Volunteering vs. Donating

Back in 2008, when the economy really took a plunge, is when I first started thinking about helping others get through rough times. I was going through a bit of a rough time myself, but I knew so many people had it so much worse than me. Perhaps because of my own misfortune, I understood firsthand that a life can completely change in just a short moment. Someone who is financially stable can lose all their money and become homeless. Someone who is otherwise healthy can have an accident that debilitates them for life. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past three years, it’s that things change. You’ve got to roll with the punches, and help others do the same.

That’s when I knew I had to use whatever resources I had to help others. Unfortunately, money was not a resource I had at the time, so I chose to volunteer. Many people who have the financial resources choose to donate, and that’s great, but I think it’s so much more rewarding to get in there and get your “hands dirty.”

When you donate to any charity, at least a small percentage of your donation is likely going towards someone’s salary. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing (although in some cases it is). In order for a charitable organization to be successful, they are going to need some full-time help. You can’t really expect anyone to volunteer 100 percent of their time, so a salary is necessary.

There are some salaries that are overinflated and some charities that use too much of your donation towards compensation for their employees. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there are other charities that are barely scraping by so they can maximize the resources devoted to helping others. Finding the right charity to donate to is not a simple process. Charity Navigator can help you with your decision, but you still may need to ask some hard questions. This is another reason why I’d rather volunteer than donate. I don’t think that makes me a bad person, but what’s your take on the situation?