Giving Tuesday is coming up in the first week of December, which means you might want to start making up your game plan if you intend to participate in the holiday. With the economy down and covid-19 changing the way we live life; you might not be able to give like you normally would. If that is the case, these ten tips will help you find the best possible way to give without breaking the bank or pushing you out of your financial comfort zone. So, don’t let Giving Tuesday pass you by if you want to participate, because the holiday doesn’t mean you have to give up the money you don’t have to part with.
1. Give Time
This year, money doesn’t have to be the only way to give. If you don’t have funds to help, then use your time. There are so many ways you can donate your time, especially if you’re quarantined at home. For instance, you can make tutorials for those hoping to learn English or you can even tutor a child that is struggling with distant learning. If you can help out a non-profit with your knowledge, then you can do so in a video chat at no risk to you. If you are able to get out safely then you can donate time handing out meals or making them. You can also clean up trash in public areas, walk dogs for the elderly that can’t get out, and so much more. There are really countless ways to give back, so put some thought into what you have to offer and share it with the world.
2. Start a Fundraiser
Not having money to give doesn’t have to detour you from the giving spirit. In this day and age, you can easily start a fundraiser for a cause or a person in need. Online, there are numerous options to choose from that will allow you to get your fundraiser going. All you really need to do is research the best fundraising websites for you. When it comes to fundraising, you can start by opening an account that sells products via a company. This is very common with schools currently. However, you can also go with sites that allow people to donate money to support a cause. Both of these methods will keep you safe at home, which will make you feel better about giving.
3. Promote a Non-Profit
Non-profits do a lot for the world, but they receive very little support. One of the best ways to help out a non-profit is to offer any assistance you can. Even the smallest act can help them out. For instance, you might consider starting out your support by sharing posts that non-profits make. If you can take a step further, then you might see if you can work with the non-profit to help organize fundraisers and more. If money isn’t an issue then you can even donate. You don’t have to donate large amounts as even the smallest donation can help out.
4. Donate Supplies
Supplies are tough to come by for some charities and non-profits. So, if you want to lend a helping hand then you might consider donating supplies. One of the easiest ways to donate is to give food. You can donate to a food bank, people, school, nursing home, and so on. During the holiday season, there will be many food drives, so you won’t have to look far to give. Apart from that, there will also be toy drives to ensure children get the toys they desire for Christmas. If you have pet supplies like food, old towels, old carriers, and so on, then you can donate these to shelters, clinics, and so much more. Of course, this is only the beginning when it comes to donations.
5. Donate Blood/Plasma
Our hospitals could really use blood and plasma right now, which is why this is one of the best ways to donate on Giving Tuesday. Currently, there have been many natural disasters, fires, and of course coronavirus that have left many hospitals in dire need of supplies. So, by donating your blood or plasma, you can easily give the gift of life to so many. Right now, some places are using donated blood to help with research in regard to coronavirus too. You may even get test results back that let you know if you’ve had the virus. Some places also give money for blood and plasma, which will help you out for doing such a good deed.
6. Round Up Options
No one said that you have to give a lot in order to give. While you’re working on your holiday shopping, you might take a moment to help out others when you go through the website’s check out. Currently, a lot of websites have a round-up option that is convenient for you. All you have to do is round your purchase to the next dollar and the money is donated to the website’s charity of choice. This will allow you to donate anywhere from a penny to ninety-nine cents. It might not seem like a lot, but whenever you do this you are helping quite a bit. So, if you don’t have a lot to give then you might enjoy rounding up all of your Giving Tuesday purchases.
7. Amazon Smile
Another way to give back while shopping is to shop with Amazon Smile. This actually doesn’t take any money away from you, which makes it one of the easiest and most efficient ways to give back. Amazon makes it very easy to operate this function too. All you have to do is go to the smile webpage before you check out. You also get the opportunity to choose which charity your money will go to. There are a large number of local charities that you can use, or you can go for larger name charities that you already trust.
8. Research Charities
If you are interested in giving your time or money to a charity when things are a little easier, then you might spend Giving Tuesday exercising your good intentions. You can easily look up charities that you are interested in online or look for charities that help some of the causes that you are interested in. You can even search for those aimed at assisting those struggling during the pandemic. This will help you get a good idea of who you would like to donate to. Once you make a decision then you can easily begin to look up reviews for the charity. This will help you to feel more secure about your options when you do decide to give money.
9. Shop Small Business
Giving doesn’t have to be the only way to enjoy Giving Tuesday. If you want to make a difference in the lives of many then you might consider shopping small businesses instead of the big names that you might normally work with. Shopping small business actually helps you to support the lives of these business owners that may be struggling to get by due to the pandemic. This, in itself, can be one of the best gifts to your community as it will ensure you are helping the local economy while making the lives of others all the more special.
10. Volunteer
Volunteer time is especially valuable during today’s crazy world. If you’re not sure how to volunteer safely then consider what you have to offer the world. If you know how to code or make graphics for websites, then offer this skill. You can also work on finances, advertising, and more. Apart from that, you can volunteer to do manual labor such as repairs or unloading trucks. The sky is the limit here. You never know, you may actually enjoy the tasks you are doing and find your volunteer time to be a new career prospect or at least a hobby.
This year, more than ever, Giving Tuesday is a great time to give back and show all that you are grateful for. These ten tips will allow you to work towards helping others while still keeping to your own budget. So, you can start the holiday season off on the right foot.
