Since it’s the holiday season and there’s lots of talk about donating to charities, I kinda want to bring something up.
I’d like to encourage young people (those of us who can afford it anyway) to consider becoming a regular donor to a local organization.
I’ve put the emphasis on “regular”, but the “local” is also important here. Because it’s small local organizations that have a hard time with financial security. I can’t speak for what it’s like to work for a large charity. I work for a small local museum. We don’t have celebrity endorsements or ads that are televised all over the nation. Our cause isn’t something we can expect millions of people all over the world to care about (like clean drinking water or hunger). The only people we can reasonably expect to care about us are locals.
Currently, a huge percentage of our donor base is elderly. And it can be a bit concerning when donors pass away faster than new donors come aboard. We could really use some more young donors.
I think many of us young adults are accustomed to donating to causes as they spring up. A gofundme here, a youcaring there. And that’s really important work! I don’t want to diminish the good that people do. And sometimes a one-time $5 donations is all we can do. But if you’ve got the stability to do it, I’d encourage you to consider not just who you give to, but the way you do it.
Places like my museum cannot exist or function without the locals who donate to us every year.
