Supporting small charities can make a real difference, if they align with your values. Tiny charities often work tirelessly within communities, but are often overlooked in favour of larger more visible charities.
Choose small charities that reflect your beliefs, so your contributions (whether time, money or skills) create a powerful impact.
To seek the best charities to give to, first understand your own core values, and what matters to you. Never donate to big unethical charities, just because everyone else does (or a ‘chugger – charity mugger’ approaches you on the street, and guilts you into giving).
If you care about animal welfare, don’t give to animal-testing charities and instead donate to humane medical research. Likewise there are plenty of ways to help local wildlife rescues and animal shelters abroad (or even animals caught up in war zones).
If you care about the planet, don’t donate to charities that spend your money sending ‘free plastic pens’ made from oil. If you care about how your money is spent, don’t donate to charities that spend thousands of pounds on TV campaign ads.
Researching Small Charities
Now that you know your values, it’s time find small charities that match them. They may not have big marketing budgets, so finding them may take more effort.
Start by entering your charity focus (and area if apt) at Find That Charity. It will bring up the big charities first, but also all the smaller registered ones, for you to peruse.
Then look up your chosen charities at the government’s Register of Charities. This will tell you a bit more about them, what their income/expenditures are, and if anyone earns over £60,000.
Finally, find out if the charity tests on animals. Animal Aid has an extensive list (green charities don’t test, and red charities do).
Local Giving is a good website set up by a former guest on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire, who wished to make a long-term difference.
For around £12.50 a month, tiny charities can list on the professional site with good traffic, and get listed by area for people to find local tiny causes. Registered charities also can set fundraising targets, use AI-generated grant applications, have Gift Aid taken care of and receive friendly expert support.
Gift Aid lets charities claim an extra 25p on each £1 donated, at no cost to you. You can include all donations from the last 4 years, but must tell charities, if you stop paying enough tax (there are special rules for high-rate taxpayers). The government page is complicated to understand, but perhaps that’s the point.
How To Give Anonymously to Charity
Many people love to donate to charity, but are put off if bombarded with letters and emails once they start to give.
Also many people like to donate a small amount to different causes, and then feel guilty if they choose a different cause each month, when being asked by previous charities to donate again.
Giving should be private anyway. Sign up with Charities Aid Foundation (or just tick the ‘anonymous box’ for one-off donations). Once registered, you can donate to who you like, and your details won’t be passed on. It also runs a bank account for small charities.
This idea was to help stop situations like happened with Olive, a kind widowed poppy seller in Bristol. Although she had depression anyway, she jumped off a bridge in her 80s.
It was later found that she had given to big charities who had sold her name to others. And she was giving nearly all her income away, responding to hundreds of requests for donations.
A No-Brainer Way to Raise Funds
easyfundraising is likely the best way to raise money for small charities, as it donates money from items you already buy.
Just sign up, and if you shop at one of the 6000 brands (from zero waste shops to Amazon and Argos), and your chosen cause receives a portion of thte profits from what you buy – from phones to train tickets and from laptops to insurance).
So rather than you donating, you’re basically having the company you buy from, donate a portion of the price to your chosen cause.
Retailers pays a set fee or percentage, depending on their policy. Donations are sent to charities each quarter, and the service does not affect loyalty points.
Donate Unwanted Goods to Small Charities
A Good Thing lets businesses donate items to small charities via an app, rather them languishing in offices or going to landfill. From office furniture to laptops, you can even donate meeting room space.
The dispenser above was sitting unused in a dental surgery. This organisation arranged for it to be donated to a homeless shelter, to sanitise rooms ready for incoming residents. It would have cost £1600 to buy, but they got it for free!
Many animal shelters and wildlife rescues can legally take unused human medical waste from GP surgeries and hospitals. Get in touch to see how they could help.
