You’ve heard it before, the key to happiness is generosity. It’s a lesson we learn from A Christmas Carol, The Merchant of Venice and even Forrest Gump. So, what do you do if you want to give back, but your schedule makes it hard to volunteer consistently? Start the New Year off right by following these nine easy ways to fit giving back seamlessly into your routine.
Recurring Monthly Donations
Want to give back, but don’t have a big budget to donate all at once? Set up a small recurring monthly donation to the organizations you want to help the most. That way your donation amount will be spread out over time, and if you’re busy you won’t forget. A few dollars can really add up when you give every month.
Search, Shop & Support
Buy what you already need through services like Good Shop or AmazonSmile, and they’ll donate a percentage of your purchase to participating organizations.
The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of your purchase, all you need to do is sign up and log into Smile.Amazon.com instead of Amazon.com. Then, you use your same account, shopping cart, Wish List and even wedding or baby registry.
GoodShop, on the other hand, offers coupons and deals to stores you love, so while you save GoodShop donates a percentage of your purchase to one of their 114,000 nonprofits or schools. Make it even easier by downloading its coupon extension Gumdrop to find coupon codes wherever you shop online.
Support Brands with a Mission
TOMS may have started the idea of one-for-one, but many other brands have picked up on its business model or found their own way to do good. Using your purchasing power to support these brands is just about one of the easiest ways you can give back.
Bombas—the next time you or a loved one needs a new pair of socks, order them from Bombas. You get a pair, and Bombas donates one new pair to someone in need.
Better World Books—love to read? Want to share your literary love? Better World Books funds literacy initiatives worldwide, selling new and used books to bibliophiles like you.
Two Blind Brothers—this company makes ultra-soft designer clothing from natural fibers and then donates 100% of the proceeds to blindness research.
4Ocean—is able to remove pollution from the ocean and coastline through the funding of their bracelets. By buying a bracelet, you help remove one pound of trash from the ocean.
Make a Little Extra
The next time you need to bake (or buy) sweet treats for a party or event, make a little extra and drop them off at your local volunteer fire station, retirement home, homeless shelter, etc. You’ll already be spending the time to make the meal or dessert, so the only thing you’ll need to do is plan ahead to double or triple your recipe (or purchase).
Connect with Someone
Giving back isn’t just about offering your time, money or skills to strangers and big organizations, it’s also about making a difference in your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors’ lives. It only takes a few seconds to reach out to an old friend through email, social media or even a text message, or to write a simple “thinking of you” card to a co-worker who has had a lot going on lately.
Get Fit and Give
Traditionally, runners could sign up for local charity races and give back by fundraising and paying the entry fee. Now, you can sign up for apps like Charity Miles on Android and iOS and make every workout count. Before your workout, open the app, pick your charity and select your activity. Your phone tracks your activity and donates according to your distance, time, etc.
Get Your Apartment Community Involved
While it may not be easy to set aside time to volunteer for the organizations you love, you can always help by promoting them to your community and sparking other people’s interest. Share why you love the organization with your Bozzuto team and ask them if they would be interested in planning an event or finding a way to get other residents to support your cause as well.
Donate Your Stuff
If you’re already sorting through your stuff, think “donate” before “trash.” While it may be unclear what to do with things like DVDs, computers and art and craft supplies, Apartment Therapy has compiled a handy list of 25 different places where you can donate just about anything. And, don’t forget about your furry friends, local animal shelters are always in need of old towels (even if they have bleach stains and holes), blankets, newspapers and chew toys.
Promote Local Businesses
Local businesses are the cornerstone of any neighborhood, by supporting them beyond just Small Business Saturday, we help our community flourish and grow into a more well-rounded and unique place. The next time you need to do some dry cleaning, buy a gift or hit a bakery think about the mom-and-pop shop next door.
Since one of our core values is: “Concern for the communities we touch,” we’re always looking for ways to work with our residents to give back and contribute to the neighborhoods where we live.