I know I’ve been focusing on the deals and sales to be found and shopping for the holidays recently, but that’s only one part of the holiday season. A large focus of the holiday season isn’t about just giving to family and friends, but giving to those in need. In an effort to help focus on giving GivingTuesday was created.
The goal is to get people thinking about ways they can give back to others at a time of year when so many people are so desperately in need, and it’s a great way to end 2013 well.
There are so many ways to give back and while budgets are always tight there are ways you can give back without spending a dime, as well as great gifts you can choose that give back to others.
5 Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season:
1. Volunteer: Time is often as valuable to many organizations as money, often it’s even more valuable! Whether it’s answering phone calls, stuffing envelopes, or serving meals you can find a plethora of organizations that would welcome more hands to help.
2. Donate Stuff: Whether it’s purging toys, gently used clothing, or cleaning out your pantry you can donate things to organizations to give back to others in a way that can ave a have impact. It’s a great time of year to donate since it will help you come tax time as well. If you’re looking for a way to track physical donations It’s Deductible is a handy tool (available as an app as well!) to track and value your donated goods.
3. Like It/Retweet It: Many companies have social good initiatives where you can ‘like’ their Facebook page or RT a tweet to help donate funds to a variety of organizations.
4. Use your Skills: Have a special set of skills? There is bound to be an organization that needs your help whether it’s knitting hats or designing a website to help a charity build an online presence.
5. Shop for a Cause: It’s the time of year when many of us are doing some serious holiday and gift shopping. Why not find ways to give back when you buy? Consider these gifts and companies that give back in a variety of ways when you buy. (these are just a few examples!)
- Warby Parker: Warby Parker sells glasses and sunglasses (with a RX or not), for every pair purchased they will give a pair to someone in need.
- Ten Thousand Villages: Great selection of jewelry, toys, home decor and more. Fair trade gifts from artisans around the world that offer the artisans a fair wage.
- Toms: Toms shoes are not only fashionable they give back. When you buy shoes (or any of their other products) Toms will give a pair to a child who needs shoes.
- Blanket America: Buy a blanket, give a blanket. Blanket donations are given both domestically and internationally and Blanket America started an organization to help Haiti.
- Heart of Haiti: These gorgeous products are made by Haiti artisans and funds are used to help Haiti rebuild.
- Give a Goat (or Garden): Oxfam makes it easy to directly help others by gifting a goat, garden, books, and more.
How do you give back at the holidays?
Kelly
Christy Willis Narsi says
Thank you for this post Kelly! The social media tweets and retweets is so easy and yet I hadn’t even thought about that being a way of giving back. This year my church is partnering with UMOM to give clothing, necessities, and gifts to mothers and children in need. Not everyone can afford to purchase the resources these families need, but helping raise awareness, making phone calls, organizing the gifts as they come in…all of that take man/womanpower.