Philanthropy on any budget

Philanthropy sounds like something reserved for major donors, corporations or people with real disposable income. Household costs keep rising. Financial priorities compete for whatever is left over. Looking at those numbers and deciding philanthropy isn't in your budget is a reasonable conclusion to reach.

It just isn't the only one.

Giving doesn't have to mean writing a big check. Philanthropy is choosing to put some portion of what you have toward something you believe matters. On its own, $10 a month feels modest. Pooled with the gifts of hundreds of other people, it stops being modest.

Small recurring gifts are worth more to a nonprofit than their size suggests. They arrive on a schedule, so an organization can count on them. That predictability is what lets a small team plan a year out instead of quarter to quarter, and it keeps programs running through the slow months between campaigns.

At illuminAid, donor support helps communities create and share locally relevant educational videos on health, agriculture and other issues that shape daily life. Every contribution extends the reach of that work.

Generosity also doesn't have to come at the expense of your own financial health. Nobody benefits when you give beyond your means. The question is narrower than that. Does giving have a place within your existing budget?

For one person, the answer is $5 a month. For someone else it's $50, $500 or a single gift once a year.