Maybe you’ve considered contributing to charity in some way, whether by fundraising, volunteering or buying Christmas presents for the less fortunate over the festive season. But how do you know which organisations really need your help and how do you go about assisting them?

GivenGain, based in Stellenbosch, aims to provide these organisations with the platform and means to manage their fundraising and enables you as individual to get involved.

The GivenGain Group was founded in July 2001 by two brothers inspired by the idea that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. Eleven years later the foundation is stronger than ever, spans over the South African border to Switzerland and has become an integral part of the organised, private, non-profit sector. During this time, GivenGain Foundation has processed more than R400 million in donations.

The GivenGain Foundation helps non-profit organisations build strong, sustainable funding models and also assists individuals to achieve extraordinary things while raising money for their favourite causes. The GivenGain platform enables non-profit organisations to mobilise their online fundraising at a fraction of the traditional time and cost while enabling individuals to fundraise online for projects on their behalf in a secure way.

To support your favourite non-profit organisation (cause) this festive season, go to www.givengain.com/causes and search by Cause or Keyword. Or would you like to start a Christmas project  on behalf of an organisation and invite your friends to support the cause? Then the Activist initiative is for you – www.givengain.com/learn/activists/

For more information visit www.givengain.com or send an email to support@givengain.com

Jy het dit dalk al oorweeg om uit te help met liefdadigheidswerk, of dit nou geld insamel, vrywilligerswerk, of Kersfeesgeskenke vir minderbevoorregte kinders koop, is. Maar hoe weet jy watter organisasies regtig hulp nodig het en hoe gaan jy te werk om hulle te help?

Gelukkig is daar `n stigting soos die Stellenbosch-gebaseerde GivenGain wat spesifiek daarop gemik is om `n platform aan hierdie organisasies te bied.

Die GivenGain-groep is in Julie 2001 gestig deur twee broers wat geinspireer is deur die idee dat dit beter is om te gee as om te ontvang. Elf jaar later loop die maatskappy van krag tot krag, strek dit oor die Suid-Afrikaanse grense tot in Switserland en het dit `n integrale deel geword van `n georganiseerde, privaat, nie-winsgewende sektor.

Gedurende hierdie tydperk het die GivenGain Stigting reeds R400 miljoen in donasies ingesamel.

Die stigting help nie-winsgewende organisasies om sterk, volhoubare befondsingmodelle te bou en help individue om ook ongelooflike doelwitte te bereik terwyl hulle geld insamel vir hulle gunsteling instansie. Die GivenGain-platform stel nie-winsgewende organisasies in staat om hul fondsinsameling veilig, vinnig en koste-effektief aanlyn te bestuur en gee aan individue die geleentheid om namens organisasies aanlyn fondse in te samel vir spesifieke projekte.

Om jou gunsteling nie-winsgewende organisasie  dié Kersfees te ondersteun, gaan na www.givengain.com/causes en soek volgens organisasie of sleutelwoord. Of wil jy ‘n Kersfeesprojek opstel ten bate van ‘n organisasie en jou vriende uitnooi om dit te ondersteun? Ondersoek gerus die Aktivis-inisiatief by www.givengain.com/learn/activists/

Vir meer inligting, gaan kyk by www.givengain.com of stuur `n e-pos aan  support@givengain.com

CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA is a national organisation dedicated to providing assistance to children that are battling cancer or life-threatening blood disorders, and their families.

CHOC Western Cape has three facilities that provide a ‘home away from home’ for disadvantaged families that travel long distances for treatment. The CHOC Lodge Tygerberg provides assistance to families receiving treatment at Tygerberg Children’s Hospital, while the CHOC House Plumstead takes in families from Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital.

Earlier this year, Wendy Robyn from IT’s network department took it upon herself to collect presents for children residing in these houses. IT staff donated 22 gift packages and these were successfully dropped off at the CHOC Tygerberg Lodge last week. Some gifts will go to  patients at the Paediatric Oncology Ward at Tygerberg and the balance will go to Red Cross.

