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
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.
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.
While sharing posts is helpful, I think we need more direct action. Posting on social media feels like performative activism sometimes.
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.
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.
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.
The point about trusting organizations is crucial. I learned this the hard way after donating to a sketchy group. Always do your research first!
Peaceful protests have been really effective in my city. You don't need money to show up and make your voice heard.
I've found that sharing verified information on social media has helped educate my family members who weren't previously aware of these issues.
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.
Speaking from experience, even a small group sharing accurate information can create a ripple effect in the community.
The Netflix comparison really put things in perspective for me. We spend so much on entertainment without thinking twice.
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.
My local community started a time bank where people exchange services instead of money. It's another way to support the movement without spending.
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.
I've seen firsthand how small contributions add up. Our local group started with just a few people donating $5 each month.
Not everyone can donate money, but we can all educate ourselves and others. That's equally important.
The part about monthly donations versus one-time contributions really resonated with me. Consistent support matters more than large occasional donations.
I used to think posting on social media was useless until I saw how many people learned about local events through shared posts.
Being selective about which organizations to support is crucial. I always check their track record and transparency first.
The article makes good points but overlooks the power of local community organizing which doesn't require money at all.
Trust me, those small monthly donations do add up. Our community group started with just a few regular donors.
I've found creative ways to redirect my usual spending. Cooking at home more often means I can donate the savings.
The focus on peaceful protests is important. I've attended several and they've been powerful experiences that cost nothing.