Create a charity donation board for the family

Charity Chart

A charity chart in board form displayed in your home is a great way to involve the whole family in giving and sharing. It makes it interactive and part of your daily routine.

project and styling CARIN SMITH photo ED OʼRILEY

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: two hours

To make the board, paint a piece of wood with blackboard paint so you can write notes on it with chalk, and you can use movable tags as well. The idea is to list your family members, charity organisations, what you can do to help, days of the week and months of the year. The board should be designed in such a way that it is interactive and adjustable. It works like this:

STEP 1 ORGANISATIONS: Decide which organisations you would like to donate to and write these on separate tags. A good idea is to contact the organisations to find out what they need most.

STEP 2 DONATIONS: Remember that a ʻdonationʼ can include time and skills. So, it could be walking dogs at a shelter, volunteering to make sandwiches, reading to the elderly, or donating clothes or toys. Write these prompts on separate tags as well.

STEP 3 SCHEDULE A DAY: Once youʼve decided on the organisations and donations, the next step is to set aside days in the month that you can allocate to them. A regular day, for example Saturday afternoon every second week, is a good way to start ‒this way you can schedule it in your diary.

STEP 4 WHO DOES WHAT: It is important to get the whole family involved so ask which causes they are keen to support and link each family member with the organisation of their choice.

TIP: When it comes to toys and clothes, have a bin or basket in each bedroom so the family can donate as they go. The items collected can be donated monthly or quarterly.