I was recently asked the question, “Why should I give to The Ranches?”
This got me thinking about the question and forced me to look for a more detailed response than, “We help kids!” If we’re being honest, there are a growing number of charitable organizations that work very hard to mend the rips in our social fabric. This being an election year tends to compound the problem as candidates in local and national races fight to raise funds to elect those that will work for the future of this country. While I can’t predict elections and the thought of political ads being played around the clock until November causes me to want to turn the TV off, I do care a great deal about the future of our country. In my opinion, the future of this great nation rests with the young people of today. At The Ranches, we are working to give the young people that we serve a chance to participate in a future that is more hopeful than hateful.
Giving to a charitable organization is a deeply personal choice and people tend to give to organizations that mirror their own personal values. Giving to The Ranches means that you value what young people can become if they are given a chance to grow up in a caring environment where we focus on building skills, addressing emotional pain and grief, becoming independent, building a family and faith in God. Not everyone shares these values and we understand that, but here are a few reasons that giving to The Ranches is important.
Building a Legacy – Each of us has a legacy here on Earth and that legacy starts with our families and friends. We matter to people and we influence people with our actions. Giving to The Ranches extends that legacy to children who, at this time in their lives, haven’t had a sizeable investment made in their futures. By helping these kids, your legacy extends to them.
Giving to Charity Gives Us Pleasure – According to the National Institutes of Health, people that donate experience an activation of the pleasure centers in their brain. Giving makes us feel better.
Giving Can Improve Money Management – When we sacrifice a bit of our own income to help others, it forces us to look at our finances and adjust our thinking outward. “I can help others or get another pair of shoes that I won’t care about in 6 months” is a thought process that helps us prioritize wants vs. needs and that attention to detail in our finances tends to cause us to spend more wisely.
Teaching Our Children to Be Generous – Children today tend to fall into the trap of being self-centered and self-indulgent. Most parents don’t teach these principles to their children, but the world tends to be more than willing to promote the value of self. Giving to charity as a family can help teach the valuable lesson of selflessness and generosity to others. It can also introduce children to the idea that they have the power to influence the world that they live in.
Tax Deduction – While paying our taxes is one of our few guarantees in life, giving to charity can help soften the blow. The Ranches does not take any government money in order to fulfil our mission and we have a number of kids who would otherwise be reliant on government resources. Knowing that you had a choice in where your money was spent can help ease the pain of tax time and relieve stress on the already stressed social service system. We could all use a little more of that.
Children Need Opportunity – While it is a bit of a cliché, children can only achieve if they have the opportunity to do so. Many kids in New Mexico and across this country are struggling with a lack of opportunity. The Ranches works to provide opportunity for these young people so that they can begin to see their value and, hopefully, go on to make a difference in the world. Ideally, they will grow up and work to give others an opportunity as well.
Many of you give generously to The Ranches and we appreciate the sacrifice that you make to help young people. It is our hope that everyone can find a charitable organization to contribute to that matches their personal values and vision for helping those in need. If The Ranches fits your values, please contact me at HeathK@theranches.org or call us at 1.800.660.0289.
