Simple ways to donate to charity and make a difference - even if you're skint

Many of us have a favourite charity or two that we support because it means a lot to us.

They might have provided you help in the past, been a resource when you or a loved one became ill, or you simply want to boost awareness of their cause which is important to you. But as the cost-of-living crisis rages on, we’re left without much in our own pockets at the end of the month.

That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to donate to your favourite charities though! There are some quick and easy ways to continue supporting good causes without going broke yourself.

Many charities have affiliations with high street shops, helping you donate when you make your usual purchases. Some even have specially branded items, like Hilltop Honey’s Hilltoppers Pink Honey that donates to Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel.

You can also choose to shop in a charity’s specific gift store, many of which are online, especially if you are looking for a birthday or special present to give someone. Or, when gift shopping or looking for something unique for yourself, choose a shop that offers ethical trading such as Different Kind, which supports a range of disadvantaged communities by selling their crafts direct.

Not only does shopping in your local charity store support them in their fundraising efforts, but it saves you a lot of cash, too! Buying second-hand when you need clothes and household items or even furniture will save cash while supporting the cause, as well as make you more sustainable than buying new.

You can find some absolute bargains when you go second-hand shopping, as many people will donate new or nearly-new items. Some people even turn thrift flipping into a business, finding vintage clothes or hidden furniture gems, upcycling them and selling on.

You can continue to support charity shops online while buying the things you need, with charity auctions on eBay. It’s a great way to continue your charity shop habit with a broad reach compared to ones that only have physical shops near to you.

Simply go to https://charity.ebay.co.uk/ to start your eBay shopping, and it will show you all the online auctions run by local and national charities.

Clear your clutter to donate

If you’ve got nothing left in the bank at the end of the month, now’s a great time to clear your clutter! You can donate items to your local charity shop to help them raise money from the sale of them. And it’s not just your nearly-new or unused items, either: many will take old, unsellable clothes which they can sell on by weight for rags.

This is then turned into things like insulation or even to create new fabric. Even if you sell some of your stuff directly, rather than give to charity, you could decide to give a portion of the cash you raise to your favourite cause.

Time is very valuable to charities, as it’s expensive! Fundraisers are always wanted in the third sector, but there are other ways to give your time, too. For example, you can offer to be a race warden if they run a local race in your area, or you can offer skills such as baking for a charity stall at a fair or event.

Liking, subscribing, and sharing take ten seconds out of your day, but can make all the difference when you do it for charity. A huge struggle for charities is simply getting the word out there about their cause and what they do, and marketing costs can make it a prohibitive practice for many smaller charities in particular.

Follow your chosen charities on social media, sign up to their newsletters, and make sure you share details about their fundraising drives, events, and other information to spread awareness.

Running for twenty years, EasyFundraising.org lets you shop with your favourite brands online – and the brands donate directly to the charity. It doesn’t cost you anything extra!

The brands pay a commission to the organisation when you make a purchase via the website, which is what gets donated. You can choose from hundreds of causes to put your donations towards.

Buying through cashback sites is always a money-savvy thing to do, as you’ll earn a small percentage of your purchases back in your pocket.

But many of them, like TopCashback and Quidco, offer the option of donating some or all of your cashback to a charity of your choice.

Another site that doesn’t cost you a thing – and could save you cash, too, is Savoo. Look for your favourite brands via the site or browse for the best offers and discounts, make a purchase – and Savoo donates. All you need to do is sign up to Savoo and make sure you use their discount code at checkout, so the purchase can be tracked and they know what to donate.

This one actually earns you money, too! If you have an online presence, such as a social media influencer, you can support good causes with affiliate links.

Charities will offer a commission on sign ups and donations. For example, the Royal British Legion offers £10 for a regular payment sign-up or 10% of one-off donations.

There are several websites out there which support charities in exchange for you taking part in games. They earn money because, while playing the game, you’ll see advertising, which pays to run the website. In exchange for your visibility and interaction, their marketing cash can pay for charity donations.

For example, FreeRice.com is a great way to participate in trivia. And for every correct answer, you’ve earned ten free grains of rice to donate towards tackling world hunger. It sounds like a small amount, but spending a minute every day will quickly add up to meaningful donations without any cost to you.

• Some of the brands and websites we mention may be, or may have been, a partner of MoneyMagpie.com. However, we only ever mention brands we believe in and trust, so it never influences who we prioritise and link to.