Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

It’s that time of year again - when food drives are driving, the bells are ringing outside of stores, and the mail is full of pleads for all kinds of worthy causes. That’s all well and good, since people tend to be more susceptible to do-gooder pitches during the holidays.

However, to keep some perspective:

Dogs and cats are abandoned 365 days a year.

So, this year as you’re slogging through all that mail (and dragging through the mall) - think about doing something about something all year long.

Here are some places to start:

Habitat for Humanity (If in Albuquerque area, here’s that link.)

Kiva Microloans. You can make very small loans to entrepreneurs all over the world - and make a VERY BIG difference.

ASPCA Or, your local pet rescue operation. If you’re in Albuquerque, check out ACAT, a no-kill foster cat rescue group and Alliance for Albuquerque Animals.

The Nature Conservancy Check out their Blog from Bali.

Salvation Army. I’m not thrilled with their past employment practices but they do help the lowest of the low, the most hopeless. The Army, along with the Red Cross, is always there in emergencies, helping…while other organizations are still working on PR spin (Remember Katrina?) If nothing else - do what I do. I routinely dump my spare change every time I pass a kettle. (They also have donation containers in their thrift stores year-round.)

Check out your local food banks and homeless shelters. If in Albuquerque, check out Roadrunner Food Bank. They do an amazing job, feeding people all over the state.

I put my donations on a credit card, so I get cash back or miles. However, I add a little extra so I’m in essence paying their credit card processing fees. For example, this month I gave Habitat $750, so they’d clear at least $725. You can also set up monthly automatic payments with just about any organization. A thousand bucks comes out to $83.33 a month.

If you’re thinking, “Well, I’ll just volunteer on a Habitat build or serve soup at the homeless shelter.” - let me give you some insider perspective. Almost all organizations need your cold, hard money more than your well-meaning unskilled labor. Sure, it’s great you want to come out and get involved. But, for example, some Habitat affiliates have even stopped using volunteers in construction. Takes too much time and money to correct their mistakes.

We can make a difference - all year long.

Tags: Friday martini time, Mary Schmidt