Congratulations on recognizing your desire to give back. As a bodyworker, one could say that you give back to your community every working day by delivering comfort, touch and a compassionate ear to your clients. Yet, as your question suggests, perhaps there is an opportunity to donate beyond your everyday efforts.
Her advice challenged me to articulate what I felt strongly about and envision the change that I wanted to see in the world. I decided upon two objectives.
The first objective was to give back to Earth. As a publisher of printed material, this was an easy decision. I was concerned about the amount of natural resources used in the printing process, so I contacted the reforestation group Trees, Water & People, and it calculated the cost of replanting the number of trees that were harvested to produce my products and run my office.
I was stunned and thrilled at the same time: stunned by the amount I would need to donate, thrilled at the chance to give back.
The second objective gave me an opportunity to give back to the massage community. This decision was also a no-brainer, since the profession had done so much to support my company.
After some research I discovered the Massage Therapy Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing the "knowledge and practice of massage therapy by supporting scientific research, education and community service." The following year I agreed to be a trustee for the foundation's board of directors.
Because I had researched these organizations ahead of time, I was confident that my donations were going to create positive change in the world. What I wasn't prepared for was how they were going to affect me.
I found that my fear about earning enough to support my family gave way to a sense of ease and satisfaction by sharing what I could. My anxieties about the environment and the future direction of our profession were replaced by a strong voice committed to the future of the planet and to the world of massage.
1. Find an organization with a mission that aligns with your desires. That means that you first must clarify the intentions of your gift. If you wish to help bring massage to the elderly, then find a group that does this.
2. Consider what you would like to donate. Of course, giving back can look like many things to many people. One popular choice is to write a check. In a busy world where many of us have little time to donate, cash is a perfectly fine option.
3. Cash poor but wealthy in other ways? No problem. Consider giving your time, skill or materials. No nonprofit organization would pass up a volunteer willing to help stuff envelopes or receive assistance from someone who knows how to navigate an ornery software program.
But remember: Be clear with the organization about when you are available and for how many hours per week or month.
This way both parties will understand the arrangement, and you won't feel underutilized or taken advantage of.
4. Be creative. My publishing company donates products for fundraisers, as well as to groups teaching massage to families. Don't be shy to ask the organization you'd like to support for its office wish list. Then ask your friends if they have any of the items.
Voila! An unused phone system gets a new home, for example. If there are shipping costs involved, ask the organization if it would be willing to cover them.
5. If you donate money, invest a bit of yourself along with it. When the organization's quarterly newsletter arrives in the mail, read it. If the group needs volunteers for a short project, volunteer. This way you can stay in touch with the organization's efforts, understand its mission more clearly and develop a better picture of how your money is being used.
6. Remember that it's all relative. Warren Buffett might have $1 billion, but that doesn't diminish the value of your $100. Before you donate, evaluate what is appropriate for your budget. This way you won't wake up in the middle of the night worrying if you gave too much or too little.
There are endless opportunities to be philanthropic, realize the benefits of tithing, and contribute your time or money to making the world a better place.
Andrew Biel founded Books of Discovery and authored Trail Guide to the Body: How to locate muscles, bones and more. Since 2001 his company has donated thousands of dollars to reforestation projects to the Massage Therapy Foundation.