Giving to those in need feels good, but it hard to ignore that niggling question of how, or if, the donation was used.
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Hepatitis ACT is one of growing number of charities using the online platform GIVIT, which enables charities to spell out their urgent needs and matches donations directly to requests.
The blood-borne virus prevention and support service is provided with sterile equipment packs from the territory government but no money to cover the costs running a secondary needle and support program.
Executive officer John Didlick said with limited resources the packages of essential hygiene products, toothbrushes and bars of soap they requested and were fulfilled through GIVIT made the world of difference to clients.
"It's this sort of stuff that falls down the priority list, for a lot of our clients," he said.
Mr Didlick said the added extras meant clients could reduce household transmission risk by using their own toothbrushes and razors, but most importantly it made them feel good and more inclined to foster ongoing relationships staff at the service.
"We have received very small packages from people through GIVIT, $15 worth of things and they'd probably paid $20 in postage to get it to us," he said. "That is what's amazing, knowing someone has connected with our call out and gone to the trouble of doing that."
GIVIT chief executive Juliette Wright founded the site in 2009 determined to tackle the problem faced by charities forced to store, sort and dispose of unwanted goods.
Scrolling through the urgently needed listings there's everything from mops and dust masks for bushfire-affected residents in South Australia, to Christmas decorations for a woman escaping domestic violence.
However, the nifty part of the site is that donations that don't match a request are listed in a virtual warehouse and kept at the donor's place until a person with need selects it.
Mrs Wright, Australia's Local Hero of 2015 recipient and finalist in Cosmopolitan Woman of the Year Award proudly accepted an Australian Innovation Award in Canberra this week.
Her idea has meant 221,336 donations have been made nationally through the platform, but Mrs Wright has her sights set on expansion.
Of the 1100 organisations that list needs on the site, just 10 are based in the ACT.
The astute businesswoman said she got a big buzz from seeing the platform succeed.
"It's really simple things that can make the world of difference to those in need," she said.
"What really works is that people connect with recipients' stories and feel satisfied knowing exactly how what they gave has helped."
