How does Giving Tuesday inspire you?

I feel overwhelmed, choosing among all the charities vying for donations during the holidays. My strategy is to choose charities that reflect my values and interests. 

I enjoy giving to local arts, museums, and my ala mater which have enriched my life. Primarily I support organizations that help feed families, promote literacy, and protect nature. But hundreds of groups fit into these broad categories of food, books, and animals. 

Every day, I receive a plea from worthy groups to “be the change,” “save the bees,” “feed my neighbors,” “protect the Chesapeake Bay.” The messages are urgent, compelling, and often heartbreaking. Many requests come with gifts of notepads, cards, address labels, and bookmarks, reminding me to act on their behalf.  

Many of my friends and family members practice planned giving. Every year, they donate to the same charities because they believe in the organization’s mission. I admire their ongoing steadfast commitment. They embrace giving throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving or after a natural disaster. They serve as role models and advisors for me to invest wisely.  

How can I best invest in the community where I live and work? That’s a critical question for me. Investing includes giving time and is a meaningful gift. Early in my career, I volunteered more because I had the time but earned little money. I joined the KC Jazz Ambassadors, an enthusiastic group of jazz lovers. This nonprofit is dedicated to preserving jazz, from supporting student scholarships to fundraising for jazz musicians who had fallen on hard times. I met many Kansas City musicians working for the group and writing for their monthly magazine, which still exists.

Nonprofits operate thanks to dedicated volunteers. However, they survive only if well-run and well-funded. Today, I proudly volunteer at a nonprofit community bookstore Hilltop Books whose proceeds benefit the library.

But back to Giving Tuesday. I will donate to groups that reflect my values. I will give to charities both in honor and in memory of those people whom I value.