“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James

50 Ways to Make a Difference without Spending a Penny

By Marie Wilke  

So many people have been laid off from their jobs or have had significant cut backs as to the amount of hours worked (which is the case in my family – my husband is not getting a full 40 hour week and boy does that hurt.) The head says “you can’t afford to give and make a difference” while your heart screams “you can’t afford NOT to give and make a difference!”

So, what is a person that has a desire to give BIG (and I’m talking give “Oprah big”) supposed to do when the money isn’t there? Forget about the “BIG” portion of giving and simply do what you can with what you have.

I truly do love to buy things for the sole purpose of giving them away. When my children see things are obviously not for them, they will immediately ask “Who is that for?” because they know that I normally don’t keep things – I give them away. With my husbands hours being cut back, I’m still going to give or do something daily to make a difference. Here are some of the ways I’ll be Spreading Joy while the finances are extremely tight!

1. Pass on a book that you’ve enjoyed. Write a note in the front saying what you enjoyed and instruct the next “owner” to pass it on after they have read it.

2. Instead of “googling” when searching – use Good Search and these guys will make a donation to Spreading Joy. (Use the link above that will take you there)

3. Donate gently used dvd’s, vhs tapes and video games – I’m sure Spreading Joy can find those that will love to use them.

4. Be Positive today – with the depressing economy, bills falling behind – this can really be tough, but it will encourage those around you and in the process bring joy to yourself.

5. Donate expired coupons to the troops overseas.

6. Thank a Police Officer today (hopefully NOT while you are getting a ticket!)

7. Give time to your spouse – do something together, visit a park, bookstore etc.

8. Donate household items to Spreading Joy to pass along to others in need.

9. Hold a yard sale and donate half of the proceeds.

10. Taking the 30 day challenge? Tell me about it here.

11. Baby sit for a friend/neighbor for free.

12. Serve a meal at a homeless shelter or women’s shelter

13. Encourage our soldiers. Send a free letter here.

14. Mentor someone – have you started your own business? Are you an expert in a certain field? Share that talent!

15. Donate unused craft items to a daycare or elementary school.

16. Turn in those Box Tops for Education – found on Pillsbury items. Keep these, even if you don’t have kids. There is a school near you.

17. Smile at everyone you come in contact with today.

18. Offer to let someone ahead of you in line.

19. Volunteer in a Nursing home.

20. Donate blood.

21. Donate Plasma – and get paid for it.

22. Organize a book drive – get your neighborhood to donate gently used books. Pass out a flier asking for books – giving instructions to leave them in a bag on the porch letting them know you will pick them up the next week.

23. Turn in your Campbell’s Soup Labels

24. Have a family meal at the table – talk about current events in the family.

25. Give a handwritten note of encouragement.

26. Start a Gratitude Journal – leave it out for others to see as they visit you.

27. Donate gently used magazines to a nursing home

28. <-this has been missing for a year and a half, and NO one has said a thing to me about it. LOLOLOL just realized today 10.10.10 hahhaha. I LOVE it!, Leaving it and thank goodness for bonuses.

29. Call someone who is not feeling well and talk until you make them laugh

30. Volunteer at an animal shelter – play with the animals.

31. Visit with the elderly or someone who can no longer get out as much as they’d like.

32. Pick flowers from your garden and give away.

33. Volunteer for your local church.

34. Give a thank you card to someone who has made a difference in your life.

35. Run errands for a new Mom (or someone that is sick)

36. Pick up trash you see as you are walking on your route.

37. Volunteer to read to a class at your local Elementary school

38. Write a thank you note to your child’s teacher.

39. Seek out a store manager and let them know what an excellent employee your grocery bagger was. (or cashier).

40. Donate gently used clothing.

41. Volunteer at a hospital.

42. Donate your “free items” from the buy one get one free – to a local food pantry.

43. Leave a note hanging in or on your mailbox thanking your mail carrier for always being so dependable!

44. Speak to the elderly you pass – look them in the eye and smile. We tend to forget about the great individuals who paved the way for us.

45. Say Please and Thank you – show sincere appreciation.

46. Go to Church. There are so many churches. When people get discouraged, that is one of the first places they’ll go. You can encourage so many people this way!

47. Make extra chili and cornbread muffins – and take to a neighbor.

48. Bake homemade cookies with items you have in your pantry and share with neighborhood children.

49. Donate extra blankets to a homeless shelter.

50. Give a basket of home grown veggies.

51. (a bonus!) Host a game night with your family – eat dessert first! Turn off cell phones (ok – kids, you can leave yours on….) but spend time laughing together playing games!
There you have it – 50 ways to make a difference without spending a single penny.

Everyone can make a difference! The real question is – will you?

Follow Amy on Twitter @CharityIdeas, Like GoodPlusTech on Facebook, and join in the fun on Pinterest!

