How to support a charitable organization
How I did it: Obviously, this goal is never really "done" - luckily, contributing to good causes is pretty easy to do.
I've been volunteering at the Housing Works Bookstore in New York since January. All you have to do is sign up, attend a basic training session, and commit to a four-hour shift each week for three months (any less than that and you're actually just making things harder for them).
Each week I show up, shelve books, haul boxes, ring people up, and chat with the other folks at the store. It's fun, usually not too difficult, and my free work (and frequent purchases) helps the store help homeless people living with HIV and AIDS!
I've been there way longer than the minimum at this point and hope I can stick around for a while yet.
Lessons & tips: Figure out what kind of help you can provide (money, time, donations, services) and then do research to find out what organizations need the things you can do.
For example, advocacy groups probably don't need physical help, and the best way to help them out is with a gift of money, but your local soup kitchen needs actual people there to cook food, serve food, and talk to people who come in. There are legal aid groups that need skilled volunteers to help their work. ETCETERA.
Resources: Well, I found out about Housing Works from a guy who brought me there for a coffee date! So you never know :)
But idealist.org is always a good first stop.
