Don’t assume what charities really need

The next time you think about donating an item rather than money to a charity, stop yourself.

For generations, people have been handing over furniture, clothes, handmade items and baked goods to raise money for causes they like. However, unless a charity has a system to manage these items, all you’re doing is creating extra work. And that actually drains their resources more than it helps.

Let’s do the math. A friend of mine spent $200 on fabric and six hours of her time to create a quilt for a silent auction. She was saddened when it sold for $40 since the bidders didn’t value what she had put into it.

Ultimately, the charity would have been better off with the $200 that came out of her pocket.

Typically, I hear the pushback, “Well, I don’t have the time or expertise to sell it myself.” So, why would you assume a professional fundraiser does?

What most people don’t realize is how daunting it is to raise money right now. At this point, most small organizations have their fund developer also carrying out volunteer management and/or communications.

Rather than add to their burden, it would be more helpful to simply hand over money. After all, it has universal value and can easily be invested in whatever the charity needs in the moment: equipment, services or even rent money.

Over the years, I’ve worked with groups to raise money to provide youth drop-in services and affordable housing. When we opened the YES Shelter in Peterborough, people offered yard-sale castoffs that furnished the empty building: bed, lamps, garbage cans, etc. However, when one guy showed up with a truckload of stuff that included a gun rack, we had to decline.

For countless people, talking about money — and handing it over without a purchase — puts them on edge. They know the value of their housing and groceries, but not how charities operate to support their clients.

Thankfully, you can translate funds into tangible items that people can see. On tours, I’ve pointed to the tile or drywall that a donor has provided to show they the difference their dollars make.

In 2010, the Canadian Cancer Society lost its cachet when donors learned how much per dollar went toward supporting its day-to-day operations. Ultimately, pulling their dollars hurt the cancer patients being served by that network. Today, most CCS offices have closed and the ability to get information about treatment and support is far more limited.

Part of the issue is the expectation that people who work for charities will do it for less than if they worked for a corporation with a comparable budget and scale of operation. However, the stark reality is that people who opt to work for nonprofits deserve decent pay for their valuable skills and talents.

So, what should you do if you want to help an organization that you admire? First, don’t assume you know what they need. Call up and see how you can support them. Guaranteed, one of those options will be money to keep the lights on.

By supporting a charity’s continuity, you empower its staff to achieve the goals that drew you to the organization in the first place. Isn’t that what we all want?