Looking for ways to help a non profit organization? You can not only benefit the organization you’re supporting, the people involved, and the community in general, helping out with non profit organizations can improve your sense of self and make you a happier person.
The non profit industry has greatly improved over the last few years. From 2003 to 2013, approximately 1.41 million non profit organizations were registered with the Internal Revenue Service, which is an increase of 2.8%. The financial benefits of non profits have been shown as well: contributing an estimated $905.9 billion to the U.S. economy, non profit organizations accounted for 5.4% of the entire country’s gross domestic product, according to Urban Institute, 2015. Non profits are certainly on the rise, but they still could use your help.
If you’re searching for a way to help a non profit organization, there are a few things you can do.
- Donate — Simply donating to organizations that you would like to lend assistance to can help them a lot. There are some non profits that are very large and it may not seem like they could use your donations, but every bit helps. In 2014, American people donated more than $358 billion to non profit organizations. Of that $358 billion, individual donators contributed 72% of the total giving, which equaled out to $258 billion.
- Volunteer — There are plenty of volunteer opportunities to get involved with regarding non profit organizations. In 2014, more than a quarter of all U.S. adults volunteered their time and energy to a non profit. Contributing over an estimated 8.5 billion hours, which is the most recorded hours since 2002. The value of these volunteer hours equals out to about $179 billion. There are so many benefits to volunteering as well. According to Volunteer Ireland, about 78% of all volunteers say that they believe volunteering actually lowers their stress levels, and 96% of U.S. volunteers stated that volunteering actually gives their life “a sense of purpose.”
- Awareness — Spreading awareness of non profit organizations, especially in the early stages, is extremely important for the non profit. Spreading the word is how these organizations actually gain members in the first place. Enabling people to be aware of these non profits can also help out in the search process. Being able to determine whether or not an organization is a reputable non profit organization or not is key, and spreading awareness about quality non profits can help non profit memberships increase for credible organizations.
Keeping these in mind can assist you as you break into the charitable world and try to help a non profit organization. Have fun!