I have to say, I love online giving. There is nothing like it for the holidays. Sometimes you want to express your sincere care for people, and to do it in a way that is meaningful. And to be frank, quickly. That\’s where you can use Quick Gifts that allow you to give several donations in one fell swoop. It\’s great for team members, neighbors, community groups, graduations, and you can give a gift as small as $15 to buy eyeglasses for children, or as large as $500 to build a home in Nambia. It\’s also efficient for the nonprofit. They can receive hundreds of donations in their paypal account that would have taken hours to open by mail.
Equally so, I have to say I love offline giving. To me this is personalized, one-on-one giving that is heartfelt. There is nothing like writing a check and a kind note to someone. When they open that letter it is personal. Someone cared to take the time to write how they believe in you, and want to make an investment in you.
I am not so enamoured of direct mail giving; it is less personalized and wastes trees. Somehow, I can \”forgive the tree\” when it\’s a personal, handwritten letter. Sometimes we have to use trees to express our love for and give gifts to others.
There isn\’t any disadvantage to each type of giving. Each has their merit, and right timing, positive meaning, and profound influence. All giving is good. It is the \’love of humankind\’ which the root of the word philanthropy intends. We give and receive and the positive cycle of goodness continues.
This post was inspired by Microgiving, which you can read here: http://bit.ly/2qyZm.