Give time‚ not money‚ to charity

09 November 2017 - 11:18
By Olivia Decelles
Infographic credit: Forgood
Infographic credit: Forgood

 They say time is money. And‚ fortunately for those in need‚ thousands of South Africans are willing to donate this currency for the good of others.

A recent survey of 6‚000 volunteers found that‚ while many regularly donated money and goods to charity‚ 90% of them regarded their time as the most valuable asset they could offer.

The research was conducted by Forgood‚ a digital platform that connects people to causes.

The platform has facilitated more than 12‚000 connections‚ the organisation said in a statement.

“Our data shows that South Africans‚ and millennials in particular‚ are eager to get involved in social projects‚ but they want a more personalised experience‚” said Forgood CEO Andy Hadfield.

The research also found that most volunteers like to invest their time in education‚ community development and women‚ children and youth.

The organisation offers more than 1‚400 opportunities and 500 social causes for people to choose from. About 48% of the causes are based in Gauteng‚ 26% are in the Western Cape and 10% are in KwaZulu-Natal.

Forgood also offers business volunteering opportunities and over 10 corporations have joined programmes aligning with their existing social initiatives.

“Every day‚ South Africans hand over money and goods to people in need‚” said Hadfield.

“When they want to make a more meaningful social investment‚ they volunteer their time in a way that resonates with them.”