How to Afford Giving to Charity

Being charitable is one of the most important parts of our society. We all must work together and help each other out in order to make the world a better place. It may sound cliche, but it is true. Unfortunately, being charitable can also be quite difficult for some. Being charitable requires money in most cases, and that is almost always a touchy subject to bring up. However, there are ways to fulfill charitable endeavors without breaking the bank.

Donate clothes

People automatically assume that all charity requires some sort of financial exchange. And while there is certainly nothing wrong with giving money, it is not the only form of charity. One of the most cost effective ways to donate is through old clothes. Dig deep into your closet and find those pants and that shirt that just don’t fit anymore and give it to someone who could actually use it instead of throwing it away.

Donate Blood

This may be difficult for those of you who get queasy easily, but for those with an iron stomach, why not donate some of your blood? Again, in most situations, many assume that the only way to give back is to open their wallets. You can do just as much good by donating blood. In fact, according to the American Red Cross, 36,000 units of red blood cells and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S. That is a lot of blood.

Volunteer

If you really wanted to help and see the impact of your donation in real-time, you should consider volunteering. This can take many forms, all of which are fantastic ways of spending your time. Visit your local soup kitchen and assist in serving food to the needy; go to a homeless shelter and help out the needy; stop by an animal shelter and bring some light into an animal’s life. Most charitable organizations will never turn down a volunteer.

There is so much that needs to be done in this world in order to make it a better place to live. But if we each spend a few moments of our day thinking of others, then we could certainly achieve such a lofty goal.

Most people view the Cloud as a mysterious entity that knows all, but nobody can truly understand. Several tech companies (like Google, Apple and Microsoft) all have their own version of the Cloud. And while the Cloud may be a bit confusing to many (and incredibly complex), it is actually being used for a tremendous cause: the fight against AIDS.

Since its discovery in 1981, AIDS has affected 1.2 million U.S. citizens, 18,000 of which were diagnosed just last year. It is an extremely sensitive and serious issue that has claimed the lives of an estimated 35 million people worldwide since its discovery.

One of the world’s leading organizations dead set on fighting to end AIDS is (RED). In a recent report from Fox Business, Deb Dugan, CEO of (RED), mentioned that she believes that the Cloud can be used with great effect in their efforts, saying, “the Cloud has made us smarter and more efficient. It’s a game changer.” The Cloud’s biggest contribution is its ability to pinpoint exactly where companies like (RED) are most effective. What’s most impressive is that it manages to do this in real time, giving extremely accurate and up-to-date statistics. Another one of the Cloud’s features is that it simplifies the process of delivering and storing documents and files, allowing for easy access to important information.

Founded in 2006 by U2 lead singer Bono and philanthropist Bobby Shriver, (RED) is dedicated to eradicating AIDS in Africa. To this day, (RED) has earned over $360 million dollars for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.

After the Cloud-based customer relationship management software company Salesforce helped to install the Cloud-based programs that (RED) currently uses, (RED) is now able to seamlessly manage several aspects of their organization with ease. Some of the services provided through (RED)’s Cloud software include: analytics, sales and marketing.

The implementation of the Cloud in (RED)’s services has impacted the company tremendously. By using the Cloud, staff at (RED) can now access information at any time, in any place, giving them much more freedom of travel. They can also share their real time statistics with their large corporate partners, in order to show them just how important their work is in places that need it.

(RED) is also very active on social media, and has used the Cloud to their benefit. “We use the marketing cloud loudly and feverishly,” says Dugan. “We want to deepen our relationships and reach our engaged community and share information.”

With the rapid acceptance of technology and Cloud computing, (RED) is hoping to end mother-child transmission of AIDS by 2020, and to completely eradicate the syndrome by 2030.

If you are interested in helping stop AIDS in Africa, visit (RED)’s website by clicking here and donating.