From Thanksgiving through December, most Americans will observe a wide range of religious, cultural, historical and secular holidays. On these holidays, we gather with family and friends to express our gratitude and honor our traditions.
This holiday season, the average U.S. consumer will spend nearly $590 on gifts. Each will spend close to $210 more for items like food, decorations, flowers and greeting cards. Overall holiday spending is predicted to increase a solid 3.6 percent _ to $655.8 billion.
While these numbers are fresh in your mind, consider that more than 500,000 Americans will experience homelessness on any given night. Nearly a quarter of the homeless are children under age 18. Nearly 50 million Americans _ including 13 million children _ live in households that regularly lack the means to purchase enough nutritious food _ much less holiday gifts. Not to mention, 7.8 million adults are currently unemployed. Americans falling into these demographics live in nearly every community.
If we're truly honest, we have to admit that at least some of the gifts to be given and received in the coming weeks will amount to just more unnecessary stuff that will accumulate in our dressers, closets, basements, garages _ and ultimately landfills.
Imagine if each of us made a pledge to set aside just 10 percent of what we would otherwise spend on holiday gifts and incidentals (an average of $65 per person). Imagine if we instead donated that money to charitable organizations that make a difference in the lives of others, preserve community assets of value, or advocate for a cause that advances fairness, education or opportunity for the less-fortunate.
Acting on this simple pledge would result in more than $16 billion of additional funds flowing to nonprofit organizations in just the next several weeks. Here are four suggestions:
_Convene a family meeting to discuss the 10-percent pledge. Discuss giving a little less to one another and a little more to the less-fortunate. Decide which causes would be most meaningful. Use this pledged money to make a donation in the family's name. Consider doing this each year _ rotating the charity so that everyone has a chance to advocate for a favorite cause.
_Give charitable gift cards. Consider giving charitable gift cards to people on your holiday list. Givers fund such cards; recipients can designate the charities to which the money will be given. Three examples are TisBest Charity Gift Card, JustGive Charity Gift Cards and Charity Choice eGift Card.
_Buy gifts that directly support charities. Many nonprofits produce or sell gifts that generate income. Jewelry, food, cards, gift baskets, clothing and more can be purchased from nonprofits and then given to others. Examples are Women's Bean Project, BeadforLife, and Unicef USA.
_Volunteer your time. Volunteering is a great way to connect and engage in philanthropy. Plus, it is a great learning opportunity for young people. There are many ways to get involved, including volunteering time at a food bank, hospital or museum, or building homes with Habitat for Humanity. Check out volunteer opportunities in your community through United Way or other volunteer-coordinating organizations.
Pledge to give fewer material gifts over the holidays to family, friends and co-workers _ and a bit more money and time for the benefit of others. This can bring people together with a shared purpose. It can also send a valuable message _ getting children involved with giving and making them more appreciative of what they have and what they get. It can help spread the true spirit of the season and make our community a better place.
Isn't that what the holidays are all about?
