Ways to Help Charities, Non-Profits & People Without Money

Make a difference without emptying your wallet!

People often say you can't make a difference without spending money. But, as I've shown in my past posts, there are lots of ways to make a difference without spending a dime. Check out these 4 ways in particular that cost you nothing to help charities & the people they help:

Use the coupons you get for places like Shaws, CVS, Rite-Aid and Stop & Shop to get free food. (See the video below). If you don't need or like the particular item you get from the store, donate it to a local charity. What could be easier? Plus, it doesn't cost you anything.

If your hair is long enough and grows back fast, donate your hair to Locks of Love! Children lose their hair due to cancer treatments, alopecia, burns & other circumstances.  It is Locks of Love mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.

Before you throw something away, visit Boston's Freecycle Network. This is a great website that helps the environment and people worldwide. Before tossing items (like an old fax machine, an old tennis shoe missing a pair, or an old picture frame)-- think to your self: Can someone use this? Simply join the Freecycle Network & post your item up and before no time-- someone is bound to want to use your item. 
You can even use FreeCycle to acquire something for yourself. Respond to a member's offer and you might just get it. Know, however, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gifts and set up a pick up time to pass on the treasure.

Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about your favorite non-profit or charity. Word-of-mouth, especially via social networks and new media, is especially important because it lets people know about ways to volunteer and help different causes. People value the opinions of their friends and family and will value what you have to say and your advice about who to donate to or to volunteer with. Spread the word!

What ways do you help charities and non-profits for free?