Giving back on a budget: How to help charities without donating money

Giving back to charity can be incredibly fulfilling. Whether it’s a local, national, or global charity, being part of a collective and making a difference to the world around you has a positive effect on everyone involved. However, giving back can sometimes feel like a challenge if you’re on a budget.

Not knowing how to assess your finances to understand how much you could give to charity can often hold you back from giving at all. But from volunteering your time to donating items you no longer need, there are various ways to support the causes that matter to you.

As September 5th welcomes the International Day of Charity, we’ve gathered our top tips for how to plan for charitable donations. We’ll also explore how to help charities without donating money, showing that there are plenty of practical ways to give back without stretching your budget.

In this guide:

• How much should I give to charity?
• How to budget for giving to charity
• How to help charities without donating money
• Key budgeting tips for giving to charity 
• Explore more insights and resources

How much should I give to charity?

For the most part, what you give to charity is a personal decision. But when people suggest to just ‘give what you can’, how do you know how much that should be?

• If you’re looking to set a clear figure for how much you should donate to charity, you could start by looking at what sharing 2 to 6% of your income could look like.
• Consider how this would fit with your priority expenses and outgoings, and how much you could realistically spare to support a charity that’s important to you.
• If you don’t feel like you can afford that number, it’s okay to adjust it to your budget. For instance, perhaps £50 a month pushes your budget a little too far, but a regular £10 or £25 donation is more manageable.

Breaking donations down into monthly deposits can help reduce the impact on your finances, while making a big impact by the end of the year. Regular monthly donations also help charities plan and allocate their resources better.

But there are lots of ways to give back to charity without sending cash, and we’ll explore them later in this guide.

How to budget for giving to charity

Everyone likes to budget in different ways. Besides supporting charity shops and fundraisers, perhaps you’d prefer to have a consistent figure dedicated to charitable donations. That way, you know exactly how you’re making an impact. If so, follow these steps to help you actively budget for financial donations.

1. Understand your personal cash flow: First, assess your income and outgoings to understand your personal cash flow and what you need available for priority bills and expenses.
2. Keep adding to your own savings: Make sure to dedicate a portion of your income to growing your savings. Budgeting methods such as the 50/30/20 rule are helpful for prioritising your income for saving and spending.
3. Assess your discretionary income: Once you know what discretionary income you have left over – your funds after paying for essential costs like taxes, rent, mortgage, utilities, food and household items – you’ll have a better idea of how much you can afford to donate to charity each month.

Explore our helpful guide for more tips on how to save more money each month.

Passive budgeting strategies to save money for charity donations

Having a solid budget in place is key to keeping your finances in order. That way, you can cover your priority payments and savings goals before spending money on fulfilling, but ultimately non-essential expenses. Once you know where your finances stand, you can start to put aside money for charity. You can even introduce passive saving strategies for giving back to charity.

Here are a few ways to help build a cash pot for planned donations in the background:

• Round ups: If your banking app has the option to round up purchases to the nearest pound, consider putting these savings towards a charity of your choice.
• Save the pennies: Likewise, you could round up loose change to donate to charity at the end of the month. Whether you set your sights on copper or silver coins, that’s up to you!
• Giving cashback to charity: If you use cashback tools and websites like Quidco and TopCashback, you could repurpose any cashback you receive from eligible purchases as your charity fund. This could be a direct donation, or used for spending money at your favourite charity shops.
• Payroll Giving schemes: If your employer offers a Payroll Giving scheme, you could make regular, tax-efficient donations to charities straight from your wages or pension. You’ll get tax relief on your donations, making donations more affordable by reducing what you pay towards the contribution yourself.
• Donate via Direct Debits and standing orders: If you’re a UK taxpayer, charitable donations made via Direct Debit and standing orders can qualify for Gift Aid – adding a further 25% to your donation for free. This means your donation could be worth more at no extra cost – so you could donate up to your goal figure while paying less out of your own pocket.

How to help charities without donating money

From sharing your time, skills, and resources, there are plenty of practical ways to support the causes you care about without giving cash. Below are a number of ideas on how to help charities without donating money:

1. Donate unwanted items and toys

Charity shops are always looking for new donations to help stock their shelves. Next time you have a clear-out, give back to your favourite charities by dropping off a bag of lightly worn goods you no longer need. It’s an easy way to help charities without spending money.

You could donate:

• School uniforms your children have outgrown
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Handbags
• Furniture
• Crockery
• Books
• Toys
• Video games
• DVDs
• CDs
• Puzzles
• Jewellery

2. Volunteer your time

One of the easiest ways to give back is to volunteer your time. If you’ve got a few hours going spare a few times a month, consider options such as:

• Volunteering at a local charity shop
• Stewarding a fundraising event or marathon
• Offering admin or social media support for local charities
• Volunteering for litter picking to give back to the local community
• Volunteering at a nearby animal shelter
• Signing up as a trained listener for telephone lines at charities such as Samaritans, Age UK, Shout, or NSPCC

3. Sign up for a charity run or event

Build a cash fund for an organisation that’s close to your heart by fundraising for a charity run or event. Use word of mouth and your social media platforms to share your goals with family, friends and people you know. You never know how much you could raise for a great cause.

If you’re supporting charity fundraisers as a participant, the Fundraising Regulator offers key awareness tips for giving to charity safely to help identify common signs of fraud.

