Here's how you can support a cause when the budget is tight

We would love to have your support during our donation week. But if money is tight, there are other ways you can help us a great deal.

This week is donation week at Aleteia, which means we're going to ask you for money. There's no especially subtle way to say it, is there?

And of course, we hope that those of you who can give will do so. The work you read here every day costs money, and reader support is what helps us keep doing it. Honestly, we depend on you.

But we also know what it's like to see a request for something you really want to support and think, "I just can't afford it right now."

Food is expensive. Electricity is expensive. And let's not forget the children: our little angels cost an arm and a leg, not to mention the occasional night's sleep! And yet, that doesn't mean you can't help.

But you can share us with others!

In fact, one of the easiest things you can do for Aleteia costs absolutely nothing. If you read something you love, share it. Send it to your family's WhatsApp group, post it on Facebook, or forward it to that friend who will appreciate it. You may not be able to make a donation, but perhaps someone who discovers us through you can.

You can also talk about us. If an article comes up in conversation after Mass, tell people where you found it. If someone is going through a hard time and you remember reading an article that might help them, forward it to them.

If you know someone who would enjoy our somewhat eclectic mix of popes, saints, Hollywood stars, family life, prayer, and the occasional story about a 108-year-old Italian priest who built a church out of cakes, tell them where to find us!

And, honestly, this isn't limited to Aleteia.

There are charities, parish projects, and good causes that most of us would love to support if our bank accounts allowed it. Maybe you can't give $50 to the collection for the parish roof, but you can explain to someone else why it matters. You may not be able to sponsor a friend's charity run, but you can spread the word about it. You can't fund the school event, but you can show up and lend a hand.

Sometimes we've wondered whether we have made the word "donate" too narrow a synonym for money. Money is, obviously, very useful (no charity has ever paid an electricity bill with good intentions), but when we care about something, we also have other things to give: our time, our connections, and, especially now, our ability to make something known to other people.

Help us spread the good news

And you never quite know what will happen next. The article you share might be read by ten people, or just one. That one person may share it again. Someone you mention a charity to may be looking for exactly that kind of cause to support. The friend you drag along to a parish fundraiser may come back next year without you.

So yes, this week we are asking for your support, and if you can make a financial donation to Aleteia, please do. And thank you. We really do need it. But if you can't, please don't feel uncomfortable scrolling past that donate button. Just don't pass over everything else.

Read us, share us, talk about us. That helps too. And, of course, take care of those expensive little angels first!