Make 2012 A Giving Year: 10 Creative Online Social Good Resources

This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post.

What are you thankful for in this beautiful world?

Thank you to everyone who makes a difference in big and small ways every day!  This is a perfect time of year to express gratitude and thanks.  Here are 88 Tweetable social good quotes to inspire and share positive ideas.

I am grateful for so many things, including great friends around the world, online and off! ~Amy          aka @CharityIdeas

New! Download the printable color PDF version above!

Wherever one turns he can find someone who needs him.  ~Albert Schweitzer
Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.  ~David Thomas
The breeze, the trees, the honey bees – All volunteers! ~Juliet Carinreap
There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.  ~Edith Wharton
The time is always right to do what’s right. ~Martin Luther King Jr.
I can no other answer make, but thanks, and thanks. ~Shakespeare
It’s easy to make a buck.  It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.  ~Tom Brokaw
Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.  ~Elizabeth Andrew
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  ~William A. Ward
No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.  ~James Allen
Thanks are the highest form of thought; gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.  ~G.K. Chesterton
How beautiful a day can be, when kindness touches it! ~George Elliston
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~Buddha
Appreciation is a wonderful thing.  It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.  ~Voltaire
The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.  ~Eric Hoffer
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. ~Aesop
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.  ~William James
The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.  ~Oscar Wilde
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. ~Martin Luther
Gratitude is the memory of the heart.  ~Jean Baptiste Massieu
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.  ~Anne Frank
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.  ~Mother Teresa
Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. ~Chinese Proverb
We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. ~Dr. Loretta Scott
It matters if you just don’t give up. ~Stephen Hawking
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  ~Winston Churchill
Things of the spirit differ from things material in that the more you give the more you have.  ~Christopher Morley
Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.  ~William James
You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. ~Nietzsche
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.  ~Edmund Burke
Philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.  ~Henry David Thoreau
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.  ~Kahlil Gibran
The willingness to share does not make one charitable; it makes one free.  ~Robert Brault
You shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands.  You need to be able to throw something back.  ~Maya Angelou
The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion. ~ Richard P. Feynman
Every person feels instinctively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.  ~James R. Lowell
It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little – do what you can.  ~Sydney Smith
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.  ~Betty Reese
We cannot live only for ourselves.  A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.  ~Herman Melville
Among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. ~ Maya Angelou
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.  ~Seneca
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.  ~James Matthew Barrie
Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and start with the person nearest you. ~ Mother Teresa
If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.  ~Bob Hope
What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind.  ~Cleveland Amory
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.  ~Dalai Lama
I always prefer to believe the best of everybody, it saves so much trouble.  ~Rudyard Kipling
There is no greater loan than a sympathetic ear.  ~Frank Tyger
A kind word is like a Spring day.  ~Russian Proverb
Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.  ~Samuel Johnson
The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.  ~Henry Boye
When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people.  ~Abraham Heschel
Let no person pull you low enough to hate him. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
The best portion of a good life – little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.  ~William Wordsworth
You cannot do a kindness too soon.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. ~Dalai Lama
By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach.  ~Winston Churchill
Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.  ~Marian Wright Edelman
The power of a touch, smile, kind word, listening ear, smallest act of caring… all have potential to turn a life around.  ~Leo Buscaglia
Peace, like charity, begins at home. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.  ~Washington Irving
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. ~ Albert Einstein
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. ~ Booker T. Washington
I’m always doing things I can’t do.  That’s how I get to do them. ~ Pablo Picasso
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. ~ St. Francis of Assisi
Peace begins with a smile. ~ Mother Teresa
Don’t raise your voice; improve your argument. ~ Desmond Tutu
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
It only seems impossible until it’s done. ~ Nelson Mandela
Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.  ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.  ~Alexander Pope
If we cannot be clever, we can always be kind.  ~Alfred Fripp
The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.  ~John E. Southard
To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.  ~Samuel Johnson
I was born not knowing and have only had a little time to change that here and there. ~Richard Feynman
The more sympathy you give, the less you need.  ~Malcolm S. Forbes
In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.  ~Karl Reiland
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.  ~Benjamin Disraeli
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~ Gandhi
Always be a little kinder than necessary.  ~James M. Barrie
Action expresses priorities.  ~ Gandhi
Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. ~ Tony Robbins
The highest use of capital is not to make more money but to make money do more for the betterment of life. ~ Henry Ford
If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one. ~ Mother TeresaIf you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right. ~ Henry Ford
Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Gandhi
Smile at a stranger, and make two people happy. ~Amy Neumann

Make it a wonderful day!

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." ~ Dalai Lama

We’ve all had those wonderful moments where someone “made our day” through even the smallest kind gesture.  As Aesop wisely noted, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  Perhaps you can be a steady stream of day-making for others?  Here are a few ideas for simple ways to help others, create smiles, and spread kindness.  After all, there’s something quite wonderful about making other people happy.

