How Can YOU Help This Year?

It’s easy to get swept up in the flurry of Thanksgiving into Black Friday all the way through Cyber Monday…the weekend has become one of the most highly anticipated shopping and spending dates of the year. We focus on getting the best deals possible, scouting sales and clipping coupons, setting alarms to make sure you’re one of the first to snag whatever is on your wish list. It’s nice then, after the mad rush for bargains and stockpile of boxes and bags your living room has just accumulated, to have a reason to take a breath and focus your attention on something just a little more seasonally appropriate: enter Giving Tuesday.

As a non-profit accounting firm we like to think of Giving Tuesday as a solid jumping off point – the shot that starts the race but then you keep running with all the good things you can be doing to help the organizations around you give back to those in need. We’re sharing some inspiration here so you can see just how easy it is to make a difference in someone’s holiday this year.

1. Donate your things to shelters. Rather than taking items straight to Goodwill or Salvation Army give your local shelters a call and find out what they’re in need of. Bonus points if you also ask about volunteer opportunities coming up in the near future, we guarantee there are plenty and it will only take up a fraction of your time to lend a hand!

2. If you’re feeling like going a little farther than dropping off things you no longer need you can do some googling to find out what you can purchase and send off to organizations helping families who lost their homes in the California Wildfires – relief efforts are still going strong and there are so many people and animals who could use our help. Bonus points if you also peek at how you can give back to the first responders who helped save so many lives and are still working hard!

3. Speaking of animals, humane societies and rescue organizations can always use some extra hands or funding to help keep pets healthy and find their forever homes – this is especially important this year because so many have been displaced from the fires.

4. Schools and hospitals in your area need your help. There are a number of national organizations running campaigns that you can give to (and it’s truly AMAZING if you do!) but a quick google search of your neighborhood will tell you which local schools and facilities are in need of a little assistance. No donation is too small!

Now, just to make this even easier (and provide a little more inspiration) we’re linking the Giving Tuesday website for you to see which national, global, and local organizations are looking for YOUR help! Click here to check it out.

And remember, today is just the jumping off point. Nonprofits need our help year round – but a little extra during the holidays.

Happy giving, everyone!