Volunteer your time.
The holiday season presents countless opportunities to make a meaningful impact through volunteering, which can be as powerful as financial contributions. From preparing meals at Ronald McDonald House to sorting donations at local food banks, organizations desperately need hands-on support to fulfill their missions during this busy time of year. Volunteering addresses immediate community needs and creates lasting connections between helpers and those being helped.
Spread awareness.
Use your voice and social influence to create a powerful multiplier effect for charitable giving. By sharing information about meaningful causes and creating matching donation challenges, you can inspire others to join the giving movement and potentially double or triple the impact of individual contributions. This approach to advocacy transforms personal giving into a community effort, encouraging others to discover and support causes they might not have known about otherwise.
Earmark funds for charity.
Make giving back a seamless part of your holiday routine by establishing automatic transfers from your checking account to a dedicated savings account. Just like setting up bill pay or direct deposit, scheduling small recurring transfers throughout the year helps accumulate funds specifically for charitable donations without feeling the financial pinch.
Double-duty donations!
Charitable giving during the holiday season can offer tax benefits, with many donations qualifying as deductible contributions on your annual tax return when you itemize deductions. Understanding these tax advantages can help you maximize your charitable impact, as the money saved on taxes could be redirected toward additional giving opportunities.
Spend local.
Supporting small businesses, participating in adopt-a-family programs, and contributing to neighborhood improvement projects creates a ripple effect that enhances the overall well-being of our community during a critical time of year. This localized approach to giving back ensures your efforts have a visible, tangible impact while helping build stronger connections between neighbors and local organizations. Getting involved is as simple as shifting your holiday shopping to local merchants, contacting community centers about their giving tree programs, or joining neighborhood improvement initiatives through your local civic association. Check out HawaiiUSA’s latest Life Matters Collective, the Hope Collective: a collaboration with local small business Blessed that benefits survivors of domestic violence through the Domestic Violence Action Center.
Organize a charity event.
Whether coordinating a workplace toy drive, planning a festive fundraising auction, or launching an online crowdfunding campaign, these organized efforts can multiply individual giving power by engaging larger groups of participants. Charity events raise crucial funds and resources and help build awareness for important causes while creating meaningful holiday traditions within communities and organizations.
Making a difference this holiday season doesn’t require grand gestures or unlimited resources. It simply starts with choosing a way to give back that aligns with your abilities and interests. When HawaiiUSA members apply these giving strategies, they can help transform communities far beyond the holiday season.
Discover HawaiiUSA’s culture of giving!
Read the Community Giving Report to learn how your credit union provides support to local non-profit organizations and causes throughout the year.
December 13, 2024
While the spirit of giving shines bright during the holidays, the season's hustle and bustle can make it difficult to find practical and impactful ways to contribute. Whether you have money, time, or simply a willing heart to share, you can use these tips to create positive change in our community. Here’s how.