This foundation receives no support from government and rely on donations and financial support from the public.  Therefore they depend on any support you are able to afford and willing to give. For more information click the link below or contact Lynette at lynette.muthuray@choc.org.za.

Read more on CHOC SA.

CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA is `n nasionale organisasie wat toegewy is aan die ondersteuning van kinders, en hulle families, wat die stryd teen kanker of ander lewensbedreigende, bloedverwante siektes veg.

CHOC Wes-Kaap het drie fasiliteite wat `n “tuiste weg van die huis” bied vir benadeelde families wat langafstande moet reis vir behandeling. Die Tygerberg CHOC herberg verskaf hulp aan families wat behandeling ontvang by Tygerberg Kinderhospitaal, terwyl CHOC House Plumstead families huisves van die Rooi Kruis Kinderhospitaal en Groote Schuur Hospitaal.

Vroeër die jaar het, Wendy Robyn van IT se netwerkafdeling besluit om geskenke in te samel vir die kinders van hierdie huise. IT-personeel het 22 geskenke gegee en die pakkies is verlede week by die Tygerberg  CHOC Lodge afgelewer. Van die geskenke sal aan pasiënte by die Pediatriese Onkologie Afdeling in Tygerberg gegee word en die oorblywende geskenke sal na die Rooi Kruis Kinderhospitaal geneem word.

Hierdie stigting ontvang geen ondersteuning van die regering nie en is afhanklik van donasies en finansiële ondersteuning van die publiek. Hulle is dus afhanklik van enige hulp wat jy kan en bereid is om te gee. Vir meer inligting, kliek op die skakel onder of kontak Lynette direk by lynette.muthuray@choc.org.za.

Lees meer oor CHOC SA.

Information Technology’s User Services department this year decided to forgo their Christmas presents and rather put a smile on someone else’s face.

Each year staff and IT User services exchange presents to show how much they appreciate their colleagues. This year however, they decided that it’s more important to make a small difference in someone less fortunate’s life, especially at this time of year.

Choosing a charity wasn’t easiest task, but it was decided to support SU’s Employee Volunteer Programme’s campaign to donate toys to terminally ill children. Each staff member donated R50-00 for this cause and with a sum total of R2200-00 gifts were bought for children from the age of 4 to 16.

Staff decided not only to buy the gifts, but also to wrap it themselves and last Friday everyone jumped in and started wrapping until only a huge stack of gifts were left.

We’d like to challenge other departements to rather use the money for their year end function or gifts for a better purpose. Most of us already have everything we need, put many have nothing to look forward to this Christmas. A small gift will make a world of difference to someone else and you won’t even miss the money.

Informasietegnologie se Gebruikersdienste-afdeling het hierdie jaar besluit om hul kersfeespersente te verruil vir `n glimlag op iemand anders se gesig.

Elke jaar ruil personeellede van IT Gebruikersdienste geskenke uit om waardering teenoor hulle kollegas te  betoon. Hierdie jaar het hulle saam besluit om die geld op `n beter manier aan te wend en `n klein verskilletjie in iemand minder bevoorreg se lewe te maak – veral die tyd van gedurende Kersfees wanneer dit die nodigste is.

Die keuse van `n organisasie was nie `n maklike taak nie, maar op die ou end is daar besluit om deel te neem aan Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) se Werknemers-vrywilligersprogram se Hospice-projek om speelgoed in te samel vir kinders. Elke personeellid het R50-00 bygedra en met die somtotaal van R2200-00 is geskenke gekoop vir kinders van 4 tot 16 jaar.

Dit het egter nie net by geskenke koop gebly nie! Personeel het besluit hulle wil ook self die toedraaiwerk doen en die afgelope Vrydagmiddag het almal skouer aan die wiel gesit en geknip en plak totdat net `n berg pakkies oorgebly het.

Ons wil ander afdelings uitdaag om ook eerder hulle geskenk- of funksiegeld vir `n goeie doel aan te wend. Die meeste van ons het reeds alles wat ons nodig het, maar daar is  ander wat geen vooruitsig hierdie Kersfees het nie. `n Klein geskenkie sal `n verskil in iemand anders se lewe en nie `n groot gat in jou sak maak nie.