The 2019 Holiday Give Guide

It’s officially that time of year to get swamped with holiday gift guides telling you all the presents to buy for your loved ones. TBH, they can be pretty helpful sometimes (because who wouldn't want a pair of cozy sloth slippers?).

We’re here to give you our own guide, with a philanthropic spin: the 2019 Holiday Give Guide. It’s your guide to giving back to all the causes you care most about this holiday season (in whatever way you can). If you’re looking to do some good this winter, here’s the place to start.

Give Stuff

Giving gifts? During the holidays? Groundbreaking.

No, but seriously. This holiday season, consider donating both new and gently-used items to folks who need them. If you’re feeling especially inspired (maybe after your third rewatch of A Christmas Carol), then you can even run a donation collection drive in your community. You can donate:

• Gently-used jeans to youth experiencing homelessness through our Teens for Jeans campaign, powered by Aéropostale.
• Non-perishable food items to your local food bank.
• Books to deployed military overseas through Operation Paperback.
• A pair of shoes to communities impacted by natural disasters through Soles4Souls.
• Clothing, toys, and unused cosmetics to your local women’s and family shelter.

Give Time

There are about 44,000 minutes in a month. Now, we’re no math experts, but we can pretty decisively say that that’s...kind of a lot of minutes. If you can spare even an hour this holiday season, you can make a real impact -- so maybe just dip out a little early from your Aunt Patty’s holiday gathering (it’s for a good cause, after all).

Whether you’re serving meals at a local food bank or picking up litter in your favorite park, there will always be folks in need of an extra hand. Here are just a few places to get you started:

• Volunteering for teens
• Volunteering online
• Volunteering for the environment
• Volunteering in your community
• Volunteering for every schedule

Give Attention

Attention during the holiday season isn’t reserved for Mariah Carey’s iconic holiday performances or that neighbor who goes a little too hard with their holiday lights. We can (and should) continue to give the spotlight to folks around the world fighting for justice, safety, and respect in their communities.

From the Indigenous communities protesting the Keystone Pipeline to the Bahamian residents still recovering from Hurricane Dorian, we can empower movements and amplify voices this holiday season. Here are a few ways to do it:

• Read and share articles, videos, and posts from folks impacted.
• Add your voice the conversation by signing a petition.
• Use 5Calls to urge your representatives to take action.
• Write an editorial in your local or school newspaper to bring attention to the issue.

Give Funds

If you happen to get a little cash in your holiday cards this year, think about putting some of it towards good. Even just a few dollars can really add up when lots of folks are donating (so no need to give up every penny of your Nintendo Switch savings). Or cut out the middleman altogether and ask your family and friends to make a donation in your name instead of gifting you something this year.

If you’re not in a position to give, you can encourage others to by sharing organizations on social media or just plain talking about them. Also consider exchanging skills or services to raise funds on a small scale. You can offer to do things for your neighbors, friends, or family like dog walking or snow shoveling in exchange for a donation.

Before you donate, be sure to vet not-for-profits through Charity Navigator to make sure your charitable giving is informed and impactful. They also have these helpful lists to point you towards cause-based places to donate:

• Immigration and refugees
• Protecting the environment
• Human and civil rights
• Search for a different category!