I don’t know about you, but the state of the world as we head into 2025 has me feeling like it’s a struggle to prioritize values like generosity.

The world doesn’t feel like a very generous place these days. Cost of living pressures continue to rise while political instability has many people feeling uncertain. The climate crisis continues to show how devastating it can be. Our digital platforms that were once spaces for connection feel increasingly littered with AI bots and misinformation. Under these circumstances, it is almost scary how easy it is to turn inward and clench our fists.

I’m feeling this so much that I didn’t even want to write this article. Is it tone deaf to write about generosity in times like this?

Yet perhaps there are simple and accessible ways to cultivate generosity in the world—perhaps even in response to the world, not in spite of it. Perhaps we can develop generous habits and build the muscle of generosity, like we endeavour to do with so many other things in the new year.

And listen, this is a judgement-free zone. Knowing how to protect your peace and give yourself what you need is so important (in fact, see point #1 below). But if, like me, you’re feeling the need for a generosity tune-up, I thought I’d offer some ideas for building generous habits—that don’t involve money. (If you are looking to be generous with your money, that was my last article!)

7 ways to build generous habits in 2025

1. Be generous with yourself

Generosity is most effective when it’s a consistent ethic—and that includes being generous with yourself. Give yourself time to rest. Cook your favourite meal. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It seems basic but being stingy with yourself is no way to cultivate a generous life.

2. Volunteer

This is low-hanging fruit for non-financial ways to be generous, but never count out the obvious answer! According to Statistics Canada, four in five Canadians aged 15 and older volunteered in 2018. Canada has a strong culture of volunteerism that was challenged during the pandemic. If it’s something that’s fallen off your radar, maybe it’s time to re-engage, whether it’s volunteering on a charity’s board of directors or lending a hand at a local community program.

3. Share your story and your wisdom

I’ve benefitted greatly from people who were willing to share their experiences and their wisdom, whether as a mentor, through their writing or speaking, or otherwise. While it might feel awkward at first, I think we would all confidently say we appreciated it when someone else did it for us. We can combat hyper individualism and isolation through the connection that happens when we share our stories.

4. Donate, don’t landfill

Most of us are aware of the threat of climate change that is being driven by extreme capitalism and consumerism. While it’s true that individual actions pale next to the need for major political and societal action, being more mindful about how we engage with consumerism is still one of the most generous things we can do for our communities and our planet. Here’s just one example: it will take more effort, but when you’re done with something, instead of throwing it away and sending it to a landfill, find a place to donate it responsibly.

5. Learn something new

Perhaps one of the most alarming ways we turn inwards and clench our fists these days is retreating into what’s familiar and rejecting new perspectives. I get it—we seek out familiarity and comfort in uncertain times. But this is a powerful opportunity to practice generosity with our time, our energy and our minds by being open to new perspectives and being willing to learn something new. For example, with DEI programs under attack, it will take more intentional effort than ever to ensure marginalized voices and perspectives are heard in our workplaces, schools and other institutions.

6. Shop small and local

Shopping at the big companies is easy and convenient, but choosing to be generous with some extra time and effort to shop at a small and/or local business makes a huge impact for a small business owner and often for the environment, too. If you’re going to spend the money anyways, why not ensure it is invested into a small business and/or in your local community?

7. Be your authentic self

We’ve been talking a lot about artificial intelligence in my courses at school this semester. It has me thinking a lot about authenticity, and how our authentic human selves are becoming even more valuable and important (if that was even possible) as our digital spaces becoming increasingly inauthentic. It’s always a vulnerable thing to be your authentic self, but I think more and more, it’s going to be one of the most important and generous things we can do for ourselves, others and our communities.

What would you add to this list?

How will you be practicing generosity this year?

Nestled amongst all your Black Friday emails, you likely have a few charities in your inbox vying for your attention this week, too.

Here’s my hot take for this post: The best charity to give to on Giving Tuesday is pretty much any charity. Let me explain.

A case for charities

This year is the first time in 8 years that I’m not working for a charity on Giving Tuesday. It felt a bit strange at first, but then I got inspired and thought to myself, That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be writing some Giving Tuesday content!

So here I am, cheering on my friends in the charity space on one of the biggest giving days of the year and sharing some insights from my 8 years working in marketing and communications for a charity.

Here’s the thing: Each year during the holidays, I watch charities fight for space in your inbox and feeds with a fraction of a fraction of the budget that big for-profit brands have—only to face a kind of scrutiny and skepticism that consumers rarely extend to the businesses jockeying for our impulse purchases.