4. Set up a bake sale (or another community fundraiser)

Whether it’s at your child’s school, the local community centre, your workplace, or at home with your friends and loved ones, baked goods always bring a crowd. Set a date, time, and location and enlist reliable volunteers to help you put on a spread for charity.

If you’re participating on a budget, consider cupboard items you might already have in. Simple staples like corn flakes, butter, and golden syrup make the tastiest cereal treats.

If not a bake sale, here are a few alternative fundraiser events you could set up to raise money for charity:

• Host a charity car wash
• Organise a fancy dress fundraiser party
• Host local discos for charity
• Plan a treasure hunt
• Throw a community sports day
• Offer to spruce up local driveways for charity with your own gardening tools or a pressure washer

5. Hold a raffle at your next event

Raffles are a great way to pool funds for a charitable cause, with common prizes including gadgets, experiences, and spa kits.

But it doesn’t have to be a formal raffle for it to be fun. Add a dash of excitement to any birthday party or special occasion by asking friends and family if they’d like to contribute a small donation for the chance to win a homemade prize.

Think about creative prizes such as:

• Baked goods – sweet or savoury!
• Crafts
• Volunteered time to help out
• A car wash ‘voucher’ that you’ll honour yourself
• Homegrown fruit and vegetables
• A handmade annual calendar
• A jar filled with inspirational quotes or jokes

6. Sell items at second-hand marketplaces with proceeds going to charity

Think you could get a good price for your unwanted items? Instead of donating items to your local charity shop, why not sell items at a car boot sale or second-hand marketplace like eBay or Facebook Marketplace then donate the proceeds to charity?

7. Ask for donations instead of gifts for special occasions

If you’re feeling selfless and want to give back to charity, you could politely ask for charity donations rather than receiving birthday, Christmas, or wedding presents.

Choose an important cause and explain how donations will make a meaningful impact. Then, send thank you notes to your friends and loved ones for their generous contributions, letting them know how much you were able to raise thanks to their support.

8. Shop more intentionally at charity shops

While this counts as spending money, you can also make a difference by being intentional about where you shop. Charity shops often sell household items, stationary, gift wrapping, and birthday cards – usually at reasonable prices. So, don’t forget to check your local charity shop for items that you might usually pop to chain supermarkets and retailers for.

9. Shop Fairtrade

Buying Fairtrade goods helps to support ethical social, economic, and environmental standards for farmers and workers in developing countries. So, next time you go grocery shopping, make sure to look out for the Fairtrade symbol to help support products that help give back to their origins.

10. Raise awareness on social media

Simply raising awareness of charitable causes can count as doing a good deed. Extending the reach of fundraisers, events, and organisations can help boost their support, raising their visibility and potentially increase funds.

11. Set up a class to share your skills

Like volunteering, charity can also include sharing your time, skills and resources. If you have a special skill, interest, or hobby you’d like to share, consider setting up a class to help build a sense of community. It could be a virtual class or in person at a local community centre. Consider activities like:

• Book clubs
• Board game clubs
• Art workshops
• Crochet classes
• Football and sports coaching
• Cooking classes
• Baking classes
• Professional upskilling
• Photography basics
• DIY classes
• Guided meditation classes

Offering your time to help others nurture new skills and connections is more than enough. But if you’d like to dedicate classes and clubs to a certain charity, you can often request donation boxes and buckets from UK charities to help raise some cash.

12. Donate blood

Giving blood can save up to three lives in just one hour. If you’re wondering how to help charities without donating money, giving blood is a selfless act that only takes 60 minutes of your time. It may feel like a daunting process if you’ve never donated blood before, but thousands of donors give blood regularly to help save the lives of everyday people.

For more guidance on the blood donation process, visit the Give Blood NHS website.

13. Write to your local government

There are plenty of ways to make an impact without feeling pressured to donate money. Use your voice by writing to your elected official to help make a difference for charities and your local community. From highlighting local initiatives to asking for increased funding, make sure to emphasise the importance of the cause and what the local government can do to increase their support.

Key budgeting tips for giving to charity

No matter how you fit giving back to charity into your personal budget and calendar, consider our budgeting tips to help keep your goals and the bigger picture in mind.

• ‘Give what you can’: Always consider your budget before offering financial donations. You can always give more generously in the future if your finances feel restricted currently.
• Give regularly: If charitable donations feel manageable, creating a habit of giving to charity can help make a significant difference after a year or two.
• Give sensibly: While it’s important to be mindful of your current budget, make sure that ongoing donations are sustainable for the future too. Set realistic goals and remember how impactful your combined donations will be over time, rather than focusing on the size of each monthly figure.
• Give together: There’s great power in teamwork. Remember to share your efforts with others and see if you can support meaningful causes together. Vocalising charitable actions and highlighting your activity on social platforms can also help raise awareness and normalise giving back to charity.

Explore more insights and resources

Whether you’d like to work out how much you should give to charity, or how to help charities without donating money directly, it’s important to be mindful of your personal budget.

Giving back to charity is a year-round effort, and it’s okay if your available time or finances fluctuate. You can still make a long-term impact with smaller, regular contributions. Like with any meaningful goals, consistency is what makes change happen.

For more handy money tips and insights, explore our other guides on the Moneyboat blog. Find out what you can get for free on your birthday, as well as our top free and low-cost weekend activities.

If you ever need financial advice and support, know that help is always available. You can find free, confidential guidance surrounding money management and debt from a range of third-party support organisations, including MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice and  StepChange.