Meaningful Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

The holiday season brings a flurry of activities: shopping for gifts, planning trips, and attending festive parties. Yet, amidst the consumerism and chaos, many of us yearn for a more meaningful way to celebrate. Each year we highlight the most impactful ways your family can give back during the holidays. Here are some of our favorite ways to bring the joy of giving to the season.

In an inspiring example of how to give back, Oprah Winfrey’s generosity was inspired by a time when she was 12 years old and her mother told them they didn’t have enough money for Christmas.

“Just when I started to accept there would not be a Christmas, three nuns showed up at our house with gifts for all of us. There was a turkey, a fruit basket, some games, and for me they brought a doll.”

“I remember feeling that I mattered to those nuns, whom I had never met. And what it meant that they had remembered me. Somebody had thought enough of me to bring me a gift.”

The story is beautiful in itself. But the fact that so many years later, she was inspired to pass that joy along to 50,000 school children and orphans in South Africa reminds us how we never know the effects one small act of giving can have!

This year, amid the hustle and bustle of finding those wonderful gifts for our loved ones, let’s incorporate other means of giving into our consciousness. Getting kids involved really can teach them the joy of giving.

Why Give Back?

It’s Needed
Even in the U.S., many families struggle to meet basic needs. Worldwide, millions live without access to electricity, clean water, or sufficient food. There are environmental issues that urgently need our attention. Giving back provides a way to connect with and uplift those facing hardships.

It’s Good Karma
When we give with open hearts, we become part of a cycle of kindness and generosity that often comes back to us in unexpected ways. Giving creates the flow, and it just feels good.

It Sets a Positive Example
Children are naturally caring and generous. Encouraging them to participate in giving activities nurtures those qualities and teaches them empathy and compassion.

Ways Your Family Can Give Back

Growing up, our parents made Christmas giving a priority. Many years, they chose a family to buy gifts for. And my dad always volunteered to help deliver holiday meals.

My grandmother gave all year round. She was always making quilts and dolls to donate to charity and church raffles. Every Sunday she sent some of us grandkids down the street with a plate of food for an elderly friend. I have a feeling we’ll never even know the extent of her giving, but she always said, “You can’t out-give God.”

Between my childhood memories and my husband working in fundraising, giving back is ingrained in my psyche. So I’m always open to learning or trying new worthwhile and meaningful ways to give. Here are some of them our team has tried:

Volunteer Your Time

Giving doesn’t always mean spending money. Volunteering as a family is a wonderful way to bond while making a difference.

• Serve meals: Volunteer at soup kitchens or shelters to help prepare or serve holiday meals.
• Visit the elderly: Sing carols, bring small gifts, or simply spend time with residents at a nursing home or hospital.
• Lend a helping hand: Shovel snow, rake leaves, or assist a neighbor in need with outdoor chores during the colder months.
• Community clean-up: Spend a morning picking up litter at a local park or beach.

Donate Goods

The holiday season has so much getting that it can make us yearn for giving. Here are ways to give physical items to those in need.

• Food drives: Contribute canned goods and non-perishables to local food banks or school drives. Organizations like Feeding America distribute these donations to families in need.
• Toy drives: Participate in programs like Stuff the Bus, Toys for Tots, or an Angel Tree to ensure every child experiences holiday joy.
• Warm clothing: Collect coats, hats, and gloves to donate to shelters or programs like One Warm Coat.
• Pet supplies: Gather pet food, blankets, or toys to donate to local animal shelters or organizations like Paws of War, which also supports veterans with service animals.

Support Charitable Organizations

There are numerous global and local charities offering unique ways to give back. Here are some options:

• Heifer International: Donate livestock to families in need to promote self-sufficiency.
• World Wildlife Fund: Symbolically adopt an animal to support conservation efforts.
• The Nature Conservancy: Dedicate a tree or contribute to their “Plant a Billion Trees” program.
• Save the Children: Provide education, healthcare, and essentials for children worldwide.
• Nest: Support women in developing countries through small business loans and education programs.
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Help fund life-saving treatments for children battling critical illnesses.
• Donors Choose: Support teachers’ classroom project requests.
• Paws of War: Match veterans with trained service dogs (former rescues) that can help them through tough times.
• Feeding America: Help feed (through 200 food banks across the country) 40 million people at risk of hunger, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors.
• Children’s Defense Fund: Support the organization that provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America, particularly poor children, children of color and those with disabilities.

Give in Lieu of Gifts

Instead of exchanging traditional presents, consider donating to a cause in someone’s name. Companies like TisBest make this easy by allowing recipients to choose the charity they’d like to support. Here are some ideas:

• Operation Shoebox: Send care packages to deployed service members.
• Charity: Water: Help provide clean and safe drinking water to communities in need.
• Planet Presents: Give the gift of a donation to an environmental non-profit in honor of a loved one. See our interview with founder Brayden Bittel on making giving back more accessible.
• Local animal shelters: Many shelters accept donations in honor of loved ones, which can go toward caring for rescue animals.

Participate in Giving Tuesday

There’s a day once a year that makes it easy to give back. Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, partners with registered non-profits and with businesses that organize events to benefit non-profits. The day encourages us to give time, money or the power of our voices along with our families, our community, our company or our organization. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Fundraise: Organize a fundraiser through your local school, workplace, or community group.
• Donate: Research and contribute to trusted organizations like the NAACP, RAICES, or Children’s Defense Fund.
• Spread the Word: Use social media to share causes and inspire others to participate.

Create Holiday Care Packages

Assemble thoughtful care packages for those in need. Consider including items such as:

• Non-perishable snacks
• Travel-sized toiletries
• Hand warmers
• Socks and gloves
• Encouraging notes or holiday cards

Deliver these packages to shelters, veterans’ organizations, or community outreach programs.

Tips for Evaluating Charities

When donating, it’s important to ensure your contributions go to trustworthy organizations:

• Use Charity Navigator: Check ratings on finances, accountability, and transparency.
• Visit Charity Watch: Access detailed reports on over 600 charities.
• Research local nonprofits: Smaller organizations often operate on tighter budgets and can have a significant impact within their communities.

Make Giving a Family Tradition

Incorporating acts of giving into your holiday celebrations creates lasting memories and meaningful traditions. Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or simply sharing time with loved ones, your family’s actions will inspire others and foster a spirit of kindness that extends well beyond the holiday season.

By making generosity a central part of your celebrations, you can bring more purpose to the holidays and create ripples of kindness in your community and beyond.