Ways To Support Black Lives Matter On A Budget
Black Lives Matter has been a main topic in the news for almost a year now. Many people support this cause and donate to organizations that can help. However, not everyone has the money to support every organization.
How are you supposed to help BLM if you don't have any money? How are you supposed to help BLM if you're a broke college student like me?
Post. Repost. Reblog. Retweet. Save. Share.
Post news and information on what's going on with the Black Lives Matter movement. Get the posts supporting black lives out there for everyone to see. Even if you have only a few followers, post post post.
Posts are not only informational, but they also simply get the message out there. These posts are becoming a new news outlet for Black Lives Matter.
I become aware of everything that's going on from the posts that my friends and family make online. This is an extremely helpful way to support Black Lives Matter without having to spend lots of money.
You may be thinking that posting does nothing to help the BLM cause, but this is not true. Posting information is so important. This gets messages out there to people who may not be aware of the situation at hand. Even if you only have a few followers, getting the message out there is a big help to the Black Lives Matter movement.
To find posts to share you can go to the Black Lives Matter Instagram page.
Another way to support BLM is to donate. Yes, that sounds quite contradictory to the title of this article, but hear me out. I reached out to an activist friend of mine and asked how I could help without spending a lot of money. Every small donation counts.
Only donate to organizations where you know and trust the people running them
This may seem a bit hard; what if you don't know anyone who's running a BLM activist organization? I didn't know anyone who ran an organization so I reached out to someone I did know, someone who I knew would have lots of information for me. Because I trust this person, I found a great organization that I donate to.
Ongoing donations to support the community
The second way is a lot more simple than the first step. Once you find an organization that you want to donate to, don't simply do a one-time donation, but try to do a monthly one.
Anything will help; even just $2-3 a month. Think about it; you pay about $10 a month to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix, surely you could pay $3 a month to an organization that's trying to help better the world.
I didn't like this idea of donating every month at first, but then I thought about all the subscriptions I have that I pay for monthly. They're all for entertainment, why can't one of them be for the good of the community? I only donate $5 a month, but to me, it feels like I am actually helping the cause.
There are a number of causes that you can donate to. There are victim funds, bail funds, local community organizations, policy reform organizations, and many more. Pick one that speaks to you, one that you feel you want to support.
I personally have chosen to donate to Black Lives Matter Global Network.
Again, I know this idea contradicts the title, but donations are the most important ways to help support Black Lives Matter. Unless you're the leader of an organization or you work for an organization, donating and posting is about all you can do.
Going to peaceful protests is also an option, but I again recommend only going to the peaceful ones. I've only ever been to one peaceful protest. I did nothing, but sit there and yet I felt like I did something. I felt like I helped somehow.
Opinions and Perspectives
Finding ways to contribute within our means makes lasting impact possible.
The focus on sustainable, long-term engagement really resonates with me.
Monthly donations, even small ones, provide reliable support for organizations.
Building trust through personal connections is essential for effective support.
The emphasis on verified information sharing is crucial for the movement.
Peaceful protests have been transformative experiences in my community.
The suggestion about reviewing entertainment subscriptions is eye-opening.
Building trust through personal connections helps ensure donations are well-used.
Local community organizing has been the most effective approach in my experience.
Finding ways to redirect existing spending makes regular donations more manageable.
The emphasis on peaceful protest participation is important and often overlooked.
Sharing verified information helps combat misinformation and builds awareness.
Regular small donations create sustainable support that organizations can count on.
Trusted organizations are key. It's worth taking time to research where your money goes.
I've seen how small actions snowball into bigger changes in my community.
The comparison to entertainment subscriptions really puts our spending in perspective.
Information sharing led me to find local groups I could support with my time instead of money.
The article really helped me see how I can contribute meaningfully despite my limited budget.
Small regular donations might seem insignificant, but they provide reliable support for organizations.
My experience with peaceful protests has been exactly as described. It costs nothing but means everything.
The focus on sustainable, long-term support rather than one-time actions is crucial.
