How You Can Use Sports in Philanthropy

Whether doing something small like donating time or money, or something larger like managing a charitable event or organization, most generous people pick causes that are personally relevant to them. For those who love athletics, exercise, or other physical activity, it might seem difficult to tie that kind of passion into philanthropy. However, there are actually many ways that sports can be used in philanthropy.According to Greatist, many sports-centered charities are having great success improving the world for the better. Here a few highlights of these charities that you could get involved with and make a difference.

Right to Play

For example, Right to Play demonstrates how well-known athletes can serve as excellent partners in philanthropy. The organization leverages exercise and competition to empower children who come from challenging backgrounds. Right to Play supporters believe that providing athletic opportunities to children in difficult circumstances helps them develop important mindsets and skills. More than 300 athletes from over 40 countries serve as ambassadors for the organization. Right to Play is a great organization that’s sincerely making a difference.

Challenged Athletes & ASAWW

Meanwhile, both Challenged Athletes and Adaptive Sports Access for Wounded Warriors demonstrate ways that sports can provide opportunities to disabled people. Challenged Athletes focuses its philanthropic efforts on anybody with physical challenges, including those who have suffered traumatic injuries such as military veterans. Adaptive Sports for Wounded Warriors focuses explicitly on former members of the armed services. Both organizations seek to provide goods and services to injured people to ensure that they can improve their lives through athletics.

PeacePlayers International

One ambitious charity called PeacePlayers International teaches how to leverage sports as a way resolve major conflicts. The organization focuses its work on places where there is considerable turmoil of varying types. For example, PeacePlayers International conducts work in the Middle East and in Northern Ireland, but also in American urban centers such as Detroit, Chicago, and New Orleans.

Project Fit America

Project Fit America is another excellent example of a philanthropic outfit that uses sports for the greater good. It does so by providing to schools with indoor and outdoor fitness equipment, lesson plans, curriculum, and training to ensure that children in underserved communities have access to education related to fitness to ensure their physical and mental health.

These are just a few examples of how sports can be used for philanthropy. These types of organizations can help inspire others to start similar ones, but they all also gladly accept donations and support. To find more about other similar causes, visit Sports Charities USA.

5 Great Podcasts Focusing On Philanthropy

People often turn to podcasts as a resource for self-development. Many popular hosts share tips for life improvement and they usually require listeners to dig deeper into their own minds. On the other hand, philanthropic podcasts create the same positive feelings by urging listeners to do the exact opposite. Getting out of your mind is sometimes the best form of therapy. Learning how to help others and listening to encouraging stories of those already doing so is a great way to be more aware of the world around you. Here are some great podcasts focusing on various aspects of philanthropy.

The Business of Giving

As its title may suggest, this podcast aims to quantify the process of giving. Philanthropy affects so many people on this planet, so it’s important to talk about it and be knowledgeable. This podcast serves as a place to discuss the trends set by the most successful philanthropists. Unlike some other entries on this list, this show often takes a more general look at philanthropy in society at large.

The Philanthropy Roundtable

The Philanthropy Roundtable is all about discussing the ways freedom of giving affects our right to liberty. Above all, the podcast homes in on the philosophy of responsibility and how it affects philanthropic efforts. The monthly show features great stories of people who solved big problems through acts of selflessness.

The Classy Podcast

Giving back socially is a growing part of philanthropy. The Classy Podcast spreads stories of social leaders who used their business platforms to promote change in their communities. With social media being what it is, business leaders have more opportunity than ever to champion important local causes. The Classy Podcasts gets into the heads of the people who establish these causes.

Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast is similar to the above entry on this list, but it focuses on leaders from the nonprofit sector. More so than the other podcasts, episodes of this show tend to revolve around particular social issues that are being addressed through nonprofit work. The show also aims to guide aspiring nonprofit leaders onto the right course.

The Life You Can Save

Finally, The Life You Can Save is a hybrid podcast that focuses equally on philanthropy and self-improvement. This show is the best example of how the different concepts of getting and giving are actually similar in many ways. Each episode is usually based on a centralized theme, and discussions emerge outward from there.

3 Tips for Starting Your Own Charity

For those looking to give back to the community and the world at large, there are several options. You can volunteer your time to a cause you care about or you can donate money to an organization you respect. However, another option is starting your own charity. If you don’t feel that there’s an organization out there that fits your mission, you can start your own philanthropy. A charity can be an excellent way to give to those in need and can positively impact all who are involved with it. While starting a charity may seem a bit daunting at times, it can most certainly be done successfully. That being said, it may be difficult to know where to start with such a venture. Below are some tips to consider when starting a charity.

Do research

Before attempting to start your own charity, do adequate research. This tip comes from Joanne Fritz’s article in The Balance. This step is vitally important, as poor planning and preparation can dissolve a charity rather quickly. If you want to lead a successful charity, you need to know what you’re doing. Make sure to research any laws and regulations regarding charities. Research the marketplace of charities as well, such as which ones are successful, and for what reasons. This can help organize a charity that is just starting. Also, make sure you aren’t starting a charity that’s too similar to another or will be overshadowed by an organization that already exists.