Have more suggestions?  Please leave them in the comments.  And have a fantastic day!

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”                             Booker T. Washington

1.   Smile at a stranger
2.   Put change in an expired parking meter
3.   Send someone a hand-written card
4.   Hold a door open for someone
5.   Volunteer virtually for a few minutes or hours: Sparked.com
6.   Give a friendly wave to a neighbor
7.   Do a simple, free, quick kindness for a charity – 8 examples here
8.   Tell a friend you appreciate them
9.   Plant a tree
10.  Walk instead of driving and absorb the wonders around you
11.  Teach a group in your community about something unique you do or enjoy
12.  Collect books to give to a school or shelter - like this amazing teenagerl
13.  Drop off dinner or groceries to an elderly friend who can’t get out much
14.  Start an affinity group to share a hobby with others – MeetUp.com
15.  Mentor someone, a child or an adult
16.  Create a blog for someone who loves writing but isn’t technical
17.  Help someone get set up with social media
18.  Call your family just to say hi and find out what they’re doing
19.  Invite a friend you haven’t seen in a while to the movies or coffee or…
20.  Find a fun project to volunteer for:  VolunteerMatch.org
21.  Sign up for an unusual class at a community college and see who you meet
22.  Read a book on something new to gain new perspective
23.  Make a Top 10 (or 25 or 100) List of things you’re thankful for and share it
24.  Give a plant to someone
25.  Ask someone for a recipe of theirs that you love
26.  Ask a wise person for insight
27.  Talk to elderly people and listen to their stories to learn about life
28.  Give a stranger a sincere compliment
29.  Say “Thank You” often
30.  Do pro-bono work for a favorite cause: Catchafire.org
31.  Say “I Love You” often
32.  Organize photos in a virtual or paper album for a host/ess as a thank you
33.  Ask someone how their day was, and listen attentively
34.  Invite someone you admire to lunch to hear their ideas and insights
35.  Speak on a topic you know to a community group who wants to learn
36.  Buy a charitable magazine subscription and send it to a nursing home
37.  See the positives in a tough situation
38.  Sell some cool stuff online and give the proceeds to charity: KarmaGoat.com
39.  Read these 25 amazing social good blogs for inspiration
40.  Share inspiring quotes and stories online
41.   Donate your airline miles

“Wherever these is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” ~ Seneca

42.  Pick up an errant piece of trash and throw it away, just because
43.  Offer to babysit for a single Mom or Dad
44.  Run an errand for a busy friend
45.  Donate event tickets to local charity organization
46.  Recycle anything, correctly
47.  Give a gift of housekeeping service to a new parent
48.  Set aside a bit more than last year for charity and add a new one to your list
49.  Tell someone you see regularly at a business how they make your day
50.  Be appreciative and gracious for compliments
51.  Be patient under pressure and use compassion as a guide for disagreements
52.  Smile just because
53.  Dance in your car even (especially!) with people watching
54.  Learn how to tell a few great clean jokes
55.  Create a blog post about a few people you admire and why
56.  Share something without being asked
57.  Compliment a job well done, or a kindness

“Those best parts of a good life: little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.“                     ~ William Wordsworth

You can follow Amy @CharityIdeas on Twitter for more tips and ideas

@2morrowknight  @CharityIdeas  @ybeitollahi  @ClaireD  @kanter  @DrAndyBaldwin  @GotYourBackNet  @jeffrago  @NOH8campaign  @TheAntonioNeves  @Student_Mentor  @LAUnitedWay  @SeeYourImpact  @mayhemstudios  @the1010project   @live_united  @HuffingtonPost  @HuffPostImpact  @RayBeckerman  @Survival  @BullsAndBeavers   @SVAdaptiveSport  @zaibatsu  @GatesFoundation  @GWPStudio  @MummysWishInc   @AlexPriest  @88bikes  @jeffbullas  @FredHollows  @LXLEE  @josedramirez @Alyssa_Milano   @Unicef   @sdhumane  @KevinMinott  @jimgrayonline  @gofiliberto  @HomeboyInd  @ClementYeung  @KIVA  @TedNguyen  @gupshupblog  @Nisha360  @MartyMcPadden  @KidsAreHeroes  @randfish  @RickGriffin    @TheTop10Blog  @SaveTheChildren  @teeco71  @IS_Foundation  @iansomerhalder  @weirdchina  @WFP  @SavetheChildren  @ryanintheus  @TeamUp4NonProf  @StephenWelton  @MakeAWishCa  @MySODotCom  @ScottHarrison  @CharityWater  @kobyb  @arkarthick  @FeedingAmerica @Ahambhumika  @SteveAkinsSEO  @AmDiabetesAssn  @suthisak  @bitrebels  @Minervity  @CPCharity  @mqtodd  @goinggreentoday  @smaxbrown  @Love146  @ImadNaffa  @OperationSAFE  @Barryckr  @TheSchoolbag   @livestrong @lancearmstron @hardlynormal @kamichat @geoffliving @ChrisVoss @ASPCA @RobQuigley @AlexsLemonade

