We plan all kinds of things to do with our hard earned money. Giving it away, however, isn’t one of the first things that comes to mind. Sure, plenty of us will throw a couple bucks in the tin for the Salvation Army at Christmas, or we’ll buy a box of Girl Scout cookies once a year. But how many of us practice regular charitable giving? Probably not enough.

 

Giving can unveil some of the most rewarding qualities in people. Not only does charitable giving provide aid to those in need, it inspires and provides purpose to those doing the giving. Take a look at the following 10 reasons why you should make charitable giving a regular practice.

1. Help others.

 

One of the most obvious reasons to give to charity is because your money is being used to help others. Whether you are donating to an environmental cause (like Creeklife!), an individual struggling with illness, or to an agency like a women’s shelter; your money is being used to help other people and better the world around you. Many agencies and projects survive off of charitable donations. They can’t help others without you helping them.

2. Help you.

 

You’re probably thinking, “How is giving my money away going to help me!?” It can help you in more ways that you realize. Giving your hard earned money to other people, to help them or to help support a cause, inspires a host of positive feelings in you. It forces you to take the time and recognize how blessed you are to have extra money to give away. Furthermore, it calls on your compassionate side. It makes you human! You can’t give away money to something you don’t care about. If you’re donating your cash, you’re giving it to something you feel passionate about. Giving helps your self-esteem and can give you a lesson about being grateful.

3. Giving is the most fun you will have with your money.

 

Financial guru, Dave Ramsey, talks frequently about the importance of giving. Yep, that’s right. This guy is a multi-millionaire that teaches people how to win with money, and one of the fundamental things he teaches is how and why to give money away. Dave says that giving is the most fun you can have with money. And, if you make generous giving a regular part of your life, you will realize that Dave is right.

There is something to be said for seeing a struggling family be able to take a vacation with their sick child, or seeing a project get completed, knowing that you helped contribute to these things. Even if you don’t get to see the end results, you can still envision how your money is being put to good use to help others. Giving to charity is the most fun you will have with your money because helping others or contributing to a good cause is the most rewarding experience you can have.

4. It is not hard to find money in your budget for giving.

 

Many people think “I can barely take care of myself let alone give my money away to other people”. Believe it or not, if you look closely at your budget, there is very likely more wiggle room than you think. You’d be surprised how much money you would have extra to give away if you sacrificed a couple of those Starbucks lattes each week!
Part of having a healthy financial life is budgeting your household expenses. If you make charitable giving part of your budget you don’t even notice that it’s gone when you give it. Figure out areas of your budget that you can cut (Starbucks, eating out, etc.). Not only will you tighten up your finances, you’ll find extra money that you can use for giving, and in other areas of your life!

5. Giving inspires others.

 

Remember playing follow the leader in elementary school? Well giving is often a chain reaction. If you lead as the giver, very often people will follow! If you talk about how rewarding it was for you to support a cause or give to a charity, other people will want to have the same experience. Simply talking about what you’re doing and how it made you feel can inspire others to start giving as well. Be an example to others. Inspire them to help change the world by charitable giving.

6. New methods of giving can help multiply money.

 

The internet has turned charitable giving into a really awesome experience. Just look at Creeklife! The web has made it so much easier to identify causes that you are passionate about as well as figure out ways to support them financially. In addition, crowd funding sites like, GoFundMe have helped organizations raise more and more funds to do their good work. In today’s fundraising environment your dollars, combined with the dollars of other charitable givers, can really go a long way.

7. Donations are tax deductible.

 

Self-less giving is not done for the benefit of a tax deduction. There is much more to it than that. However, the tax deductions associated with charitable giving are certainly beneficial and are an added bonus that givers should take advantage of! Keep the receipt from your donations and provide the information to your accountant at the end of the year.

8. Gain peaceful heart.

 

Giving can really help you gain a peaceful heart. Helping others has the profound ability to aid us in recognizing all that we have to be grateful for. Giving to charity makes you realize how lucky you are to have your health, your home and your neighborhood. So often we take these things for granted, and don’t appreciate them. When you give to people that don’t have these things, you are forced to take a good hard look at your own life and really learn to appreciate everything you have been blessed with.

A grateful heart is a peaceful heart. You can find peace by selflessly giving back to make the world around you a better place.

9. Identify a greater purpose.

 

A lot of people wander around aimlessly. Going to work, coming home, and then repeating the cycle over and over again. They may pay their bills and spend their money on trivial things, but really aren’t working for a greater purpose. Self-less giving can help you identify a greater purpose. Maybe you develop an intense passion for saving bodies of freshwater and the creatures that live around them. Or, maybe you identify a love for helping children with leukemia. Whatever causes you decide to support, doing so gives your life a greater purpose. This is one of the most valuable aspects of charitable giving. Everyone needs passion in their life.

10. Build a stronger spiritual walk.

 

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, being a selfless giver will strengthen your spiritual walk. Giving has a way of blessing both the giver and the receiver. It says that you have made a commitment to something that you are passionate about. It says that are gracious, generous, and compassionate. Even if you don’t believe these things of yourself, giving can help you get there.

Start by making charitable giving a regular part of your life.

 

Giving to charity is one of the most rewarding experiences an individual can have. Giving is good for the spirit and changes us into better people. Help transform the world into a better place by making charitable giving a regular part of your life. It will be fun. It will be inspirational. You will laugh and you may cry. You will become a better person, and a passionate one at that. You will go to sleep with a grateful, and peaceful heart. Be a giver, start today.