Are there people who donate money to individuals?

People Who Will Donate Money to othersAre there people who donate money to individuals out there?

Free money and donations come for a variety of purposes, such as for food and living expenses, medical and health care bills, transportation needs, college tuition bills — just to name a few.

“Where’s the catch if people will donate money to me, for free, for no reason” you ask?

People do tend to be cautious when they see something that seems too good to be true, and they should be. Let’s look at what makes people give away free money.

According to Charity Navigator, an estimated $410.02 billion was donated to charity in 2017. They note that charitable contributions have increased yearly since 1977, except for 1987, 2008, and 2009, which saw declines.

Why do people give away money?

There are many reasons why people offer free money donations. Donors express different reasons why they were motivated to donate to me or you. Their reasons could be personal, such as:

  • It’s our family tradition.
  • It’s a cool thing to give.
  • To increase the morale of people.
  • To promote a business.
  • I want to help people change their lives.
  • People need help and I have extra.
  • My religion encouraged me to give.
  • I feel the connection to people in need.
  • I feel I need to give back.
  • I need volunteering or support to a cause to show on my resume.
  • Somehow, it lightens my guilt.
  • I am affected, or had been affected, with the same condition or unfortunate situation.
  • It is the right thing to do.

The reason could also be economic. Many people and corporate entities give away for tax relief purposes.

Millionaires prefer to give away money and part with their wealth in this manner because they have a direct say on what causes to fund and how their money will be used.

It must be noted that not all donations to charitable institutions are tax-deductible. Only those donations made via qualified charitable institutions as defined by the US Treasury will be considered for the tax relief.

Where will I find these donations and charities?

Most donors give charity through organizations that are identified with the causes they support, or they could also give to specific families or individuals they want to help through crowdfunding. These are people who help people in need.

Generally, foundations grant assistance for education, arts and research, and not those needs for personal purposes such as housing, utility or medical bills. For these, the usual sources of assistance come from:

Charitable organizations – These are non-profit entities formed to handle philanthropic activities.

Some of the largest charitable organizations operating in the US are: The United Way, Salvation Army, Task Force Global Health, Feeding America, Catholic Charities USA, Goodwill, Food for the Poor, Habitat for Humanity International, Direct Relief, Samaritan’s Purse, Save the Children Federation, Good 360, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and ChildFund International.

Donations can take many forms. The Catholic Charities USA, for one, is a network of charities where philanthropic people anonymously give donations to fund the organization’s programs providing for basic needs, disaster relief, health services, HIV/AIDS assistance, housing, and hunger, among many forms of assistance to truly in need and deserving individuals and families.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, on the other hand, is a non-profit entity which could possibly realize the wish of a medically-ill child.

Crowdfunding – This is a mode of pooling small donations where ordinary people, the “crowd,” fund a person who has a specific need, a venture or undertaking, or a community with a cause. This is done through a web platform.

Crowdfunded projects are not exclusively for charitable purposes.

In fact, it was initially designed as investment opportunity (called investment funding, with potential financial return as provided in the JOBS Act of 2013) for the “crowd” who might want to support research and development, inventions and new products, businesses and startups.

In recent years, it has become an effective tool for connecting people in need to people who are willing to donate money (called donation-based funding). You will have to have a good cause and learn how to get people to donate money to you. A simple “I need donations” won’t cut it.

Some noteworthy crowdfunding sites (“donate to me websites,” if you will) are listed below: (This is not an exhaustive list; it contains sites I have heard about. There may be others that offer similar service and I don’t know about them. Caveat emptor!)

1. Modestneeds.org

ModestNeeds.org is a foundation that advances awareness to the public, especially those willing to part with a portion of their wealth, to extend spare amounts of emergency donations to people, mostly low-income families, in dire need of financial assistance.

Modest Needs extends four key assistance to the following; low income yet, self-sufficient families, those returning to full-time work, those seeking for gainful employment, and veterans on the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life.

The amount of financial grant is dependent upon such factors, like the family or household’s income, and the type of grant to which the household qualifies. The average grant extended is $750 to a maximum to $1,500.

2. Patreon.com

Patreon is more for creators, who have a product and get support from fans to continue creating It. That said, why not try your hand at making money with a creative project?

3. Auntbertha.com

This crowdfunding site connects people who need assistance to the different programs available per city or state.

Programs are provided in the following categories: food, emergency, goods, housing, money, health, care, work, education, and legal.

4. 211.org

2-1-1 is the life line to reach out to when one needs help with food, employment, housing, health care, counselling, and other forms of human services.

People may also extend help by contacting the same line. The services provided by 2-1-1 vary from one community to another but generally include:

  • Basic needs, such as food, shelter and utility payments
  • Information on health and access to medical and crisis interventions
  • Support to employment, skills training, and education programs
  • Old-age facilities and support to persons with disabilities, including home care, meals, and transportation assistance
  • Programs for children and families, such as child day care facilities, summer camps, resource centers, tutorial and mentoring, and child protection services
  • Program for volunteers and donors

Do rich people give away money?

Wealthy people fund many charities including those who raise funds via FundAnything.com, whether for launching a business, for undergoing a complicated and expensive medical procedure, or for any worthy cause.

Philanthrophy.com compiles a Philanthropy 50 list, which notes the top charitable contributors. The list notes many, many rich people.

Amazon’s Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos are high on the list — as is Michael Bloomberg the media mogul.

Ebay’s Pierre Omidyar ranks as a high-impact philanthropist, too.

Celebrities, authors, models, athletes, and musicians are some of the most generous philanthropists.

Ordinary and anonymous people give not as much, maybe, but they give as big-heartedly.

As you can see people will donate money to individuals if there’s a good cause.

Originally posted 2023-01-06 16:14:54.