Tis the Season to be Generous
Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday, and the gift-giving of December holidays make the end-of-year months the perfect time to think about and give generously to businesses, clients, friends, associates, non-profits, strangers, and family members.
Here are five ways that show real generosity at varied price points.
1. Send a note, text, or email to someone to express support or gratitude. Share examples of ways they have impacted your business or your life.
2. Use social media to share someone’s promotion on Instagram, leave a positive review on Google, or like a page on Facebook. These things take a small effort but can mean so much to people just getting started. Showing simple support can soften the intense vulnerability felt early in a project or campaign. Every single time I host an event, I wonder if anyone will actually show up.
Every. Single. Time.
3. When shopping for Christmas gifts support local and support small. A t-shirt sold by a small business will make the owner’s day. A similar t-shirt sold at a big box store won’t have the same impact.
4. Think about your personal priorities when shopping. Do you want to have more diversity in your life? Seek out and support black-owned businesses, LGBTQ+ owned businesses, Latinx businesses, women-owned businesses, or businesses owned by disabled community members. Support diversity with the dollars you spend.
If you want to find local minority-owned businesses, look to members of the Black Chamber of Commerce, the Suazo Business Center, the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and West Tenth (for female-owned small businesses).
5. Give generously to local non-profits. If you make giving a part of your holiday tradition, Shift Gathering can recommend giving to these non-profits:
YWCA Utah
Curly Me!
Women’s Resource Center at the University of Utah
OCA
Centro Civico Mexicano
Equality Utah
Mama Dragons
Pride Center
Salt Lake Film Society
Salt Lake Acting Company
Road Home
There is a magic in the air this time of year. Make sure to add to the magic by showing generosity and love to those who expect it from you and to those who will be lovingly surprised by your big, bold generous heart.