What is the meaning of a Donation?

What is the meaning of a Donation?
Written by
Joe Allanson

donation

noun

         1. something that is given to a charity, especially a sum of money.

That’s the dictionary definition of a donation, and we think it’s a pretty dull summary of such a fantastic word. Giving is the lifeblood of charities, and without regular support, they wouldn’t be able to provide their inspirational work.


Whether you’re supporting Companion Animal Network’s fight to help animals in need or You Belong’s empowerment of refugees — your meaning of donation becomes much more than “something that is given to a charity” and turns into something that is world-changing and lifesaving.


The causes you choose to support depend on your individual passions and beliefs. We all have different causes that are close to our hearts, and that’s what makes your meaning of a donation so unique.


The importance of Little Phil direct donations

When you give to a charity, you want the maximum amount of your money going directly to the cause in need. You want the purpose of your donation to make a real difference, and to do that, you want to know where and how your support will be spent.


Donating on Little Phil allows you to not only explore 100s of inspiring charities, but also gives you the opportunity to see where your money is going. Bringing transparency to your giving is something that we value most. It can get quite disheartening when you donate money, only to find out that your contribution covered some fancy fundraising party or, in most cases, not even know who your money supported.


Our impact summary is your clarity to charity. You can see exactly where your money is going and even choose if you want to cover the fees.


Your direct impact is the important one. That’s the money that is going straight your chosen cause. It’s going to make a real difference that has the potential to change the lives of many. Perhaps you’re giving to save an injured koala, or helping provide English classes for newly arrived refugees. Whatever it may be, your direct impact is going to be utilised for that specific cause only. The definition of a good donation is a direct one.


Next up are a quick breakdown of our fees. Our little platform fee keeps us up and running. It allows us to support inspirational charities and connect people like you with their amazing work. The transaction fee is the unavoidable fee the banks charge us. Gone are the days of the middlemen taking the lion’s share of your donation — up to 86%!


We want to keep everything open to you so that you know exactly where your donation is going. No smoke and mirrors here; we want to make your giving experience as straightforward and easy as possible. Who you donate to is just as important as where you donate.


Regular giving makes a continual impact

Supporting your favourite charities on a regular basis is the best way to show your support. When you make a continued monthly impact, you are defining your idea of a donation as one of real importance. You’re not a person who just throws loose change into a donation bucket or only donates to televised disaster reliefs — you are a philanthropist who believes in constant change. Continued support is the lifeblood of charities, and your generosity is the reason they can continue to make a meaningful difference.


Remember, it doesn’t have to be a crazy amount each month; even $5 has the potential to create significant change. You’ll get a monthly Little Phil Good Moment as your donations help your chosen charity. It’s convenient for you and allows you to budget your donations easily. Donating a small amount each month, over time, will become a huge help for the cause you’re supporting. It also allows your favourite charities to rely on your consistency. Unexpected donations are great and always appreciated by charities, but continual support will enable them to save time and money — ultimately utilising their savings to help further their wonderful work.


Set up monthly giving on Little Phil in a couple of minutes and completely control your impactful donations. Like any good philanthropist, you’ll have full access to your donation data and easy access to detailed reports when it comes to things like tax time. When you give on Little Phil, all your giving is in one place — tidy and transparent.


Getting vital Campaign Updates

Campaign updates give you first access to how your donations are helping a cause — think of it as a status update from someone on social media. It’s a warm reassurance seeing that your giving is making a real impact, and once their campaign is fully funded, you’ll be the first to know. It also gives you an opportunity to further your support to their cause and increase your giving amount. Without your generous support, charities wouldn’t be able to provide their vital services to people, animals and causes in need.


The meaning of great donation is one of connection. With Little Phil Campaign Updates, you’ll feel genuinely linked to your giving. No longer do you have to feel like you’re blindly supporting a cause — updates give you real-time information about the causes you give to.


It’s also important to note that sometimes an update might not be exciting or that a donation target has been smashed. Maybe the surgery for a puppy wasn’t successful, or the funds for emergency food weren’t received in time. Whilst these kinds of updates may be disheartening, it’s always best for you to know the truth of the matter. The world of non-profit is incredibly complicated, and sometimes not all goals can be achieved. As a Little Philanthropist on a platform, we want you to know the ins and outs of your philanthropy journey and remain 100% with you, even if the news may not be the best.



Impact links

Maybe you can’t give much or at all, and that’s totally fine. A donation doesn’t always have to be defined as giving a lot of money; you can show your support in other ways. When you share and promote causes on Little Phil you are raising great awareness. Little Phil Impact Links are your unique sharing links that provide you with up-to-date data on the success of your promotion.

When someone donates through your Impact Link, you’ll be the first to know, and when you’re in your My Impact hub, you can see exactly how much money you’ve helped to raise with your Network Giving amount. It’s a great way to increase your impact after you’ve donated to a cause, or if you’re in a position where you can’t donate, it’s an awesome opportunity to create change in a different way.

Did you know it’s estimated that Less than 10% of people that participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge actually donated money? However, the ALS foundation was still able to raise more than $100 million. These donations directly lead to new breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment. So never underestimate the importance of promoting causes and Little Phil Impact Links are the best way to do it.


Our Little Summary

We all know that the meaning of a donation is far more than something that is just given to a charity. It’s world-changing and lifesaving support that helps charities to achieve their meaningful work. Little Phil allows you to directly support causes that are close to your heart — providing a full breakdown of where your donation is going.


Regular giving on Little Phil is the best way to see your impact grow. It gives you full control, and helps connect you with the charities that mean most to you. And with campaign updates, you’ll be the first to know when your support has made a real difference.


It’s not always about giving the biggest amount of money studies show that the amount you give doesn’t necessarily relate to the happiness you feel. Remember, if you can’t give much or not at all, you can still boost your Network Giving by sharing Little Phil impact links on your social media accounts. It’s a great way to support the causes you love in a different way.


Everyone’s meaning of donation is different, but we can all agree that regular giving and promotion of essential causes is something that is vital to make the world a better place. Give to 100s of inspirational charities on Little Phil — the way giving should be.



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