I started by sharing posts and eventually found more ways to get involved as I learned more.
The suggestion about monthly micro-donations is practical and doable for most people.
Finding trusted organizations through personal connections has worked well for me too. It feels more secure.
People often overlook how important information sharing is. It's how movements grow and gain support.
The power of consistent small actions really adds up over time. I've seen it in my own community.
I appreciate how this breaks down realistic ways to help without feeling overwhelmed financially.
Regular small donations are great, but we shouldn't forget about showing up physically when possible too.
The point about entertainment subscriptions versus donations really hit home. Made me reevaluate my priorities.
It's amazing how much impact we can have just by sharing accurate information with our networks.
The article could have mentioned more about organizing in school communities. There's lots we can do there without spending money.
I've started a monthly donation of just $2, and honestly, I don't even notice it missing from my account.
The emphasis on sustained support rather than one-time actions really makes sense to me.
Sometimes I worry that social media sharing isn't enough, but then I remember how many people I've reached through my posts.
The suggestion about trusting organizations through personal connections is spot on. It's how I found my current cause to support.
I love the practical approach of this article. It shows there are ways to help regardless of your financial situation.
As someone working in community organizing, I can confirm that regular small donations are incredibly valuable to us.
The comparison to subscription services really opened my eyes. I'm definitely rethinking my monthly expenses now.
We shouldn't underestimate the power of consistent small actions. Even sharing accurate information helps build momentum.
Monthly micro-donations are brilliant. I barely notice $3 missing from my account but it adds up to meaningful support.
Sharing information online helped me connect with like-minded people in my area. Now we're working together on local initiatives.
The focus on peaceful protests is important. I've attended several and they've been powerful experiences that cost nothing.
I've found creative ways to redirect my usual spending. Cooking at home more often means I can donate the savings.
Trust me, those small monthly donations do add up. Our community group started with just a few regular donors.
The article makes good points but overlooks the power of local community organizing which doesn't require money at all.
Being selective about which organizations to support is crucial. I always check their track record and transparency first.
I used to think posting on social media was useless until I saw how many people learned about local events through shared posts.
The part about monthly donations versus one-time contributions really resonated with me. Consistent support matters more than large occasional donations.
Not everyone can donate money, but we can all educate ourselves and others. That's equally important.
I've seen firsthand how small contributions add up. Our local group started with just a few people donating $5 each month.
The suggestion about reaching out to activist friends for trusted organizations is smart. I was overwhelmed by all the options until someone helped guide me.
My local community started a time bank where people exchange services instead of money. It's another way to support the movement without spending.
I totally get the budget constraints, but I worry that just sharing posts isn't enough. We need to find more ways to create tangible change.
The Netflix comparison really put things in perspective for me. We spend so much on entertainment without thinking twice.
Speaking from experience, even a small group sharing accurate information can create a ripple effect in the community.
Small regular donations are great, but let's not forget about volunteering our time too. That's completely free and can be just as valuable.
I've found that sharing verified information on social media has helped educate my family members who weren't previously aware of these issues.
Peaceful protests have been really effective in my city. You don't need money to show up and make your voice heard.
The point about trusting organizations is crucial. I learned this the hard way after donating to a sketchy group. Always do your research first!
You know what's interesting? I've been donating $5 monthly by just skipping one fancy coffee each month. It barely affects my budget but adds up over time.
I actually disagree with the notion that small donations matter. Organizations need substantial funding to create real change. We should focus on pressuring larger institutions instead.
The suggestion about $2-3 monthly donations is brilliant. I just looked at my coffee spending and realized I could easily redirect some of that money to support the cause.
While sharing posts is helpful, I think we need more direct action. Posting on social media feels like performative activism sometimes.
Social media sharing might seem small but it's actually crucial. Last week I learned about a local community meeting through a friend's post that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.
I really appreciate this practical guide. As a student living on ramen noodles, I've been feeling guilty about not being able to donate more. It's good to know that even small monthly contributions can make a difference.