Here’s how donors can help right now

May 06, 2020
8 min read

Caroline Dobuzinskis

Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing Content

For #GivingTuesdayNow, we asked charities how donors can best help meet urgent needs. Here’s what they told us. 

May 5th marked the first-ever #GivingTuesdayNow, a day of global unity to bring people together and support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The day is in response to urgent needs as many charities are facing stark economic prospects, often alongside increased demand. #GivingTuesdayNow was a call for donors to exercise their generosity.

The sheer scale of this global situation can be daunting. We hosted a tweetchat to ask charities how donors can help including and beyond charitable giving. Charities from a variety of sectors joined us, including health, food security, youth education, and disability awareness and empowerment.

Here’s what charities told us about how COVID-19 is affecting them and how donors can make the biggest difference right now. 

1. Charities are adapting to meet urgent needs.

To keep providing services, charities are making quite giant leaps into new ways of doing things. The VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation has started new funds to address COVID-19. The BCCDC Foundation said it is ready to adapt quickly and meet public health needs during this crisis. 

Some organizations have of course moved their programming online or are shifting to new delivery models, such as those offering food services or meeting family needs. SeaSmart, which organizes youth education programs on oceans, are even offering classes online as pay-what-can.

2. Charities need fast and flexible funding.

You can help out immediately by donating to causes that are struggling to meet acute needs. Most evidently, COVID-19 is affecting our public health and health care systems. The economic effects and social distancing measures are also impacting access to services, particularly for individuals who were already vulnerable. 

We heard from The Food Coalition about urgent community needs. The group — representing a number of Vancouver restaurants and partners in business and charity — was created as an innovative solution to food insecurity. It is keeping restaurant workers employed while providing well-needed meals to vulnerable populations in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

3. There are many ways to give.

Charitable giving is important, and there are some other very creative and innovative ways to give back. We have some ideas on how you can volunteer online. Charities we heard from had some great tips to share on how to make a difference, including talking about why and where you give, planting seeds of change by growing your own garden, lending a helping hand to others, or simply thanking those doing charitable work. 

And there are uplifting stories of donors doing great things to help, providing hope amid hardship.

4. It’s important to think beyond COVID-19.

We know there are urgent needs in this pandemic but that the situation is also evolving and changing. It’s important to think about the long-term change that can be facilitated by charities. If there is a cause that you want to invest in, now is the time to give. If you can give more today, you can help ensure present needs are met while empowering future planning. 

5. Recurring donations are an effective way to help charities, now and in the future.

Donating to a charity on a monthly or regular basis brings many benefits to charities you support. It is more cost-effective, allows for improved long-term planning, and provides more cash flow for implementing services and programs. Several charities echoed these points during our tweet chat. 

Charitable Impact is aiming to encourage more recurring donations. Currently, if you start a recurring deposit to your Impact Account, you are eligible to win a prize of $1,000 charitable dollars to take your giving even further. You don’t need to know where to give to start setting aside money for generosity. Find out more about the contest and how to get started on a giving journey. 

Charitable Impact’s Founder and CEO John Bromley said giving regularly is an important way to help ensure the sustainability of the charitable sector as a whole.

 

We thank all those who participated in our tweetchat. We invite donors to consider giving and supporting charities, in any way they can. Charitable Impact is here to help support your giving and your vision of a brighter future.