Can't Give Money? There are Other Ways to Support Charities

I have heard from many people who have said they would like to give to causes (like Hurricane Katrina relief), but they simply don't have the funds at this time. So when I found this piece from USA Today about alternative forms of giving, I knew I had to post on it.

Here are their ideas:

• Give vacation days. The IRS will allow employees to donate the value of unused vacation, sick or personal days to hurricane relief efforts. First, your employer has to set up a program to turn your unused days into cash and give the money to hurricane-related charities. If you're interested, talk to your employer about establishing a program, says IRS Commissioner Mark Everson. "It's not going to be burdensome for employers," he says.
• Give miles. Lots of people accumulate frequent-flier miles in hopes of redeeming them for a free ticket to an island paradise. But many financially strapped airlines have increased the number of miles needed for free flights. By the time you stockpile enough miles to fly to Hawaii, you may be too old to enjoy the trip. Here's an alternative: Give those miles to charity. Most major airlines allow you to donate frequent-flier miles to selected charities. You can find more information at your airlines' Internet site. The Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, also lists major airlines that allow customers to donate their frequent-flier miles to the Red Cross.
• Give points. You also can donate points from other rewards programs. For example, American Express is allowing card holders enrolled in its Membership Rewards program to donate their points to charities involved in hurricane relief. The standard donation is $5 for every 1,000 points; through Oct. 31, American Express will donate an additional $5 for every 1,000 points. You can donate your points at www.americanexpress.com.
• Give time. The Red Cross is mobilizing 40,000 volunteers to serve in areas hit by the hurricane. Individuals with disaster training are urgently needed, according to the Red Cross. You can find more information at the Red Cross website. You also can research volunteer opportunities at www.volunteermatch.org. A tax bill pending in Congress would help volunteers offset some of their transportation costs.

There are some great ideas here. While I made a cash donation (see here for details and here for final tally), I'm also going to give my airline miles to help out the recovery efforts.