Sure, “Giving Tuesday,” the plea for folks to donate to charity, was a bit of an afterthought following the gargantuan success of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday.” Still, the idea isn’t so odd: Charitable donations help many people and may someday even come back around to help you should you ever need it.
America is one of the world’s most charitable countries. When “Giving Tuesday” started to develop just a few years ago, it just served to increase this reputation even further. Last year, “Giving Tuesday” raised nearly $300 million for nonprofit organizations. That was a 50 percent increase over 2016’s total. Given the absurdly low unemployment rate this year, that number could get even higher this year.
If you’re looking to give back this Tuesday, here are a few ideas by category. Double-check their website before you give — many of these organizations participate in matching programs.
Kids
If you have children or a soft spot for kids in need but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few organizations that are trustworthy and make their livelihoods helping children in need.
- Every kid needs a solid pair of shoes. Unfortunately, shoes are expensive (I can easily drop $200 on shoes for my four kids), but there’s a nonprofit group to help. “Shoes That Fit” is based in California and serves kids nationwide. Since they started in 1992, they have given almost 2 million pairs of shoes to kids who need them. Donate here.
- Birthdays are a big deal in my family and to pretty much every kid I know. However, not every family has the means to help a child celebrate. “Birthday Wishes” is such an organization. When you donate to this Massachusetts-based organization, they help throw birthday parties for homeless children. In 2016, they helped 34,000 kids get a party complete with gifts, supplies, and cake. Help a child enjoy his or her special day here.
- Military kids bear a special burden. In addition to moving around a lot, they are often coping with the stress of a parent’s deployment, recovery, or death. “Our Military Kids” helps provide resources specifically for those children, in terms of sports, art, and enrichment activities. Kids are resilient — this organization helps ensure that remains the case.
Animals
If you’re a pet lover, like my family is, there are countless organizations that help animals. We recently adopted a dog from an animal shelter and were thankful for their services.
- The Humane Society is a bit of a no-brainer, but this doesn’t mean they don’t need our help. We recently surrendered a stray cat to one and were impressed with how well the organization operated. There are an incredible amount of stray animals in every society, and often, the local Humane Society is the only place that will take them in, care for them, and then try to place them in loving homes. Today when you give, they will match every dollar up to $200,000 with a bowl of food for an animal in need.
- Best Friends Animal Society is another great, similar organization. Their motto is “Save Them All,” and they have heartwarming and tear-jerking stories on their site of folks who saved animals from being put down because they were adopted. Right now, they too are matching donations.
- Return to Freedom is an organization that specifically helps horses. I was a horse lover as a child, and one of my daughters wants to ride every horse she sees. If you appreciate horses, this is the perfect charity for you. According to their site, they preserve the freedom, diversity, and habitat of wild horses through sanctuary, education, advocacy, and other ways.
Seniors
Senior citizens often get overlooked during the holiday season because so many associate the holidays with children. Still, they have needs too, and often little family available to care for them. These organizations, and many others, seek to relieve that burden and help.
- Honor Flight Network helps seniors and veterans to boot. This organization gives other aging veterans the chance to fly to Washington, D.C., and view the memorial that commemorates the war in which they fought. It’s often the only closure they have, and these folks receive a hero’s welcome — as they should.
- No one should go hungry in a country as resourceful as ours, but the elderly especially need help in this area because of their age, illnesses, and income restrictions. Meals on Wheels America operates nationwide and delivers meals to anyone who is eligible for a low fee. For elderly people who don’t have family or friends around to cater to this need, this is an excellent option.
- My grandfather, a veteran of the Korean War, just got his first smartphone. Learning to use electronics is a tough transition for any elderly person, and SeniorNet is a nonprofit group that helps with this. This national organization offers classes by trained volunteers who help the elderly navigate the new world of technology. Inadvertently, it also helps them with socialization and creativity.
If none of these organizations strike your fancy, remember, you can always give locally, to your place of worship, or a food bank.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
