Below are 19 different giving ideas. Please tell us your giving story, and with your permission, we’ll share it anonymously on our site. Iron sharpens iron!
1. Give your family or yourself the challenge to find ways to give as much as you can for one year. David Platt’s former church, Brook Hills, in Birmingham, Alabama did exactly that for a year, calling it the RADICAL Experiment. Each family made their own budget cutting down expenditures as much as possible. The challenge and goal was to find ways to give, and to give more radically than ever before.
2. Ask friends and family to give to your favorite charity, rather than give you birthday gifts (or Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day, or other occasions). One child we know chooses to do this every other year.
3. At significant birthday markers (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, etc), set a goal for a specific charitable project and ask your friends to help you meet your goal (digging a well, building a classroom, etc)
4. Wedding Registry–see IDoFoundation.com You may wish to include a traditional registry along with a charity registry. Or ask guests to give to a charity only.
Example1: Charity Only: In lieu of gifts, Matt and Sarah request a gift in their honor be made to Remember the Poor. For donation information, see www.irememberthePoor.org
Example 2: Combo: Matt and Sarah are registered at Target. Or, in lieu of a gift, they would also love for you to give to Remember the Poor. For donation information, see www.irememberthePoor.org
Example 3: Combo: Sarah has 2 bridal showers, for which she registers at Bed, Bath and Beyond. In the wedding invitations, she and Matt ask guests, in lieu of gifts, to make a donation to Remember the Poor. For donation information, see www.irememberthePoor.org
5. Funeral—Ask guests, in lieu of flowers, to make a donation to Remember the Poor. For donation information, see www.irememberthePoor.org
6. Skip a vacation, shorten a vacation or skip a weekend getaway. Give the money you saved on travel expenses.
7. Sell something of value and give the proceeds.
8. Set an income ceiling. Anything earned over that amount is given away. Who knows…God might give you a surprise raise!
9. Host a dinner or dessert party with your family, friends and neighbors, and share your goal with them. Or host a jewelry party. We have several hundred necklaces made by the women of Kochgoma. 100% of the proceeds of the necklace sales will go to the women to help support their families.
10. Fast one day or one meal a week, and give the saved money. Experito’s church does this once or twice a week–the entire church participates!
11. Eat only home-made rice, one day or one meal a week, and give the saved money.
12. Match non-essential spending.
non·es·sen·tial:
1. not absolutely necessary.
“during the strike nonessential hospital services were halted”
| unnecessary, inessential, unessential, noncore, needless, unneeded,superfluous, uncalled for, redundant, dispensable, expendable, unimportant, extraneous |
“nonessential items such as colognes and cosmetics are not permitted.”
Example: You spend $50 on a new outfit, spa services, eating out, etc., so you also give $50 to your favorite charity.
13. Skip or reduce non-essential spending. Give the money you would have spent on eating out, entertainment, spa services, new clothing, etc.
14. On holidays such as Christmas, Valentines and Anniversaries, match, reduce or eliminate your spending. Give away what you could have spent.
15. Save money on utilities.
Example 1: Save hot water, and take cool showers in the summer.
Example 2: Adjust thermostat lower or higher to save money.
Example 3: Eliminate or reduce cable and/or cell phone expenses.
16. Give a portion of your 401K or IRA or retirement or other investment funds.
17. Children can get involved and invested. They might do extra household chores or get extra jobs from family or friends, to earn their own money to share with those who have need.
18. Ask your employer if they match charitable donations. Many large companies will allow you to choose your own charity, donate, and they will then match your donation. We’re happy to cooperate with your employer in providing them any information they might need from us.
Remember the Poor 