Giving Tuesday used to be the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with care and gratitude…before the one-day-only chaos that was Black Friday. But Black Friday isn’t just Friday anymore. It’s expanding…from days to weeks (to nearly months!), and so is the chaos and stress that comes with it.
The healthy answer to Black Friday is Giving Tuesday. And that healthy and mindful day deserves to grow beyond a single day as well! Let the gratitude you feel when you give meaningful and caring gifts be the centering force that guides you through this week, and the whole holiday season. After all, it is Thanksgiving.
When it comes to giving the gift of giving, it really is the thought that counts. The consideration, planning, and selection of a charity based on someone’s interests and aspirations is where the value of the gift truly lies. You get them. And you took the time to choose a gift that can be both deeply meaningful to them, and also good for others…without the risk of ever becoming clutter.
Charity Navigator (a 501(c)3 charity themselves) can help inspire great ideas for anyone on your list. With nearly 75 thousand 4-star rated charities across the United States, you will be amazed at what you can find! Here are some ideas to get you started:
Give local and plan a day of it! Think museums, cultural centers, historical or architectural tours and parks and gardens–memberships, donations, tickets and events. You can filter those 75k 4-star charities by state, advance search to a city or zip code, and add a filter by interest if you want to get really specific. Being in LA, my pick for an artsy friend might be a donation to the Hammer Museum at UCLA with plans to attend a free Wednesday Lunchtime Art Talk by the Hammer’s curatorial department then have lunch at the museum or nearby. The possibilities are endless.
Give by interest and let them know you care! Most of us know the few top charitable organizations we like and not much more. Try finding a lesser-known charity you think they will like but may not have heard of. You know I love dogs. I know the Humane Society, ASPCA, and a couple smaller pet-friendly favorites. But after a Charity Navigator keyword search for “dogs,” I now want to add the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation to my permanent donation rotation! “From Rescued to Rescuer”…my heart strings have been officially pulled.
If education is your passion like mine, consider OneKid OneWorld, a great organization that helps keep kids in school in Kenya and Central America. $12 supplies a student with feminine hygiene products for a full year, and over 5,000 of their students need them next year alone. $400 sends a student to school for a full year, and next year over 150 students need their help paying for school. Full disclosure, I am the Co-Executive Director 😉 so this organization is very near and dear to my heart, and I can guarantee that 93% of every dollar raised goes directly to our programs!
In addition to the stellar feel-good vibes, you get a little something out of it too. Ordinarily, people who choose to take the IRS standard deduction can’t claim charitable contributions. But for 2021, you can now claim up to $300 ($600 per couple), even if you don’t itemize your deductions. Just remember to save your email receipts and confirmations from the charities!
Leave a Reply