6 Ways to Fit Charitable Giving into Your Budget

You don’t have to be pulling in six figures to spend a portion of your earnings on charity. Here are some creative ways to budget in giving back.

A version of this article originally appeared on Learnvest.com.

You want to be charitable, but you aren’t exactly rolling in it. While most Americans donate about 2 percent of their income to charity, if you’re financially stable and not in debt, LearnVest suggests you aim for 3 percent at this point in your life. That’s all good in theory, you say, but how?

Dole It Out in Pieces

Many charities encourage us to donate smaller amounts on a regular basis rather than bigger one-time donations. One organization we love is Modest Needs (the site allows you to give mini-grants to prevent individuals from entering the cycle of poverty), which will match your monthly pledges. Double happiness!

Tie It to an Event

Having a birthday? Tell people that you’d like donations to your favorite charity as a gift. If you’re really motivated, consider throwing a party in honor of a cause, both to spread awareness and to accept donations. Goods4Good, a nonprofit that sends excess goods from the United States to third-world countries, is one of many charities tied into the Facebook Causes app, which makes it particularly easy to do all of this.