Throughout the long history of the United States, millions of brave American soldiers have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that everyday Americans enjoy. As brave and as fearless as they are, the sad fact is that millions of soldiers get injured in the line of duty and many of their injuries are live altering.
There are an estimated 22 million military veterans living in the U.S. as of 2014 and many veterans are in need of a great deal of help. These brave veterans and their families make a lot of sacrifices, but the need for veterans donations and donations to military families is very real and much needed. Fortunately when it comes to veterans donations, there are many quality organizations in the United States like the Wounded Warrior Project and Purple Heart Pickup who accept needed donations for veterans and their families. The Purple Heart Foundation, for example, estimates that it helped more than 19,000 veterans secure more than $200 million in benefits in 2018 alone.
You may not think so, but when it comes to veterans donations, even a little can make big difference. After all, these are folks who sacrificed everything to protect their country and many of them are in need of even the most basic of provision. By donating, folks are doing a good deed for a lot of people who need it.
There are plenty of good reasons to donate to charity and make veterans donations, but before you do, just hit pause for a second. It seems awful to think about, but not every charity is as reputable as it claims to be. Think about all the stories you hear on the news about people being swindled out of money. Before you donate anything, here are some tips to help you make sure your donations make an impact:
- Find a cause you’re passionate about: If you’re passionate about helping veterans and military families, find organizations that help them. Bottom line: find a cause you’re passionate about before just blindly donating to a charity. Folks donate to charities because they feel like they can make a difference in the lives of people in need of help. By donating to causes you’re passionate about, you’ll feel better about donating and you’ll be more trusting of charities.
- Charity as investment: At some point in the past, you’ve probably given money to charity and never thought about it again after donating. A different way to approach it is to think of your donations—money or otherwise as investments. Establish a relationship with a charity you’re passionate about and that way you’ve got a vested interested in their fundraising efforts. You should ultimately be making veterans donations or donations of other kinds because you want to help people and thinking about it as an investment will give you a brand new prospective.
- Do research: Whether you want to donate to military families or animal rescue organizations, do some research first. It’s true that there are plenty of reputable military charities that do a lot of good work. But if you’re not sure who to donate to or what a certain charitable organization does, do some research. Look up a charity’s mission statement and what its recent accomplishments are. Sites like Charity Navigator can give you all the particulars on a charity you might be interested in including their finances and their accountability. It also helps if you take a look at a charity’s board of directors, because strong leadership is a good indication that that charity had a focused vision.
- Only donate in person: A good rule of thumb when it comes to donating to charity: only donate in person. You want to deal with a charity’s representatives directly, up close and personal and by donating online for example, you’re able to keep better track of your donation and where it goes.
Currently, more than 95% of Americans participate in charitable giving. There are plenty of reputable charities helping military families and offering military support. Taking time to do a little bit of research into different charities can help you find one or several that you’re passionate about and are willing to donate to as part of a long term investment.
