#DonateLocal

There is no denying 2020 has been a hard year, full of challenges, fears, worries and changes. However, amongst all this, camaraderie and community spirit have flourished, with people pulling together in their communities to help others and stay socially connected in any way they can. Charities and community groups have so often been at the heart of this, delivering key services and much needed help and support, all while facing their own barriers to survival.

This Christmas and beyond, we are encouraging people to Donate Local, be it through money, time or skills to give what they can, no matter how small, to help charities keep going for the benefit of the people who need them.

By keeping it local you are helping your own community; financially, emotionally and socially, and you will be able to see the direct impact of your actions.

Donate Money

We are championing the difference a donation, no matter how small, can make for local charities.

• Find out more about supporting a local charity and how you can donate in our blog.
• For tips on how to make sure your charity can encourage more donations, look here.
• For ideas on different ways to donate to your local charity, read our blog ‘how I’ve decided to ‘Donate Local’ this Christmas‘.
• Share what you have done with us so others can see #DonateLocal in action! Madeira UK have done so here.
• Sign up to our Raising Online Funds training in January to help your organisation make the most of online fundraising.

Donate Time

Time is precious. If you have any you can share with others, you could donate it to support charities and communities who will know the value of it and appreciate it.

• Lots of organisations have had their volunteer levels drop due to Covid-19, particularly with many volunteers shielding who are not yet able to return. Local charities still need volunteers and there are lots of different ways you can volunteer, including micro volunteering, and volunteering from home.
• Read our volunteering team’s new blog about how you can donate your time this Christmas.
• There are lots of Covid-19 safe volunteering opportunities available on our Volunteering in North Yorkshire website.
• York CVS have launched York Volunteers, their new volunteer centre which will help individuals to find local volunteering roles, and to support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations with volunteer recruitment and management.
• The Big Issue have produced a feature on ‘How to find volunteer work in your local area this Christmas’, which signposts you to ways you can donate your time.

Donate Skills

If you have a professional skill, and you’d like to help a local charity, offering pro bono work or becoming a trustee could be the way to do it. Charities are looking for people with a variety of different skills including people with financial skills to become treasurers, social media and marketing skills for help as a digital trustee or if you have business experience, perhaps you could help a charity write their business plan.

• This blog gives some ideas around how you can use your professional experience to help others.
• For information on trustee opportunities available in North Yorkshire, take a look at our Volunteering in North Yorkshire website.