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How To Make Charity Donations to Gambia
 
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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?

Links  
Disability Poverty Relief
Emergency Relief Rural Development
Environment Youth & Orphans 




       
 
 

 
                                      

 
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