to learn about an illness like motor neuron disease and become an expert on it within days. Learning, listening to stories, looking into online research, and understanding the statistics for how many people are affected and what research needs to be funded can help you not only understand the condition but also resolution measures.
This way, you can avoid sitting back on easy methods of contributing (like posting to an Instagram story) and perhaps instead attend a talk given locally by an expert in the field. That’s not to say you can’t decide how far you get involved, but having deep knowledge can help you dispel misinformation and rely on trusted sources.
Volunteering Your Time
You’d be surprised just how many volunteering opportunities exist if you’re willing to get involved. For example, if you hope to help with your local homeless community, heading to the shelter and volunteering your time to feed them one night every two weeks can be a great help. You might also drive to the donation centres to reclaim them for certain shelters.
This is just one example. It might be that volunteering your time working on the local town council to put together a holiday event or fundraiser can be a wonderful idea. We often think our funds are the most important resource we have, and yes, that helps, but your time is quite literally irreplaceable. Investing that, no matter how little you have to spare, can do a world of good.
Donating Financial Resources
Making a cash donation to any charity with a good reputation can be more than enough to help a cause. It’s also wise to look into the charity and their efforts before you begin, because some of them are non-profit legally but may still spend most of their operational costs on salaries and other marketing ventures instead of paying a large percentage to the cause they support.
But of course, this is only the most direct method of supporting, and hardly the only way you can transfer wealth to a good cause. For example, you might donate your older but still clean and usable clothes to a local charity store. Then, when that item is purchased, you’ll have effectively donated to the charity monetarily.
Financial resources can also come through:
Participating In Fundraising Events
Fundraising can be a wonderful method of supporting a cause you care about. In fact, you can do a great deal of good and make memories for life through this process. For example, it might be that after losing a relative, you decide to train for a half-marathon in support of a cause that researches the illness they went through. You can ask for donations from family, friends or even colleagues to finish this. Not only does getting in shape and training for a fun event help you feel great, but you can spread awareness about the condition and make a very real financial contribution to it afterward.
Not only can this help you seek a little closure from the sadness you’ve been through and the loved one you’ve lost, but in many cases charities are so grateful to work you with, they’ll help you along by providing a bib for a marathon, or other promotional materials you can use for your fundraising campaign. It’s a highly positive outcome despite experiencing something so tragic. You’ll have made a material difference you might not have been able to on your own, but it will be entirely self-led.
Starting A Non-Profit
A non-profit doesn’t have to be an international organization. It can simply be a small charity you register and take donations for, perhaps within your local community. You can even use nonprofit fundraising guides to make this more of a scheduled approach that makes the most difference over the long term. Understanding that can give you the motivation to keep going, and to keep developing bigger and better methods towards running charitable events.
Moreover, it can help you advocate for those in your local area, keeping your contributions to the community instead of a larger charity that spreads the fundraising among their many departments. If there’s an issue in your local area going unaddressed, such as activities for the youth or funding for local disability initatives, this is a wonderful way to do what you can. Who knows, maybe you’ll even expand this non-profit as time goes on?
Supporting Local Initiatives
Of course, running a non-profit is still a lot of work. Not everyone has the time for it. But you can certainly support initiatives being taken up in your community, even in small ways. For example, it might be that your local community authority is fundraising for better disability access in the town. Or maybe the proceeds of a local food festival are going to a charity you believe in.
You’d be amazed at just how many local people are willing to make a difference near you. If you need another pep in your step, it can be good to ignore all the online discourse and constant political battles and spend time helping people trying to make a difference in your community. If you ever want to feel a sense of joy and hope in the world again, that kind of exposure can make all the difference from top to bottom.
The reality of seeing people just like you, living in the same space, making a difference and focusing on causes you care about is inspiring to say the least. Moreover, it’s more “real” than whatever topic is filling up the timeline that week. As we can see, serving others isn’t necessarily a selfless activity, because it can feel so inspiring and satisfying to take part in. Better yet, you don’t have to feel guilty about that, because your approach will have been comfortable.
Advocating For Policy Change
Should you have to get involved in local politics to make charitable contributions? Not necessarily. But it’s hard to deny that this is often where the biggest decisions get made. Sure, local councillors are hardly free to do what they want every single day, but they can certainly focus on matters that their constituents care about.
Now, we’re not here to give you a full political guide nor dictate what you should believe, of course. But it might be that adding pressure to your local political representation, voting in the local elections, and being mindful to support causes that matter to you can help you raise your voice and make yourself count. In some cases, this can help you have real traction against very real issues taking place in your area.
For example, if a local library is at threat of being closed, or an area is being gentrified and pricing out all of the small businesses, or if you find that road conditions in an area are unsafe, being very vocal about these issues can be helpful. Advocating for policy change allows you to move the needle just a tiny bit more toward the change you’re looking for.
Be Patient
As frustrating as it can be sometimes, change takes time. Sometimes, it can take a long time. But without people like you, the issue would be worse off. Moreover, you can help to inspire others who are sympathetic to your cause to take actionable steps forward, too.
When we not only speak about it, but do it, other people question if they should contribute too. Sometimes, all it takes is one courageous person to break the ranks and develop the world in a better direction. Could it be that now is your opportunity for such a calling? It’s worth asking.
With this advice, you’re certain to support that cause you care about, without losing your motivation for the topic at hand nor feeling confused as to what to do.
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