Amy Neumann

Writer, speaker and social media consultant for nonprofits and businesses

Several years ago, I survived a brutal period of domestic violence with increasing levels of mental and physical abuse, including almost dying in one incident where choking and a knife were involved. The incomprehensible, surreal effect that this has on anyone, especially on anyone who has no prior knowledge of the cycle of domestic violence (as is common), is hard to put into words. The terror, the constant anxiety, the self-doubt and threats from the abuser about telling someone — unless you’ve experienced it, which hopefully you have not and will not, it’s challenging to acutely understand it.

Having felt this first-hand, I decided to try to help a population of hurting people who did acutely know this horrific feeling: moms with kids. Statistics vary, but on average, studies suggest that on the low end, just over a quarter (28 percent) of homeless moms are victims of domestic violence. In Southern California, where I lived, it’s closer to 50 percent. And these are likely underreported figures. At some point, to save your own life and/or your children’s lives, the only choices become: he’s out, or you’re out. And so moms and kids become homeless.

I had already been working with Union Rescue Mission for several years after being stunned upon learning of the number of homeless people in L.A. when I moved there from Ohio. Seeing the women and kids there on Skid Row broke my heart, even though the kids smiled and laughed and played like kids do, and the moms were so appreciative of the safety and shelter and basics of living.

Hoping to help more long-term, I asked to design and teach a series of classes at URM about finding jobs, which went extremely well. One of the women (whom we’ll call Jane) who had been in the classes for a couple months twice a week approached me one day after class. The stories Jane shared then about her history literally brought tears to my eyes.

And then, Jane dramatically altered my life for the better.

“Thank you for showing me last week how to use Word and Excel,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you I got a job in Vegas and am moving there next week.”

Jane was smart and only needed confidence and a little information. But she gave me something monumental. To have contributed even a little to one woman being freed from the situation she was currently in made my heart sing.

From then on, I became increasing passionate about social good in many ways, including donating a car and my diamond wedding rings to Karz 4 Kids and Hope Gardens, respectively. (Hope Gardens is Union Rescue Mission’s transitional housing for moms and kids away from Skid Row, which opened a while after Jane moved away; I was a member of their Capital Campaign for several years and am a big fan.) While donating financially is certainly not the only way to help organizations, it felt extremely cathartic to me personally. Spreading awareness and hope via social media is another way that feels great, and anyone can do it anytime. Twitter has been a huge source of ongoing inspiration for me and millions of others.

This piece of this tale has written a happy ending for itself. What caused immeasurable pain led to equally immeasurable growth, empathy and gratitude for learning and being able to help others.

When life hands you a giant bushel of lemons, it makes plenty of lemonade to share along your path.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can help: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or NDVH.org. Not sure? This quiz can help: “Is this abuse?”

Activism , Battered Women , Domestic Abuse , Domestic Abuse Homeless Women , Domestic Abuse Victims , Domestic Violence Homeless Women , Domestic Violence Victims , Homeless Women Domestic Abuse , Homeless Women Domestic Violence , Violence , Impact New

Until recently, only pro bono professionals based in the greater NYC area were able to take advantage of @Catchafire‘s pro bono opportunities. However, professionals from all over the United States will be able to give their skills for good, even if they are not in the same location as the social good organization they are helping.  A few key points on virtual pro bono at Catchafire:

•  Almost all Catchafire projects are suitable for virtual pro bono, and social good organizations will receive project applications from virtual professionals in the same way they do from local ones.

•  Social good organizations will now have more talent choices and a larger pool of professionals to help them address their needs.

•  Meetings will be conducted via videoconference or telephone, with both parties taking advantage of 21st century technology such as Skype, Gchat and Google Docs to work efficiently.

“The move to virtual pro bono is based on us now being at a stage in our lifecycle where we feel that we can provide our organizations and our professionals with just as good an experience virtually,  as we can in person,” said Catchafire CEO Rachael Chong. “We wanted to make sure that we had all the pieces in place to make a virtual project just as successful as a project where the professional and organization can meet face to face. While we still advocate local matches, we want to provide our organizations with as much choice as possible in terms of talent, and do not believe we should restrict them if they decide to choose a virtual professional instead of a locally based one.”

Ready to get involved? Register here!

Give your best anyway.”
— from “The Paradoxical Commandments” by Dr. Kent M. Keith,  seen inscribed on the walls of Mother Teresa’s children’s home in Calcutta