*Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.
Sorry to be the bearer of real news, but if you’ve been following this blog, you know that wrapped in pretty words or not, I try to tell it like it is.
So here goes the real:
Has anyone else noticed that there is never a short supply of bad news, and yet good news seems to have the opposite problem? I swear every single time I’ve watched the news recently, I’m updated on about 50 bad things and about 3 good things.
For all of the happenings we hear about on the news that require some sort of help or change, there sure doesn’t seem to be any.
It’s saddening how much we undermine our power of influence as individuals. We forget just how much we can impact the lives of those around us and in turn, the world. Like a domino effect, one person truly does influence the other.
So why don’t we allow the news to inspire us to get involved in outreach programs, charities, and things of the like? If you have a desire to give the news something awe-inspiring to talk about, no matter how big or small the cause, keep reading!
Step 1: Find Your Personal Why
There are plenty of charitable causes in the world and yes, all of them could use a helping hand. But why do you want to be that helping hand?
It’s one thing to do something because “it’s the good thing to do” and another to do something because “I strongly believe in XYZ”. The difference lies in the enthusiasm.
My personal why is simply that I want my life to make a dent in more than just my grave. If I can change just one person’s life for the better, that would mean everything to me!
Once you understand your why, your cause becomes even more relevant and most of all, important to you.
Step 2: Do Your Research
Find out more about the cause you hope to change! Look for interviews, books, podcasts, blog posts, statistics and even ask people you know about the topic.
If you don’t have a cause in mind, try googling “Non profits in *insert your city/state/country*”.
It’s pretty hard to commit to something you aren’t very knowledgeable of. If you want to nurture a deep-rooted passion for the change you hope to enact, this is such a great way to do so!
Step 3: Use Eventbrite… Really.
If you want to find charitable events near you, I strongly suggest you use Eventbrite. In my opinion, it is way more reliable than Facebook and more proficient in locating events.
Once you search for charitable events in your area, right away you get the price of the events as well as the distance between you and the events that auto-populate. Before you even click on an event title, you know exactly what you’re looking into!
If you want to make an event they even offer their software at a discounted rate for nonprofit fundraising!
Just trust me on this one, Eventbrite is a bomb tool to use.
Step 4: Invite Your Friends
Strength in numbers, my friend. The more you have rallying with you, the better!
Tell your friends about what you’re trying to support and invite them to support it with you. It’ll make the experience so much more enjoyable.
Step 5: Keep Track of What You Do VS. What You Say You’ll Do
This particular step is one I am still learning to do myself. It’s always been easier to express my intentions than to follow through with them. Wanting, doesn’t make anything happen. In fact, it can be a huge trap sometimes.
It can encourage you to push-off the action and give yourself a pat on the back for the thought. At the end of a day with that kind of thinking, you end up feeling good about yourself for.. well… thinking.
“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.”
-Bradley Whitford
What do you find to be your biggest hesitation in becomming more involved in your community? I’d love to talk about it with you guys in the comments<3
I love this, I really want to get involved in more charity events!
sophia xo // sophiaaaxo.com
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Hope this helped you in knowing how, I’m glad you liked it!
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I also followed you 🙂
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Thank you lovely!
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I love this post, currently I am saving my money to do some volunteering abroad next year in Morocco and Thailand and I am very excited.
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That’s awesome Siobhan! I love it when I hear of efforts being made to help those in less fortunate areas of the globe. I’d like to be apart of something like that one day. Sounds like you’re going to have tons of fun!
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Theseare great tips! I’m getting involved in a lot of local community projects this year as I’m really look that my community are very active one Facebook with things that are going on! Chloe x thenguidetoLondon.co.uk
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Thank you! & How cool that they make it so easy for your community to stay updated on projects! That is too awesome
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I have a few charities that are near and dear to my heart! I do believe in giving back.
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It’s so important! Especially now-a-days
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These are great tips , one should be the change what one wants to see in other
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Thank you! & Exactly! Simply pointing fingers doesn’t solve anything
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awesome article
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Thank you!
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Loved this! Especially #5!
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ThEssie are great ideas to find oneself
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Very true!
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Meant to say *These are great ideas
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Lovely ideas thanks for sharing
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No problem, thanks for coming by!
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Thanks for reminding us all of this important mindset we should all be adopting!
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No problem, glad you enjoyed!
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Super important advice and helpful in getting things more concrete. I would maybe add checking out groups in your community of community members addressing issues. For example in my town they have a community group that’s all about human rights/civil rights, and they have open meetings every week. You can choose to attend or not, but it has some structure so that just showing up is a great first step!
Thanks for this!
Alex J Brown
http://www.ajbrowncreative.com
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Absolutely, great point! Steps 3 & 4 are in that direction as you’re very likely to find those kinds of groups at local events. It’s super neat that your community has that available! Thank you for your input!
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It’s also important to evaluate your skills and talents so you’ll be able to know what you are able to give and how you can be of service to others. I agree with #5 because it’s easy to get excited about helping others but more importantly, are we able to deliver and positively influence those we aim to help? Thanks for writing this post! 🙂
http://helloannajo.blogspot.com
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Very true! You won’t know where you fit in if you don’t know what you can offer. Thank you for that tip & No problem(:
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I LOVE the last tip! Keep track of what you do vs what you say you’ll do! Accountability is hard sometimes but keeping ourselves accountable for what we say and do is so important!
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Yes, exactly!! Words can only get us so far 😛
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love, love, love this post!!
Love, Melissa x
http://www.lovemelissax.co.uk
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Aww, Thank you! I’m glad it’s helpful!
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Ah this is such an incredible post! I think it’s definitely important that we try to do things to make the world a better place and we do all have to stick together and try to help! Xx
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Thanks Chloe! & You’re so right. We really don’t stress working together towards a common good enough but that type of community is so crucial for a better world!
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I’ve been wanting to volunteer but I keep pushing it off. I never thought about using Eventbrite to find charity events. Thanks for the tips!
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No prob! Glad they could be helpful to you(:
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Okay I’ve just read this post and I’m full on obsessed with your blog now! I’ve done quite a bit of charity work and can’t wait to get involved in more. All your types of posts and your writing style is amazing! The theme of your blog looks great too and it’s all so aesthetic! I’m definitely following and it’d mean a lot if you followed back xx
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Aww, thank you so much girl!! Your comment means a lot<3 I too am looking forward to attending more charity events, especially during this summer! & Thank you, I've tried to keep everything looking somewhat in sync(: & Sure thing love!
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This is such an amazing post. I personally really struggle to think of fundraiser ideas that don’t involve extreme sports/exercise challenges because I’m having problems with my joints at the moment so couldn’t do that kind of thing…
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Thank you! I really appreciate it. & Oh no! I hope you feel better soon. You’d actually be surprised at the amount of events available that don’t require you to run! haha. There are luncheons, socials, and even live entertainment events aimed at charitable causes. If you ever need help locating these in your area, i’d be glad to help(:
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