Tag Archives: giving

Be Giving This Season Without Giving All Your Cash Away

present

You don’t have to have extravagant wealth in order to take part in the season of giving. Being charitable means “relating to the assistance of those in need”. While a charitable gift of money can definitely be helpful, there are many other meaningful ways to give that leave a lasting impact on a family. These are some of our favorites. 

Donate Your Time

Time is a hot commodity and few give freely. There are many organizations in the area that would love an extra set of hands to help them with their community outreach. If you’re not quite sure where to start, look into hospitals, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, animal rescues and nursing homes. Many of these facilities are understaffed and could use all hands on deck. 

Part With Quality Clothing

Sure you can clean out your closet to donate clothing items that have a stain or even a small hole. What’s more of a helpful gift of charity is to part with quality items to people who cannot afford it. Maybe it’s business attire so that others can have a nice outfit for an interview or another one of your favorite clothing items that will put a smile on someone’s face. 

Plan an Event

Do you have a talent for event planning? Why not plan a charity or fundraising event? There are nonprofit organizations that would love your help with planning the next event. Some like Soles4Souls will even provide all of the materials you need to have a successful event. 

Learn a Craft

Have you always wanted to try your hand at knitting or woodworking? Whatever your interest or passion, it can be turned into charity by selling the items and donating the proceeds to someone you know personally that is in need or to your favorite charitable organization. If you don’t want to learn a new craft, think about your current skills or talents. You may be able to donate your services to someone, whether it be photography or doing someone’s taxes. 

The great thing about giving is that there are so many ways to make a difference in someone’s life. Giving isn’t an activity solely for the rich, but for the fellow neighbor who wants to leave a positive mark on the world around them. We can help you learn how to save money in other ways, give us a call today!

Teaching Your Children the Meaning of Giving

Seasonal Giving

The holiday season is all about giving. Whether it’s through time, labor, or funds, philanthropy is the spirit of the season. This December, help your little one’s understand the power of giving with these four lessons, courtesy of Timberwood Bank:

  1. Help Yourself by Helping Others

Did you know that every time you participate in “gift-giving behaviors,” your body releases positive chemicals in the brain? Referred to as a “Helper’s high,” these chemicals are released into the body while participating perceived good deeds. The release of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin is the body’s way of physically boosting your spirits during these activities.  While helping others has great benefits for the recipients, one of the most impactful things you can do to boost your mood, is to lend a hand!

  1. The Gift of Time is the Most Precious

Throughout the winter months, try offering a gift more precious than presents, by helping a neighbor in need. Whether it’s shoveling the walkway or blowing snow from the driveway, these gestures can make a world of difference. If you know of a family struggling during the holidays, offer to bring home cooked meals to help them along the way. Sometimes we overlook the kindness in a small act, so this season, see what you can do instead of what you can give.

  1. Financial Education is Key

To better understand how much to give, you first need to understand how much you have. If you give your child a weekly allowance, create three jars for them to store it in. One marked save, one marked spend, the last marked give. (You can practice this same exercise using envelopes for your monthly budget.) Each “payday,” you and your child can deposit the amount you would like in each. Be sure to let your little one know that the save and give categories allow them to continually accumulate funds for bigger items, but the spend category is specifically to use that week. At the end of a month see where you both stand. If there are funds for the save and give jars, help them choose a great organization or purchase to make it worthwhile.

Sharing the love of giving with your child is the perfect way to teach them about many life lessons, including finances! For everything from balancing a budget, to automating savings, there are many financial lessons that can prepare you to give more. If you’d like to grow your giving potential, stop in today and we’ll help you make it happen!