In today’s day and age, it’s impossible for you not to come across news about global crises, from natural disasters to humanitarian emergencies, when you’re scrolling social media or watching the news on TV. Obviously, the visuals are heartbreaking, and you want to do your bit to help.
You can support an NGO working on the ground to help those in need in Gaza while sitting in the United States through crowdfunding. However, a question you may have is whether you should make a large one-time donation or a small amount of money consistently every month. Both kinds of donations can help support NGOs in continuing the work they’re doing on the ground, but each one comes with its advantages.
In this blog, we’ll break down the differences between the two so you can choose a method of donation that best fits your needs and maximizes your impact.
Monthly Donations
Many of us are subscribed to a streaming service. You pay a certain sum of money every month to access your favorite podcasts, shows or movies. The concept of monthly donations is similar. By donating a small sum of money every month to a cause close to your heart, you gain the satisfaction that you’re supporting a noble cause and helping those in need.
Advantages of Donating Monthly
Stability: We just discussed how by paying a certain sum of money every month for your favorite streaming service, you gain access to a wealth of entertainment whenever you want it. Similarly, when you donate monthly, you’re consistently supporting organizations working on the ground to help those in need.
Help them run their operations smoothly: By donating monthly, you help these organizations maintain their offices, pay their staff their salaries and cover essential costs.
Help them develop long-term programs: Because of your consistent support, organizations are able to better plan and execute their programs and work towards causes like poverty reduction, feeding the hungry and healthcare.
Address urgent needs as they come up: They’re able to better anticipate and tackle challenges before they escalate into full-blown crises.
Technology: It allows them to look into new ideas and find smarter and more efficient ways to help. This could mean testing new programs, using technology in ways that have never been used before, or continuously improving their services to make an even bigger impact.
Reduces pressure: Let’s be honest, life gets busy. Unexpected expenses or medical emergencies may pop up, thereby impacting your will to probably make a large one-time donation even though you really want to support a cause of your choice and help those in need. Monthly giving, however, removes that pressure. Contributing a small amount monthly allows you to support a cause without straining your budget or feeling stressed about your finances.
Large impact: You may wonder how a small monthly donation will help organizations working for the betterment of society, but its impact can be profound. Over time, your monthly donations add up significantly. Imagine donating just $25 a month. That’s $300 a year, which could:
- Provide clean water to a family in need.
- Provide warm meals and life-saving medical care to war victims.
- Help a struggling community rebuild after a natural disaster.
Donors are more connected to the causes they support: When you donate every month, it feels more personal. To let you know about the impact your donations are making, many NGOs send you monthly updates and photographs, so that you can see how exactly your support is helping.
Making giving simpler: When you set up automatic monthly donations, you don’t have to worry about manually donating each time. It is easy and helps ensure that you’re able to consistently donate every month without forgetting. This approach helps you attend to other priorities while your contribution is still making a continuous and meaningful impact.
When you become a monthly donor, you provide consistent support that allows non-profits to plan for the long term and make a real difference.
One-Time Donations
When an emergency situation arises, be it a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis, the victims need urgent help. In situations like these, one-time donations can help them get access to life-saving resources like food, medication, water and shelter.
Advantages of One-Time Donations
Quick response when there’s an emergency: Organizations can use one-time donations quickly when there are emergency situations since the need for critical resources is urgent. These funds can be used to provide those in need with life-saving medical treatment, food and shelter – all of which are important for survival.
Greater flexibility: One-time donations provide flexibility to both the organization and the donor. Donors can decide to support an organization that is working towards a cause that is close to their hearts, and they can donate any amount they feel comfortable giving. When it comes to organizations, they can make use of these resources to address immediate needs when they arise.
Can help fund large projects or initiatives: One-time donations can help organizations tackle humanitarian crises and challenges. For example:
A large one-time donation could fund the construction of a mobile medical clinic in a remote region affected by conflict or natural disaster, which would help provide life-saving medical treatment and care to those in need, who, in most cases, have lost most of what they own and have no resources.
A one-time donation could help fund a large food security program in areas facing food shortages, like war zones. Your contribution could ensure that both adults and children in these areas have enough to eat and don’t go to bed hungry.
One-time donations can also help fund the development and distribution of essential supplies, such as emergency kits, water purification systems, and temporary shelters, in the aftermath of a major disaster.
