The question 'who do you support?' might bring to mind political parties and sports teams (Chelsea, if you're asking). It's not as often that you hear people discussing the charitable causes they're passionate about. Having a good cause that you support is something I truly believe in.
Whether you're volunteering abroad, shaking a tin on the high street to collect funds for your charity or just donating your spare change or some of your spare time, doing something to back a cause you care about is a good idea.
Here at REED, 18% of our business is owned by a charitable foundation, with reed.co.uk providing support to the Big Give. The group is also a long-standing supporter of Ethiopiaid, so you can see supporting others is a big part of what we do.
Why support a charity?
There are plenty of reasons why supporting a charitable cause is a great idea.
Not all of us can donate huge sums to charity or dedicate lots of our time to volunteering. However, even if you are only able to give a little at a time, through continued support, your contribution can really make a difference.
Taking a stand on a particular issue you care about is the first step to making the changes you want to see. By embracing philanthropy, you'll have the opportunity to share your good luck and contribute to the lives of others.
What's more, it's proven that charitable behaviour has benefits for the giver too. Selfless giving is an important source of happiness and can help individuals to find a sense of purpose.
Finding a cause or organisation to support will help you to define your values and ideals. What really matters most to you? Getting involved with a cause that you feel connected to will help you to keep informed on the latest issues and developments that are important to you.
Finding a cause to support
In 2007, The Reed Foundation created the Big Give, an online giving platform that allows donors to discover and support charities and projects in the areas that interest them. Since being founded, the Big Give has helped to raise over £66 million for UK-registered charities - and we're not stopping there.
For the eighth year running, the Big Give is hosting the Christmas Challenge, its annual match funding initiative, which launches on the 4th December. The Challenge helps individuals to support the causes they care about most by doubling their donations.
With the Christmas Challenge coming up this week, now's the perfect time to find a cause close to your heart and to help make a difference.
The Big Give Christmas Challenge
The Christmas Challenge is the UK's biggest online match funding campaign, which helps UK-registered charities raise funds for their cause. During the campaign, the Big Give offers supporters of participating charities the chance to have their donation doubled on thebiggive.org.uk.
The match funding to double donations comes from two sources: 'Champions', these are generous philanthropists brought together by the Big Give: And 'Pledgers', a charity's own major donors.
Any registered charity is eligible to apply to take part in the Christmas Challenge - this year 258 charities have registered to take part, they range from children's charities to environmental projects. Find out more about which charities are taking part here.
The Christmas Challenge 2015 will be taking place from midday on 4th & 5th December 2015. Simply donate online on these two days for the chance to have your donation doubled.
To find out more about the campaign, and have a chance of having your donation doubled, visit the Big Give Christmas Challenge now.