General Advice:
 If
you want to 'give in kind' or donate money to charity
then the following article provides valuable advice
on giving goods & services or giving an online donation
to charitable causes in Gambia from your country.
Whether you want to give your skills or money to support
a humanitarian poverty
relief organisation, Ngos
helping orphaned
children, the disabled or victims of a natural disaster,
there are some general tips to think about to maximise
the benefit your money brings.
Choosing A Charity:
If you are in the U.K.
then here are some
websites
to donate online at Charity
Choice, Charity
Commission or Virgin
Money Giving.
If you are in the U.S.
then see CharityNavigator.org
& for other countries see JustGiving.com
& JustGive.org.
The decision to make a donation to a particular charity
in Gambia over another is normally guided by your interest
in the cause the aid organisation helps. You might also
pick a good cause as a way of commemorating a deceased
family member, relative or close friend. Whatever your
reasons, it's vital to make sure you are at ease with
their activities and how it decides to spend the funds
it receives.
Giving money or other gifts directly to a Gambian based
good cause can sometimes be risky as it may be hard
to double check the information provided on
websites.
You might alternatively wish to donate to a US, UK charity
or any other humanitarian, overseas aid organisation
based in your country of abode. Many charities that
operate in Gambia are actually based overseas.
Ways To Donate:
• One-off payment or ongoing
You might decide to give a regular, fixed donation or
you may opt for making a one-off cash gift for an urgent
need, like helping flood victims or after a particular
fundraising campaign.
You might also support a charity via Direct Debits from
your bank account or deductions from your monthly salary
and sent to your chosen worthy cause. This is called
give as you earn or gift aid (UK), which increases the
value of donations by allowing the recipients to reclaim
basic rate tax on your gift and allows you to make tax
effective / tax deductable donations on a regular basis.
If you live in the UK then you can set up a Charities
Aid Foundation account, where you agree to pay a minimum
cash amount from your wage each month into your own
account. The CAF will provide a special 'charity chequebook'
and card to make tax-free donations for those working
for good causes in Gambia at any time.
Be Careful With Your Credit Card Details:
If you've been approached by telephone do not give them
your debit card, credit
card or bank account details. Before providing any
such details to a
website
search and check first that it is registered with the
official country regulating body and that the site itself
is bona fide and not a scam imitation such as those
created for the purposes of phishing (stealing your
personal details).
Always use a secure online connection which is indicated
by an 's' at the end of the http in the the first page
of the payment url. If you don't see an 's' then ask
for an alternative method for sending your money.
Never send cash gifts. For tax purposes and security,
it's best to pay by cheque (made payable to the charity)
or by credit card. Also never wire funds unless you
have visited the organisation and have agreed on this
method of payment.
Bequest In Your Will:
Another way of donating is to leave a gift in your will
for your favoured worthy causes.
Get Involved:
Just giving funding isn't the only way to help out people
in need. You can give in kind such as volunteer
time, expertise and skills or contribute goods such
as second-hand clothes, used children's toys, furniture
etc.
Before sending gift items overseas you should ask yourself
a number of questions. Is the donated item appropriate
for the climate, religion or culture, of those you are
trying to help? Are the goods available locally? If
yes, then acquiring them their puts money back into
the local economy.
Check It's A Bona Fide Group:
If the name of the organisation does not appear familiar
then by all means ask some pertinent questions, for
example see the following:
• What good cause
do they support in Gambia?
• Are they registered
with the official regulatory body?
• Where is the
charity based?
• What is their income used for?
• Do they have any affiliations?
• Does it take
tax deductable donations? |
