Posted on December 11, 2009

This holiday season, as with those that have past, we will all be met with calls for canned food, warm clothing, and toys for those less fortunate than ourselves.  These drives are responsible for creating happy holidays for thousands of Americans who would have gone without.  In addition to contributing to these traditional activities, there are also many other ways that you and your family can use your time and talents, as well as your resources to give back.  Here are a few creative ideas about what you can do to help out this holiday season:  

• Create and deliver “Goodie Bags” for hospitalized children.  Think of fun things that children would be able to enjoy while bed-ridden, and put them in a decorative bag or basket.
• Volunteer your time at a local nursing home.  Nursing home residents are often lonely and no one likes to alone on the holidays!  Playing games, reading, and just spending time together are all great ways to make them feel less lonely.  
• Visit your local animal shelter.  Bring along some treats and toys for their furry residents; you may even be able to volunteer to take some of the dogs for walks. 
• Volunteer your time at a local food bank.   The holiday months are when food banks receive their largest amount of donations. You can volunteer to help them sort and pack the food that comes in, and prepare it to be distributed.
• Volunteer at your local soup kitchen.  During the holidays soup kitchens need volunteers to help with the cooking and serving of food to their patrons.  Some kitchens even have programs where they deliver meals to elderly or others in need, and may need drivers.
• Spend some time making homemade greeting cards (you can also ask to have your child’s class help too) and deliver them to your local hospital or nursing home. These cards will let them know that someone is thinking of them.
• If you are feeling crunched for time, try setting a goal of simply doing random acts of kindness for those around you.  Even acts as small as putting money in an expired parking meter, or paying for the person behind you in the drive-thru, can significantly brighten someone’s day!

If you need help finding a place to volunteer in your area, visit www.1-800-volunteer.org.  From their website you can search for volunteer opportunities in your area by age appropriateness, time commitments, and by the type of nonprofit or organization.  

Another terrific online resource that can help you come up with ideas for giving back to the community and loved ones this holiday is http://bestchristmasgift.org/. They always have creative and unique ideas that nonprofits could implement.  

No matter how you decide to give back this holiday season, remember to spread the cheer and encourage your friends and family to join you in your endeavors.  These acts of kindness that you will perform, no matter how small, will touch the lives of many of those who need it the most. 

Give2Network.com

'Tis the season for all non-profits and schools to kick their fundraising efforts up a notch since Autumn is a popular season for giving. As a lead-in for the holidays, Halloween is the perfect occasion in which to start your fundraising in the most effective and creative ways possible. It's important to get started on planning Halloween fundraising events early since it will take time to develop logistics, create or secure decorations/supplies and recruit volunteers to help with your group's efforts. What better time than now to get started?

First question is always: What is your group going to do this year? Perhaps your group has always relied on a traditional Halloween party to fundraise or some other time-tested and true method. If it works and everyone enjoys it, then full steam ahead with planning. However, if your group is looking for something new and different for this year's Halloween fundraising festivities and you're in need of inspiration, then we have 3 fun ideas that are sure to get your community talking. Check them out below: 

1) Halloween Pumpkin Patch: Everyone is looking for pumpkins around this time and people usually end up turning to a grocery or home improvement store because it's convenient and easy. However picking a pumpkin up in this manner is hardly exciting or fun. Pumpkin suppliers give you the experience of going through a patch and picking one out, but they may be farther away and difficult to get to. That's why organizing your very own non-profit's pumpkin patch is sure to put smiles on people's faces. Find a good location (perhaps your school's park areas or an empty community field) and a pumpkin supplier and your group is ready to go. Make sure to decorate and make an event of pumpkin picking. Also consider selling baked goods and other treats, as well as asking for donations.

2) Witch 'n Warlock Hockey Game: Grown-ups can dress up like witches and warlocks and play floor hockey with broomsticks and a soft ball. It's terrific fun for spectators and children to watch adults square off in costume and intimidate the other team with "witch"-y riddles and puns. If broomsticks don't hold up, then it's easy to sub for actual hockey sticks, or change it up to another sport entirely. Kids will get a kick out of seeing their parents compete in a Halloween sport. Fundraise in the form of ticket sales and donations. Werewolves, goblins, and other scary characters can roam the crowd and keep the audience hyped.

3) Trunk-or-Treating: This is a very fun event that lets parents get together and mingle while providing a safe means for kids to go around and trick-or-treat. Arrange for families/groups to drive to a large parking lot and park their cars. Participants should be told to decorate their trunks in a Halloween style and have their candy ready to be distributed from the trunks of their cars. Then kids can roam the parking lot and go trunk-to-trunk collecting treats. Other fun Halloween events can also be planned in the same area.  

All these Halloween festivities are relatively simple to plan and will provide participants with a lot of fun! They will generate a lot of buzz for your non-profit or school and definitely help with your group's Autumn fundraising goals. Don't forget since all these events occur at a centralized location, that it's a great opportunity for your PTA or community outreach group to network and distribute materials about future fundraising efforts. It's a great opportunity to tell others to support your group through even little things, like the online fundraising web tools Give2Network provides. Community members may never know about it otherwise.

Celebrate Halloween in style and fundraise for your group at the same time!

www.Give2Network.com

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