Today’s economic environment is stressing not-for-profit organizations due to increased needs from people in trouble and less money flowing in.  I find myself setting charity envelopes aside more frequently as I prioritize where the money will go each month.  If you don’t have the cash to spare but still have a well intentioned heart then it is time to get creative and find other ways to help those in need

After a little brainstorming on this I think I found something that works for me.  As many of you know I run a small online retail store over at XekoShop.com.  I recently acquired nine rare sketch cards from one of my contacts at no cost.  These are rare and have historically sold for as much as $50 each.  I’m not comfortable charging so much for something that I did not have to pay for and that’s when it hit me to sell these cards and give 100% of the money to charity.

Charity does not have to simply be a redirection of money from your employer to you then from you to a charity.  There are all kinds of other channels that you can leverage.  Sell some of your clutter on Craig’s List, auctions off unused household items on eBay, organize a car wash in your neighborhood or collect cans door to door.

Think about the ways you can help out this year.  If you are really serious sit the entire family down, identify a cause or two that you feel needs the support, rally the troops, and come up with some plans to raise money.  I wager that with a little research and some energy you can raise more money this year for charity than you ever have before.

Click here for details about the campaign mentioned above