Donate to Charities

Making a stand isn’t always about taking money away from a business, it’s about giving money to the people who need it most. As far as being a financial activist is concerned, donating some of your money is the first, best and easiest step you can take. You yourself might not be aware of what’s needed in order to enact change, such there are plenty of organizations out there that have got it all figured out- all they need is some financial support.

When you make a donation keep in mind you can also control what that money is going to be used for. State your intention clearly, especially if you’re donating larger amounts. In fact, the bigger the donation, the more instructions you should provide.

You want to also make sure that you’re sending your money to the right team of people, so use resources such as Charity Navigator to check up on organizations and find out what exactly they use donated funds for. If you want to push for local change, look up local charities near you first.

As a bonus point, if you’re a retiree or soon-to-be-retiree, you could make good use of your required minimum distributions. You must take these from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s or else you’ll be faced with a penalty. However, you can opt for a qualified charitable distribution instead. You will not have to pay taxes, nor penalties on that money.

Also, don’t forget you may also donate stocks to charities!