The start of a new year motivates us to set fresh goals and resolutions. Common resolutions include healthier eating, taking up new hobbies, or visiting specific places.

Why not set a goal this year to pick a charity and donate? You can join the effort to save the planet or feed the homeless and refugees. When you pick a cause and become a donor, you’re not just helping that foundation. Being charitable helps us feel better, as well.

Here are some reasons you should consider committing to a charity this year:

The End of the Holidays

Many churches and organizations host drives during the holiday season, providing coats and winter clothes to help the less fortunate. It’s also common for people to donate toys so that children will have gifts to open on Christmas.

After the holiday glamor is over, fewer people donate. Though the holidays are over, the poor still need warm clothes. The best time to donate to a coat drive might be after the holidays are over.

Improve your Mental Health

When you give food or clothes to needy people, it benefits your mental health. The act of helping others makes us feel fulfilled. It cheers us to know that we are improving the life of someone in the world.

Making a positive change is what many of us want to do. We might not be able to donate thousands of dollars like famous philanthropists, but fame means nothing. If we can put one meal on a hungry family’s table, we will have saved their day.

Learn What Matters

Donating to those who are less fortunate can shift our perspective on what matters. When we give to a mother who is struggling to feed her children, we can see through the noise of the world, discerning what really matters.

This practice of mindfulness helps us live better lives, appreciating what we have. We also stop wasting time and money on things that do not fulfill us.

Conclusion

Instead of resolving to vacation somewhere exotic, consider making this the year that you donate money to a charity. You will find that this resolution is more rewarding.