What Is In Kind Donation?

Also known as gifts in kind, in kind donation is where you provide items or services to a charity, rather than giving money for them to be bought. It can include things like clothes, food, medicine and toys, while lots of volunteering roles can also be considered as donating in kind.  

In kind donation is a great thing to do in many respects, whether you have spare time you can spend helping out with a good cause, or things you don't need anymore which can be put to use by someone else.  

As it can refer to both your time and things you may have lying around the house, it can also be the perfect way to help out if you don't have any spare cash to donate to charity.  

HOW TO DONATE IN KIND

Volunteer Your Time 

Volunteering with a charity can be a hugely rewarding experience, and provide real help and support. Whether you have the skills that could help a charity with administration tasks, or building a new office, school or orphanage, your time could have a big impact on a good cause. From small local non-profits to large organisations like Oxfam GB and the British Red Cross, there are countless charities who are always in need of volunteers.  

Help An Animal Charity 

Charities such as Cats Protection and Dogs Trust do huge amounts of amazing work looking after the welfare of the UK's two most popular pets. As well as being ably assisted by a large number of keen volunteers, charities like this also rely on donations of things like food, toys and blankets to allow them to maintain their efforts.  

Donate To A Homeless Charity 

Homelessness is a very real and very serious problem across the UK. Charities like Crisis help to distribute things like food and clothing to the hungry and homeless - two things that people can have a surplus of in their homes. As well as donating goods like this, perhaps you also have some skills that can be taught to someone who's looking to start over by gaining employment.  

Donate Through Work  

Do you have your own business, or could you persuade your employer to donate goods to charity? If so, there are charities that specialise in working with companies that are in a position to help. Or, you could strike up a partnership with a specific charity that can use the goods you have available to give through your work.  

Donate To Disaster Relief 

When disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes strike, the efforts to provide humanitarian relief are crucial. They can mean the difference between life and death, and a fast response is really important. Providing things like food, clothes and blankets in situations like this is a great way to donate in kind.  

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DONATE

Some charities can't accept certain types of goods as donations in kind, but just because one can't doesn't mean another won't. Keep looking, and you're likely to find a charity willing to accept what you have.  

WHERE TO GET STARTED

Players of People's Postcode Lottery support some incredible charities who do so much great work for a range of causes. Some of the organisations who'd appreciate donations of both time and goods include:  

• British Red Cross 
• Cats Protection 
• Crisis 
• Dogs Trust 
• Oxfam GB 

HELPING DESERVING CAUSES

If you'd like to know more about getting involved in volunteering in your community, take a look at our Local Causes page and find opportunities near you.

Our players also help a wide range of deserving Charities. They've raised hundreds of millions of pounds for good causes to date. If you'd like to join us in supporting deserving projects, sign up today.