The simple act of giving

The beauty of life is that we always have a choice. If the world’s developments are overwhelming, we can zoom in on ‘what can I do?’. There are endless opportunities to contribute causes you feel passionate about, to give. The two main ways are (1) with time, energy and skills (2) financial contribution. So many initiatives depend on volunteering, donating time and skills is precious. Most neighborhoods have a range of volunteering opportunities: visiting elderly, helping with groceries, handyman jobs, letting the dog out, watching the neighbours’ children and the list could go on. Doing something for our community is a very concrete way of coming into action.

The other way is donating money, this can range from crowdfunding to periodic donations to initiatives that are dear to you. A little tip on getting started: in the Netherlands there is a rather handy guide for navigating charities (Doneerwijzer | CBF) and globally there are others, like Charity Compass, Giving Navigator or the much more scientific Effective Altruism (Effective Altruism) guide.

Here are the charities that I donate to, on a monthly basis: SOS Children’s Villages (No child should grow up alone), War Child (Kijktip: 'Geef me de vrijheid' | War Child), Share the Meal (Feed people in need | ShareTheMeal | Charity donate), Hivos, Stichting Armoedefonds and Vriendenloterij. I also happily contribute to Wikimedia Foundation. Now that I think of it, all of them have a social focus (note to self: something to expand on).

Some more locally focused, others with a global reach. Each of them means a lot to me, represent a cause I believe in. No initiative can tackle all challenges, but many smaller, focused ones can have an important effect. And so, devoting time, energy and funds does make a difference.

And here’s a new one I learnt about: Give Directly. GiveDirectly: Send money to people living in poverty Helping people help themselves.

What do you find a worthwhile initiative that you contribute to?