10 Benefits of Giving
1 - A growing body of research shows that giving a gift, as well as volunteering or donating to charities, has a positive impact on your physical and mental health and can contribute to a longer life.
2 - Giving promotes a sense of social connectedness through human connection. Consider partnering with the Foundation, to build your network while increasing your professional worth.
3 - Giving evokes gratitude. it can be a way of demonstrating appreciation or instilling gratitude in the beneficiary. Research has found that gratitude is integral to being happy, health, and building social bonds.
4 - Giving is contagious, one of the most conventional ways people first hear about the Foundation is through their friends. Certainly, one of the best ways to help along with donating is to simply talk about the ideals of the Foundation with friends and family.
5 - Giving increases self-esteem and satisfaction with life. By giving to the Foundation you will play a role in building the self-esteem of a recipient. The best gift you can give to a child is to build his/her self-worth.
6 - A giver is a winner. Go the extra mile to ensure that you demonstrate this trait to a future leader who struggles to find success.
7 - Tax write off. A donation to the Foundation may entitle you to a charitable contribution deduction against your income tax if you itemize deductions. You must itemize in order to take a charitable deduction. Make sure that if you itemize, your total deductions are greater than the standard deduction. If they're not, stick with the standard deduction.
8 - Cheering up others, American author Mark Twain recorded in his personal notebook in 1896 saying, "The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up." Researchers found that charitable giving activates pleasure centers in the brain — similar to when we receive gifts — producing what is known as a "Helper's High."
9 - Your dollar goes further, by pooling your donation with the wider community. The Foundation will be able to provide more scholarships for recipients who are economically challenged.
10 - Your giving can have a positive impact on future generations, according to a featured story on The World Bank website entitled, “How to improve quality of education in the Caribbean for the next generation”? Statistics presented indicated that the unemployment rates for 15-19 year olds in the Caribbean are between two and four times the adult average. School leavers struggle to find formal employment because their education doesn’t sufficiently prepare them for the job market and employers are then left to train those who they do hire. With your giving, together we can ensure that these statistics are reversed.
Benefits of Volunteering
Increased Employee Expectation
When employees are involved it can increase the commitment they feel towards their job duties and the company they represent. This involvement benefits not only the overall success of the company, but that it is also helping out a charitable cause that is important to them. This sense of purpose can lead to increased productivity and higher workplace morale.
Honed Skills
Volunteer program can be an effective way to help employees develop skills that will, in turn, be beneficial to their job performance. Some professionals acknowledge that volunteering is valuable to developing leadership skills.
Strengthen your Resume
Having volunteer service on your resume can help you stand out as a potential job candidate. Since job hunting can be incredibly difficult, time-consuming, and competitive, volunteering gives you a distinct advantage over other candidates.
Be an Example
Volunteers are example setters for children or peers that are younger than themselves. Volunteering teaches lessons of humility and gratitude; these are important behaviors to instill at a young age. Families that volunteer together can forge greater bonds and bring their relationships much closer. Since children are truly the future, volunteers setting an example of the value and importance of volunteerism, and laying the path and foundation for future community activism and service is relevant.
Statistics and More
According to AmeriCorps & Senior Corps research, “Volunteering in America” the following findings was found.
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In 2017, one in three adults (30.3%) volunteered through an organization, demonstrating that volunteering remains an important activity for millions of Americans.
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Volunteers have a 27 percent higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.
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Volunteers without a high school diploma have a 51 percent higher likelihood of finding employment.
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Volunteers living in rural areas have a 55 percent higher likelihood of finding employment.
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Volunteering at Clifton George Thompson Scholarship Foundation has united helping hands, increased our network and provided multiple opportunities to partner with school age youths and their school communities.