Giving & Donating
What Happens to a Donated Sofa Between Your Door and the Shop Floor
A large donated item passes through collection, safety checks, storage, cleaning and pricing before anyone can buy it. Each stage…
Giving & Donating
Where money goes, what to give, and giving in a way that actually helps.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Giving & Donating
Why Unrestricted Money Is Worth More Than the Same Amount Ring-Fenced
Two donations of identical size can be worth very different amounts to the organisation receiving them. The difference is what the donor said the money was for.
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Why Fewer, Larger Donations Beat Spreading Money Thinly
Splitting a charitable budget across a dozen organisations feels prudent and usually is not. Processing costs and attention both…
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What a Standing Order Buys That a One-Off Gift Cannot
Regular giving is not simply a one-off donation paid in instalments. It changes what an organisation is able to commit to before…
Giving & Donating
The Donation Drive That Ends Up Costing the Charity Money
Collections of goods generate strong participation and a mountain of sorting. Whether the result helps depends almost entirely on…
Giving & Donating
How to Read a Fundraising Appeal for What It Is Actually Asking
Appeal letters follow a well-worn structure with a purpose behind every element. Recognising the parts makes it easier to decide on…
Giving & Donating
Why Aid Agencies Ask for Money and Not Blankets
The instinct after a disaster is to send things. Almost every agency working in emergency response asks for cash instead, and the…
Giving & Donating
Why Charities Ask You to Confirm Your Tax Status
Donation forms in many countries carry a declaration about tax that has nothing to do with the charity's curiosity. It changes how…
Giving & Donating
Choosing Between a Cause Down the Road and One Far Away
A given amount of money buys very different quantities of benefit in different places. So does the ability to see what it did.
Giving & Donating
Why Every Appeal Asks for a Specific Number
Suggested donation amounts are chosen carefully and rarely correspond to a real price. Knowing what they are for makes them easier…
Giving & Donating
Naming a Charity in a Will Without Creating a Problem
Legacies are the largest single income line for many charities and the most frequently botched form of giving. Most of the failures…
Giving & Donating
What Employer Matching Schemes Actually Match
Workplace giving programmes promise to double your donation and frequently do something narrower. The conditions are where the…