Be generous: Donate to charities online

Research and donate to charitable organizations

By Natalie Bahadur

The web provides access to a wealth of charities. It’s fast and simple to research organizations that could benefit from your help, and you can give online with the click of your mouse.

“Many Canadians today prefer giving online because they can do so at their convenience,” says Philip King, president and CEO of Charity.ca and Artez Interactive. “They’ll also receive a CRA-approved electronic tax receipt within a few minutes, which saves a lot of paper and postage.”

Find a cause that’s close to your heart

Rebecca Beitchman, a public relations consultant in Toronto, often makes online donations. “It’s important to support friends who are campaigning for a specific cause,” she says. “I find it easy to fill out donation forms online and use my credit card. I’m not concerned about safety as long as I’m donating to an organization I’m familiar with.”

King acknowledges that people can be wary of security on the Internet, but he says that there’s an increasing acceptance of this practice by Canadians.

“Charity.ca uses the latest Internet security to ensure that all transactions are encrypted,” he says. “In fact, it’s much more secure making a credit card donation through Charity.ca than providing a credit card number over the phone or at the door.”

Charities you can donate to online

No matter how big or small your donation, you can make a difference. You can donate your time, money, travel miles and gently used goods. For more information, search the Government of Canada’s web site for a list of Canadian registered charities.

Make-a-Wish Foundation of Canada

The Make-a-Wish Foundation’s mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Financial donations can be made securely through the foundation’s donation page. You can also donate life insurance securities and annuities.

Right to Play

“Right to Play is an athlete-driven, humanitarian organization bringing sport and play to the world’s most disadvantaged children,” says Kathleen Doheny, communications manager at Right to Play. However, Doheny says, the demand for the charity’s programs far exceeds its funds. Donations can be made on the organization’s web site.

UNICEF Canada

UNICEF was created by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate the protection of children’s rights around the world. Across the country, UNICEF operates with about 75 staff members and 40,000 volunteers. Visit the web site for more information or to make a donation.

War Child Canada

War Child Canada works across North America and around the world to assist children affected by war. Online donations of any amount can be made on its web site. Find out about volunteer opportunities, such as assisting in international humanitarian programs.

Donate your Air Miles

Many of us collect Air Miles but never use them. You can donate your Air Miles to a number of charities. Simply perform a web search for “donate Air Miles” and discover which organizations accept this kind of donation. World Literacy of Canada and Kids Help Phone are two examples.

Contribute Canadian Tire money

Did you know that the Canadian Tire money you have lying around can serve a purpose? Many schools, hospitals and local SPCA organizations use donated Canadian Tire money to fund their causes. Use Bing to search for groups and charities in your community.

Give your time offline

Many charities need things other than money such as warm clothing, toys, food and the gift of your time. Read local newspapers to learn about community initiatives. Look for information on youth, women’s and community centres in your local paper, and pay these organizations a visit. They can often use whatever it is you have to give, especially blankets and clothing.

The Salvation Army often looks for volunteers to help with duties such as making outbound thank-you calls to donors and working in cafeterias. Visit the organization’s site and search by region for openings.

For more volunteer opportunities, visit Charity Village where you’ll find ways to donate your time to a worthwhile cause. There are countless opportunities — such as delivering hot meals to seniors and planning events — nationwide. Plus, check out Volunteer Canada and Canada Helps for access to more organizations in need.