Figure out what the charity is all about

Steve Odland’s article in Forbes, highlights the importance of understanding what exactly you want your philanthropy to accomplish. Odland suggests creating both a vision and mission statement. According to the article, a vision statement includes the broad, general goals of an organization and should be qualitative in its descriptions, not quantitative. The mission statement includes more of the quantitative measurements and descriptions such as who and what the charity helps. Mission statements should also include goals for the charity to reach, according to Odland.

Bring out the uniqueness of the charity

This is an important tip that Odland mentions in his article as well. There are many non-profit organizations out there vying for the attention of donors. This competition can make it difficult for a new charity to gather the funds to operate. Having a unique idea and way to contribute to society can help bring attention to the charity. This feature can then help bring in donations that further the charity’s cause.

In the end, there are many ways to give back to the community, both globally and locally. A great way to achieve this goal and make lasting change is through creating a charity. Though starting a charity from the ground up can be challenging at times, it can also be immensely rewarding. Hopefully the tips above help anyone thinking about starting their own charity.

Businesses that Donate Portions of Your Purchase to Charity

Charity is a wonderful way to give back to your local community and the world. There are many ways you can participate in philanthropy; volunteer your time, donate your money, or simply raise awareness. You can also patronize businesses that use your money for a good cause. There are a number of businesses who give back to their communities and others by allocating a portion of certain purchases to be donated to a good cause to help people in need. Here are two excellent examples of these kinds of businesses.

Bombas

The name “bombas” comes from the word in Latin for bumblebee. The company’s mantra is “bee better” because bees all work together in a hive with their combined actions having a big impact on their world.

The company puts that slogan on the inside of each pair of their socks to let it be known that you helped someone through your purchase because Bombas donates a pair of socks to someone in need for each pair sold to the tune of more than five million donated thus far!

Bombas had spent two years developing the perfect pair of socks that would give extra support and comfort with extra cushioning on the footbeds, prevent irritation by placing blister tabs by your ankles, reduce moisture, and provide a tight fit at the arches by using a special honeycomb stitching at the middle of each sock. These are carefully crafted socks and many people love them.

The Company Store

The Company Store, primarily a direct-to-consumer retailer of textiles and home goods, has offered everything to outfit your bed including sheets, pillows, mattress pads, and more. When you purchase one of their comforters, their “Buy One, Give One” program also donates one to a child in need.

On Thursday, December 21, 2017, Home Depot announced that it had acquired The Company Store, an e-commerce and catalog retailer. The Wisconsin-based store also has five physical locations, but they were not a part of this deal.

This acquisition adds to Home Depot’s online arsenal, which is an important growth area for the company. Almost 60 percent of store-based and online sales are influenced by a prior digital visit, and online sales of 6.4 percent are double that of the retailer’s nearest competitor. Home Depot’s online business has grown by approximately $1 billion in each of the past four years so it is a key growth engine for their overall business.

With the acquisition, Home Depot has an extra way to help customers complete every room in their house and expand their online décor business into broader categories. The Company Store could also receive a marketing benefit by being a part of Home Depot with its close to 2,300 stores.

These are just two companies that help others when purchases are made by consumers, so feel confident that your money is going to a good cause.

5 Great Books About Philanthropy

Every philanthropist is all too aware of the intense competition for limited resources; there are only so many donors to go around and philanthropies need large amounts of funding to successfully run and achieve their goals. Regardless of the amount donated, everyone wants to know their money is being spent wisely and achieving the desired results. There are many aspects that go into successfully running a philanthropy, so you need to be informed as a philanthropist.

The following books should stand front and center on every philanthropist’s bookshelf.

Give Smart: Philanthropy That Gets Results: Thomas J. Tierney and Joel L. Fleishman

Tierney and Fleishman give practical guidance to both donors and organization leaders. It addresses central questions for every philanthropist on executing strategies and gauging success. Case studies, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, provide valuable insight.

Wealth in Families: Charles W. Collier

Collier, once Harvard’s senior philanthropic advisor, addresses sharing family values through philanthropy. He discusses the role of philanthropy in teaching family values and in passing both values and assets to succeeding generations and how this tradition can benefit the world at large.

Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity: Mario Morino

Morino’s book is an essential read for nonprofit leaders and donors alike, providing valuable, hard-won insights into measuring success. It covers the importance of clearly defined aspirations, gauging progress, making mistakes, adapting quickly, becoming more effective, and always remembering the goal is improving lives, no matter what specific cause you’re working toward.

Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great: Jim Collins

Collins’ monograph counsels the social sector, following his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t. Many social sector readers of Good to Great had specific questions on applying his advice. Collins concludes the crucial difference isn’t between business and nonprofits, but between great organizations and good ones.

The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s Essential Writings on Management: Peter F. Drucker

Drucker is well-known as a management guru for both for-profits and the social sector. This compilation includes 26 of Drucker’s core writings on management and effective execution, as essential for social change as for business success.

Each book deserves multiple readings and careful thought because they can benefit you in various ways. Whatever the social issues that most concern you, being able to judge and perhaps even improve the effectiveness of those implementing those changes is primary. Incorporating the principles outlined in these books with your values will improve the effectiveness of your philanthropy.