Small Balances, Big Encouragement: How Your Leftover Gift Card Balance Can Help Charities with Larger Funding Needs
At the Lakshmi Autism Foundation, our mission is to provide autistic adults with the environment and support needed to live a balanced and fulfilling life. While this mission will require millions of dollars to cover the real estate purchase and general operations expenses, every contribution is a little vote of encouragement for us to keep working towards our larger goal.
As a charity, we received notice that the Amazon Smile has closed. Amazon Smile was a program that allowed you to donate a small percentage of your eligible purchases to the charity of your choice. The loss of this donation stream has impacted many smaller charities, but has also reminded us of the importance of every donation.
Giving money to others isn’t just about charities and donations. Many people use prepaid gift cards instead of cash to give gifts, recognize employees, return favors, and otherwise express appreciation to someone. But these gift cards are often left with a remaining balance that is too small to use for purchases. They end up lost, discarded or in a pile somewhere to deal with on another day. Those balances stay with the bank and add up to very large totals.
So, we've come up with a creative use for the gift-card leftovers.
Consider donating your leftover prepaid card balance to an organization that is large enough to support direct donations, but small enough to notice every contribution. As a small charitable foundation with a big goal, we have taken the time to set up direct donations and also notice each time someone donates.
The unused gift card balances can be one way to support us or other mid-sized charities, in a way that may not be obvious. Even though our need is big, small contributions act as reminders and encouragement for us to keep working towards our goal of providing housing for autistic adults. We know that every little bit counts and can make a difference in our journey. And while the amount on an unused gift card may seem small, it can go a long way in helping us cover operational costs, sponsor an event, or launch a new program.
We understand that donating an unused gift card balance may seem like a small act, but it can have a significant impact on our mission. We have made it easy for you to donate directly to us on our website. Simply visit lakshmi-autism.org/donate and follow the instructions to donate your unused card balances.
Even if you don't have an unused gift card balance yourself, you can still help by spreading the word about our mission and this creative way to support our cause. Share our message with friends, family, and colleagues, and together we can make a difference in the lives of autistic adults. The little moments of encouragement help.
