Making charitable donations is a highly encouraged practice that offers multiple benefits, including a sense of great achievement after helping someone. Individual philanthropic contributions, however little or large, make a huge difference when it comes to charitable giving. You don’t have to be a millionaire to be passionate about philanthropy. Here are some tips on how you can become philanthropic while still on a budget.
Have a financial plan
The first important thing to do is to establish a personal financial plan where you budget for whatever amount of money you earn per unit time. Setting a financial plan ensures that you get a grip of your expenses while also enabling you to set aside some money for charity. A financial plan can help you live a financially disciplined life and so that you don’t burden yourself with debt.
Choose a suitable charity program
When focusing on being philanthropic on a budget, it is important to consider choosing the right charity program, especially that which has short-term outcomes and goals. If you want to see quick progress for a cause, you should work with a relatively small charity project with a small budget. Fortunately, there are hundreds of such programs enlisted on charity analysis organizations, such as charitywatch.org, charitynavigator.org, and guidestar.org.
Look for partners to match your contributions
However little your individual contributions to charity may be, you have an opportunity to look for other well-wishers to match your donations. Exploring the option of working with your employer or other charitable workers can help boost the size of your contribution to a modest amount. It also helps to boost your morale while also increasing other individuals’ participation in charity. You could even host a charity event at your office or on social media and crowdfund donations.
Pursue a tax deduction
The IRS offers various incentives to philanthropists by giving a tax deduction for whatever amount that has been contributed to charity causes. Pursuing these deductions on your taxes generally leaves more money in your hands, thereby minimizing the dent on your pocket that giving to charity on a budget deals you. That way, you can donate as much money as you want without sacrificing your own needs.