Have you ever donated to a charitable organization? Chances are, you probably have. In a day and age where the cost of living keeps rising, people may be tempted to cling on to their cash. But that’s not necessarily the case. According to charitynavigator.com, it’s estimated that Americans donated more than $400 billion to charity in 2017. So what drives people to give away their hard earned cash? Everybody has a personal reason as to why they give.
Many donors say they give because their donations matter to someone they care about. Someone they know has a disease and they make a donation to a charity who does research for that disease. They may have even received some assistance themselves from a particular organization, and are now looking to pay back the favor.
Giving can be seen as a social act; seeing others make donations can influence an individual to give themselves. People may invite friends to a fundraiser for their favorite organization or just directly ask for a contribution. Research has shown that spending money on others actually makes us happier than spending it on ourselves. When it comes to giving, we’re often ruled by our hearts, not our heads.
Have you ever felt compelled to help someone? You see someone fall down on the street and you automatically want to step forward and give them a hand up. Whether it is someone close to us or a complete stranger – our first impulse is to help.
Tax deductions are another motivating factor for people to donate to charitable organizations. According to the Internal Revenue Service, charitable contributions made to qualified organizations may help lower your tax bill. You may deduct charitable contributions of money or property made to qualified organizations if you itemize your deductions.
Each one of us gives for a reason. Keep in mind that even the smallest donation can make an impact.
If you’re interested in making a donation to the American Legion Auxiliary or the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation, here are some options:
Give online
Online donations can be made at ALAforVeterans.org/Donate or ALAFoundation.org/Donate.
In addition to Visa and MasterCard, the American Legion Auxiliary is now accepting Discover Card! So next time you make a donation to the ALA or ALA Foundation, be sure to use your Discover Card!
Give by mail
Checks to the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation should be payable to the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation. For all other funds, checks should be payable to American Legion Auxiliary, National.
In the spirit of Service, Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security.
