Donating to local and global charities is difficult for many CU students during the hard economic times, but being philanthropic doesn’t have to break a person’s budget.
Whether an individual has a personal tie with a specific organization or is just plain interested in the group’s work, there are multiple ways to get involved this spring.
Charles Sisk, a 20-year-old sophomore MCD biology major, said he’s had positive experience with charity work in the past year.
“I am the kind of person who is more likely to donate my time and money towards medical groups,” Sisk said. “I was involved in an on campus group called ‘Hola’ last year. Over spring break we went to Nicaragua and built a house, donated medical supplies and did veterinary work.”
The American Red Cross, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the March of Dimes Foundation are three global organizations that specialize in medicinal charity work. Each of these groups accepts and encourages volunteer time in addition to monetary donations from their supporters.
Michaell Aker, a 20-year-old senior international affairs major, said she has donated to foundations in the past for personal reasons.
“I’ve donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation at cash registers when the clerks asked me if I wanted to make a contribution,” Aker said. “My niece was sick for awhile though, and so I donated to the Children’s Hospital for her.”
Aker added that the personal connection, being involved with the charity, is important too.
“Money is the main reason that I don’t donate more than I do,” Aker said. “If I’m not strongly connected to the cause then I won’t donate.”
Brenna Fisch, an 18-year-old sophomore open-option major, said she would donate money if she has more funds.
“I don’t donate now because I am just starting out and I need to get my own funds together first,” Fisch said. “If I did have money though, I would donate to orphanage groups or groups for global change because human rights work is important to me and the climate affects everyone.”
Child Family Health International is a group that works specifically with families to improve their health care opportunities. Aker said that her donation to Children’s Hospital was invested in research and treatment for children around the world. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is another organization aimed at improving the lives of children.
Alexia Lopez, a 19-year-old sophomore business major, said she has volunteered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and would like to continue doing so.
“I worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in high school,” Lopez said. “I would volunteer with them again now if I had the time.”
There are many charity groups that benefit adults as well as children. The Human Rights Campaign and the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families are two such groups.
Sisk, Fisch and Lopez agreed that they would be more likely to donate more of their time and money to a charity if they knew more about the group itself and where the funds were going.
“After working with one of these groups it makes me curious about the other ones,” Sisk said. “The smaller donations, the $15 and $20 donations, were going towards gas to fund our ‘Hola’ trip. I would want to know where my money was going if I were to donate it to a different organization.”
Fisch said that she would want to see a direct result of her contributions.
“I would want to help out a certain family so it was more personalized,” Fisch said. “Lack of money isn’t the only thing holding me back from donating. It’s a matter of not knowing where the money is going. People want to know their contributions are getting to the source.”
Lopez also added that where she gets her money makes a difference in her ability to donate it.
“My parents give me my spending money,” Lopez said. “I would want to know where it was going if I were to donate it to a group.”
For more information on the charities to donate to and their specific requirements (i.e., how much they are required to give towards charitable works), visit the Better Business Bureau’s Web site.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jenna Fredrickson at Jenna.fredrickson@colorado.edu.
