Listent to the interview.

Do you want to give something back to the world? Do you have lots of extra money to donate? The truth is that even though many of us would like to help, finding a way to give back can be so overwhelming that we never actually get to it. So how can we start making a difference right away? Nicole Bouchard Boles has not one but 330 inspiring cash free ideas to help you give back, even if you don’t have much to give. She’s the author of How to be an Everyday Philanthropist and probably one of my favorite interviews of 2009.

Nicole  is a writer, volunteer, inspirational activist, and mother of three. She advocates and practices strategies that empower the busy and cash-crunched person to live a more generous life. Nicole and her family reside near the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada.

During the recession it seems there is more need around us and less money to give yet Nicole has some incredibly easy options for us. She says we should  start by looking around our homes. What do you have that you no longer use that is still in good condition? Do you have an old pair of eyeglasses stowed away? If so, donate them to New Eyes for the Needy . Grandma’s old fur coat could become a warm bed for a homeless animals . Look at all those books on your shelves. Could a few of them be donated to a women’s shelter? To prisons? To schools in developing countries?

From there, consider what lifesaving and life-enhancing gifts your body has to offer, such as blood, hair, and breast milk. Or if you don’t want to donate with your body, think of your skills and hobbies and how they can be put to good work.

Nicole talked about how the Internet reinvented the world of giving and activism and  has made it easier than ever to support the causes we care about. You’d be surprised by the number of organizations that can receive donations from click-throughs or sent e-mails. When you click on websites like HungryChildren.com, TheChildHealthSite.com, or Care2.com, advertisers donate.

Some of the online opportunities to give seem too easy to be true. Nicole offers these tips to make sure  they’re legitimate:

1. Who are you dealing with? The first time you go to a charitable website, always check out the About Us information and make sure the group’s mission, contact information, program accomplishments, and sponsorship details are clear.
2. Is it a registered charity? If you’re making a monetary donation online, check that the group is a registered nonprofit. The charity’s 501(c)(3) status should be prominently featured on the site.
3. Go directly to the source. If you are donating money, try to cut out the middleman. Private companies that solicit contributions on behalf of charities are paid for their services. Avoid contributing through a third party; give straight to the source.
4. Give credit card information safely. When donating money online or making online purchases, look at your browser’s status bar after arriving at the page that asks for your personal/credit data. If the site is secure, the hypertext transfer protocol should change from http to https. Also look for a padlock symbol at the bottom of the web page.

As parents, we all want to create a tradition of giving in our children, especially at the holidays. Here are some more great ideas from Nicole:

Start small. Find a cause that matters to the entire family and pick an activity that everyone can manage and will enjoy. Start by picking one day each year to volunteer together as a family, whether you run a lemonade stand with the help of alexslemonade.org, draw cards to send to sick children, or walk the animals at a local pet shelter.