They can help find new solutions to deal with large-scale issues: One-time donations can help organizations come up with new and innovative ways to help people in need. Instead of just doing things the same old way, these donations can help them try new ideas and find better solutions to big problems. These funds could support:
Programs exploring new technologies: For example, using drones to deliver critical medical supplies to remote and inaccessible areas.
Coming up with and implementing innovative community-based solutions: These could be supporting local initiatives that empower women and girls in conflict zones through skills training and economic empowerment programs.
Funding research and development of new approaches to disaster relief: Such as developing more efficient and effective early warning systems for natural disasters.
Tax Benefits: In many countries, you may be able to reduce your taxes by donating to charity. This means that you may be able to reduce your tax liability by donating to qualified charitable organizations.
By supporting innovative programs and pilot projects, one-time donations can help organizations stay at the forefront of humanitarian action and find more effective and sustainable ways to address global challenges.
One-Time Donations or Monthly Donations – Which Donation Method Should You Go For?
You may want to support a cause or an organization working towards a cause close to your heart, but you might be wondering which donation method to choose. Both one-time donations and monthly donations help support NGOs so they can continue their work and help those in need in places like Gaza, Syria, or other places experiencing a humanitarian crisis. Moreover, both donation types have their own advantages. But which one should you opt for? Here are some things to keep in mind before you make a decision.
Financial flexibility: The first and probably most important thing to keep in mind is your financial situation. A one-time donation is more flexible since you can choose to donate any amount that you’re able to and when you want to. This kind of donation can be made when you have a large amount of money that you can donate at a time when a crisis is ongoing. For example, if there is a natural disaster, like an earthquake or a forest fire, your one-time donation can be used to help the victims who suffered injuries or losses.
Whereas when you look at monthly donations, it’s more of a long-term financial commitment. While you may donate a smaller amount every month, you need to make sure that you’re able to donate the same amount of money consistently on a monthly basis without straining your budget. However, one major advantage of this kind of donation is that those who can’t donate a large amount in one go can choose to donate smaller sums of money every month and still make a positive change.Emotional connection: Many people who donate feel connected to the causes they support, and their contributions reflect the same. When you make a one-time donation, especially when there is an emergency situation, it gives you immediate satisfaction. For example, if there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and you support an NGO that is working on the ground there, you know that your donation will be used to provide life-saving help and supplies to those in need, which will motivate you to donate to the cause.
Donating on a monthly basis can help you feel more connected to the cause you care about. Even small contributions add up over time. Many organizations keep their donors updated on how their donations are making a difference, which can deepen the sense of involvement and encourage people to continue to support them.Administrative process: When you make a one-time donation, you can do it online, write a check or take part in a fundraising event. While the process is fairly simple, it can be a hassle if you want to donate to different NGOs or causes.
Monthly donations are automated. You just need to give your payment information and select the amount you are willing to donate every month, and everything else is taken care of for you. There are some platforms that also allow you to pause or change the amount of your donation depending on your financial situation that month.Tax considerations: If you’re thinking about donating to charity in the US, it’s good to know that both one-time donations and monthly donations can usually help you save on taxes, but how they’re handled might differ depending on the amount and frequency of your contributions.
A large, one-time donation can result in a significant tax deduction for the year it is made, which can be especially beneficial if you want to lower your taxable income for that period. On the other hand, monthly donations, while smaller in amount, can accumulate over the year and also provide a meaningful deduction.
Tax laws vary by state, and your personal situation can affect how deductions work. It’s a good idea to talk to a tax expert to understand how your donations might affect your taxes and help you make the most of any benefits available.
Needs of the organization: Understanding the needs of the organization you’re supporting is important when you want to decide how to donate. Some charities are dependent on monthly donations to keep their day-to-day operations running smoothly and to fund long-term projects. For example, an organization providing healthcare in remote areas might depend on consistent funding to pay medical staff and restock essential supplies.
Charities focused on emergency relief often rely heavily on one-time donations so they can quickly respond to urgent needs in times of emergencies. But there are also many organizations that try to balance the consistent support they get from their donors in the form of monthly donations with the flexibility of one-time contributions during emergencies.
Conclusion
When deciding how to donate, you should understand what the organization needs. Some charities rely on monthly donations to cover everyday costs and long-term programs, like paying staff or buying medical supplies. Others, especially those focused on emergency relief, may depend more on one-time donations for quick responses during crises. Many organizations welcome both types of contributions. You can support NGOs making a difference through equalall and help contribute to the causes that matter.