Classic Cares About Our Community: Giving back for National Philanthropy Day

Nov 15, 2024

In the spirit of the season of giving, and the fact that it’s National Philanthropy Day, we’re going to take a moment to share some great ways you can give back right in your own backyard. You don’t have to sign up for huge events, participate in large fundraiser shindigs, or even head overseas to make a difference. By doing small acts of kindness and caring in your own community, you’re helping neighbors, friends, and families as well as local businesses make a big impact.

Showing empathy and kindness through philanthropy helps improve the community’s overall wellbeing, beautifies your neighborhoods, and creates an incredible tapestry of human friendship and connection where everyone can thrive and flourish! While the most obvious and upfront version of philanthropy is financial support and monetary donations, there are so many other great ways to help. Check it out on today’s blog and learn more!

Great Ways to Demonstrate Philanthropy Right Here at Home

Build an empathetic community by sharing a moment with a “stranger” through a little dose of kindness. This can look like helping someone load groceries into their car, paying for someone’s meal behind you at the drive through, paying in advance for the coffee of the person in line after you, leave an extra large tip at the next restaurant or bar you visit, call the local utility company or medical facility and pay off someone’s bill at random.
Reach out to a local nonprofit and ask what they need. Most local not-for-profit and nonprofit organizations will have a reserve bank of volunteers they reach out to when needed. This might include stuffing envelopes for capital campaign donations, distributing flyers for special events, helping set up for receptions and
Make a donation to a local food bank or host a food drive in your neighborhood. Encourage your friends, neighbors and loved ones to donate non-perishables to your efforts or add to your donation bin. Remember to include shelf-stable specialty goods like allergen friendly ingredients, gluten free food, and even seasonings! Organize a drop spot at your business or your school or office, and then bring the collective donations to a larger facility. You can also host your own pick-up event for those who need it, or leave a shelf outside your business for those who require it to take what they need.
Create a Little Free Pantry for your home or local park. Stock the free pantry with shelf stable goods, toiletries, hygiene products, and refill it often. This small act of community giving provides easy access to healthy foods and necessities without having to fill out lengthy applications for funding, stand in long lines, or other prohibitive measures. It can also be helpful to stock these pantries with pet-friendly items, too.
Volunteer your time and energy at local spaces. Donating your time within your local community soup kitchen and/or shelter can do a world of good. Volunteer your cooking prowess at your local soup kitchen to help shop, prepare, organize, and serve meals to those who need it most. Call your local senior center or nursing home and ask if they need volunteer visitors for game nights, bingo events, musical performances, etc. Lend your skills on contracting, carpentry or woodworking skills to building community housing for nonprofit housing organizations.
Stay educated on the local level and vote to lend your support in local, state, and federal elections. Exercising your right to vote is a vital part of the process to improve local legislature to ensure public assistance programming, special grants, and local non-profits receive essential funding. Electing lawmakers and legislature which support community-based care programs, free and low-cost school lunches, public housing, and affordable medical/psychiatric care programs makes a big difference.
Hand out winter-weather survival packages with necessities and personal care items in your local city or town. Create bags with shelf-stable allergen-friendly foods, personal items and toiletries, etc. and hand them around to folks who need it. Likewise, you can drop them off at the local domestic shelter or homeless shelter or you can give them out to people in need as you meet them. During cold weather months, give out hats, mittens, scarves, thermal underwear, and thick socks to the packages. Consider also adding gift cards to local food stores or ride share services to help the folks sustain their safety and access resources.
Include local area non-profits as part of your inheritance in your will. If there is a particular cause that really aligns with your goals and values, in many cases it is possible to leave a legacy gift by listing the organization as beneficiary. You’ll need the charity’s full legal name and tax ID Number and have an attorney draft up the gift amount. This legacy gift can also be left in your memoriam or honor of your family. You can designate the funds for a specific cause within the organization such as a “capital campaign” “children’s group project” “arts school classes” etc. It’s possible to leave cash, real estate, personal property, and even stocks as part of this legacy gifting.
Join a local creator, musician, or other group’s Patreon subscribers. Enrolling as part of someone’s Patreon account can provide lasting and ongoing support for independent creators and artists. By becoming a patron of this person, you are allowing them to continue to support their creative endeavors, lifelong project goals, special releases, limited runs of artwork or music, and more. It allows the person a guaranteed source of income to pursue their business goals and dreams. Some tiers may offer gifts or rewards, but you can also back the projects at a no-reward level or amount of your choosing above their ascribed tiers. It’s a great way to support local artists and ensure a thriving community of vibrant creative people and beautify the areas!

What are some things that you and your family do to give back to your communities and help fight hunger and homelessness, and provide stability to those in need? Feel free to contribute to the conversation by pitching in your own community-centric, neighborly suggestions in the comments on our social media.