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Next to orphaned kids and elderlies who got abandoned by families, giving back to people with autism can warm your heart. At a glance, they seem to hardly show any emotion. When you talk to them while they are doing something they love, it is already a blessing if you even get them to look at you. They typically like to stay in their own world, and no one can pull them out of it.
The first time I tried to do something nice for autistic kids, I decided to volunteer for a non-profit organization. I was only 15 years old at the time. I had no job to earn money from; I could not ask my parents to send what little savings we had to the group. So, whenever they held an event for children with autism, I made sure that I was there to at least distribute foods or help decorate the entire place.
When I got my first full-time job at 23, therefore, you could imagine my happiness. It was not because I could finally buy the latest clothes and gadgets but because it meant that I would have money to donate to autism-related organizations. That had been my dream ever since I was a teenager, after all.
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Despite that, I was aware of bogus institutions that claimed to help people on the spectrum but honestly do anything but that. While I was lucky to get to know the real ones at a young age, you might not be able to say the same, especially if it’s your first time to consider doing it. So, here are some tips before donating to autism-related organizations.
Know The Cause You Want To Support
The first thing that you need to ask yourself is, “What type of activities do I want to support?”
The truth is that different foundations have specific goals. One may want to bring more autistic kids to school, for instance, while another may aim to help them get proper treatment. You should be sure of what causes you wish to support so that you will be able to find the right group(s).
Verify The Organization’s Credibility
As mentioned above, not all organizations have real intentions to assist psychologically challenged individuals. Many of them may accept your money and use it for their personal gain. You cannot trust the photos of happy kids on their website either.
What you need to do is to conduct a background check on a specific organization. Find out about their financial status, to be precise, as well as the programs that they currently have. It is the only way for you to know how credible they are.
Go To Groups’ Events
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People say that nothing beats first-hand experience. This idea is applicable even for autism-related organizations.
Assuming you have narrowed down your list of charitable institutions, you should see if they have upcoming events that you can attend. You don’t have to commit before going there; your goal is to figure out if they are a perfect fit for your cause. That will be easy for you to deduce when you see the genuine smiles on everyone’s faces and how the volunteers interact with people.
Once you have done all that and more, you can make sure that you will be donating to the right autism-related organization(s). Cheers!