Remember that $5 Starbucks you finished this morning? That money is long gone now. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t even remember what flavor mine was.
If we were to go without our Starbucks for just one week and give that money to charity, we could each feed five starving children for a month through Feed My Starving Children, provide food to the Minneapolis homeless through Loaves and Fishes, or buy countless cups of lemonade and put a smile on the faces of that many kids. In short, there are better things we can do with our money.
Junior Gigi Lawver is an active proponent of donating her money. “I don’t need it all for myself, so might as well make it better for others,” she said.
Her family also donates their time and money regularly to Feed My Starving Children. “Especially since wealth is so unevenly distributed, it’s important to give back,” said Lawver.
One tactic that some employ is the tithe; in general, this means to give ten percent. This could involve giving 10 percent of your yearly earnings to a nonprofit organization, putting 10 percent of your next paycheck toward a community service project, or gifting 10 percent of your birthday money to your religious institution. The possibilities are endless; the tithe can just be a guideline that reminds you to be generous with your money. Plus, it feels good when you know your hard-earned dough is going towards a good cause.
Speaking of being generous, next time you drive by that little girl yelling, “lemonade, 10 cents,” take a second to turn around and brighten her day with a dime or a quarter. It makes a lasting impression.
“People always stopped at my lemonade stands when I was little,” said junior Michelle Erickson, who now makes an effort to stop at each lemonade stand she encounters. “[I]t’s kind of a ‘pay it forward’ thing.”
Actually go to fundraisers! How many team fundraisers on Facebook have you said “going” to lately, while secretly knowing there’s not a chance you’ll attend. Don’t worry, we’re all guilty, but instead of spending your money on yourself, consider running to Davanni’s to help out your favorite sports team or your own senior party. You gotta eat anyway, right?
All of this may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. “It’s really easy to give back,” said Lawver. “Find something you’re passionate about so it’s worth it for you.”
Except for taxes, the money you earn is your own to do with as you please. Why not do something better with it? You’ll feel like a better person for it.
