General Advice:
If you want to 'give in kind' or donate money to charity then
the following article provides valuable advice and links on giving
goods and services or giving an online donation to charitable
causes in Gambia from your country.
Whether you want to give your skills or money to support a humanitarian
poverty relief
organisation, Ngos helping orphaned
children, the disabled or victims of a natural disaster, there
are some general tips to think about to maximise the benefit your
money brings.
Choosing A Charity:
If you are in the U.K. then here
are some
websites
to donate online at Charity
Choice, Charity
Commission or Virgin
Money Giving.
If you are in the U.S. then see CharityNavigator.org
& for other countries see JustGiving.com
& JustGive.org.
The decision to make a donation to a particular charity in Gambia
over another is normally guided by your interest in the cause
the aid organisation helps. You might also pick a good cause as
a way of commemorating a deceased family member, relative or close
friend. Whatever your reasons, it's vital to make sure you are
at ease with their activities and how it decides to spend the
funds it receives.
Giving money or other gifts directly to a Gambian based good cause
can sometimes be risky as it may be hard to double check the information
provided on
websites.
You might alternatively wish to donate to a US, UK charity or
any other humanitarian, overseas aid organisation based in your
country of abode. Many charities that operate in Gambia are actually
based overseas.
Ways To Donate:
One-off payment or ongoing
You might decide to give a regular, fixed donation or you may
opt for making a one-off cash gift for an urgent need, like helping
flood victims or after a particular fundraising campaign.
You might also support a charity via Direct Debits from your bank
account or deductions from your monthly salary and sent to your
chosen worthy cause. This is called give as you earn or gift aid
(UK), which increases the value of donations by allowing the recipients
to reclaim basic rate tax on your gift and allows you to make
tax effective / tax deductable donations on a regular basis.
If you live in the UK then you can set up a Charities Aid Foundation
account, where you agree to pay a minimum cash amount from your
wage each month into your own account. The CAF will provide a
special 'charity chequebook' and card to make tax-free donations
for those working for good causes in Gambia at any time.
Be Careful With Your Credit Card Details:
If you've been approached by telephone do not give them your debit
card, credit card or bank account details. Before providing any
such details to a
website
search and check first that it is registered with the official
country regulating body and that the site itself is bona fide
and not a scam imitation such as those created for the purposes
of phishing (stealing your personal details).
Always use a secure online connection which is indicated by an
's' at the end of the http in the the first page of the payment
url. If you don't see an 's' then ask for an alternative method
for sending your money.
Never send cash gifts. For tax purposes and security, it's best
to pay by cheque (made payable to the charity) or by credit card.
Also never wire funds unless you have visited the organisation
and have agreed on this method of payment.
Bequest In Your Will:
Another way of donating is to leave a gift in your will for your
favoured worthy causes.
Get Involved:
Just giving funding isn't the only way to help out people in need.
You can give in kind such as volunteer
time, expertise and skills or contribute goods such as second-hand
clothes, used children's toys, furniture etc.
Before sending gift items overseas you should ask yourself a number
of questions. Is the donated item appropriate for the climate,
religion or culture, of those you are trying to help? Are the
goods available locally? If yes, then acquiring them their puts
money back into the local economy.
Check It's A Bona Fide Group:
If the name of the organisation does not appear familiar then
by all means ask some pertinent questions, for example see the
following:
• What good cause do they support in Gambia?
• Are they registered with the official regulatory body?
• Where is the charity based?
• What is their income used for?
• Do they have any affiliations?
• Does it take tax deductable donations?
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Poverty Relief NGOs Types
of NGOs 