Worse, the charity sector is facing all kinds of sobering statistics. In 2021, only 17.7% of Canadians claimed charitable donations on their tax returns, down from 23.4% in 2010 (CanadaHelps). Between 2013 and 2023, the percentage of Canadians who made any kind of monetary donation to charity at all dropped by 22 percentage points (CanadaHelps). All the while, needs at home and around the world are skyrocketing. Take hunger as just one example: this year, Food Banks Canada reported a 90% increase in visits to food banks in Canada compared to 2019. Meanwhile, on the global scale, the United Nations reports that the world has been set back 15 years in the fight against hunger.

It's against that backdrop that I write this post—not as a guilt trip, but as an encouragement to say that any donation to any charity matters this holiday season (and beyond).

Common charity concerns

Having worked in the sector, I know the common concerns about charities—often valid concerns that I understand! In response, here are some things to consider as you weigh these concerns and evaluate making a donation on Giving Tuesday…

1. What if the charity mismanages my money? My sincere question in response is this: Do you ask the same question of Amazon? Are you combing through Amazon’s financial statements each year and questioning how much their executives make? (Spoiler: it’s a lot.) Don’t get me wrong, charities’ financial integrity is important—and in my experience, the vast majority of charities are doing a lot with a little, working harder than any for-profit enterprise to extend your dollar to make the most impact possible.

2. How do I know my donation is really making an impact? Most charities have staff or entire teams dedicated to sharing their impact with you. Follow your favourite charities on social media, subscribe to their emails and read their websites—I bet you’ll be inspired and blown away. You can also use resources like Charity Intelligence to see a third-party evaluation of charities’ impact.

3. I don’t know where to start—or if I’ll even make a difference! I get it—the needs can be overwhelming. I always say we can’t all do everything, but we can all do something. Doing nothing is close to the worst thing you can do. There are so many ways to start—a cause you care about, a story you read in the local news, or a recommendation from a friend. What’s important is that you find something that aligns with you, moves you and inspires you.

With that in mind, I’d love to close by sharing five of my recommendations for the best charities you can give to this holiday season.

Five of the best charities to give to on Giving Tuesday

1. A newer or small charity

CanadaHelps reports that most charities are small, with 77% making less than $500,000 in revenue per year and 90% employing 10 or fewer full-time staff. These charities are often the underdogs doing some of the most important and grassroots work in our communities. Don’t forget them during your holiday giving!

My pick: Hashtag Hope | This small but mighty suicide prevention organization is one that I’ve long admired, even before they became a registered charity in 2020.

2. A proven and established charity

On the flip side of new and small charities are large and well-established ones, which also have their merit as candidates for your support because of their proven track records and wealth of experience and expertise. A larger scale can also be advantageous when tackling some of the world’s biggest and most complex problems.

My pick: Compassion Canada | Full disclosure, this is the charity I used to work for—but that bias aside, Compassion has a 60-year track record of proven impact that’s easy to get behind.

3. A global charity

It’s no secret that the needs around the world are urgent, from hunger crises, to violent conflict, to the fact that around the world, people living in poverty are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. These needs can feel overwhelming, but thankfully, there are many organizations addressing these issues on the frontlines.

My pick: Mennonite Central Committee | What I love most about MCC is that they address urgent needs through their relief work while also working for sustainable solutions and deep-rooted justice through their development and peace work, whether in Ukraine, Gaza or even here in Canada.

4. A local charity

Something I heard often while working for a global charity was, “Why help people around the world when we have so many needs here at home?” My answer: “Why not both?” I’m a firm believer that our generosity can be big enough to address multiple needs at the same time.

My pick: Your local food bank (such as the Daily Bread Food Bank) | With food bank usage at an all-time high in Canada, it goes without saying how important it is to support our local food banks.

5. Your friends and family’s favourite charities

If you really don’t know where to start, I’m sure your friends and family have causes or charities that are close to their hearts—organizations they’ve had positive experiences with as donors or beneficiaries. I’m confident that they would be delighted to tell you more and to see you get involved.

My pick: Christie Refugee Welcome Centre | I was introduced to CRWC through a friend’s fundraiser this year, and it was a delightful way to add a new charity to my list.

What charities are on your list?

These are difficult times for so many, but there are so many opportunities to make a difference. While times like these can make it tempting to become more insular, for those of us who can, I truly believe it’s more important than ever to prioritize generosity.

What charities are on your list this holiday season? Please share in the comments—I would love to see the comments section become a resource of charity recommendations ahead of the holiday season!

When you have a very gracious and generous software engineer for a brother, you get away with avoiding the simple and popular solution for a personal website. But listen, his skills are far too valuable to be spent maintaining his writer sister’s blog and portfolio.

So, you got me, Substack.

I’ll set the expectation now and say, like my other spaces, I don’t expect to write here often. But anyone who knows me knows that ever so often, inspiration (or holy indignation?) will hit, and when it does, I’m often surprised by what happens next.

Expect the occasional personal essay about current events, pop culture and/or social justice. In the meantime, enjoy this little landing space for alyssaesparaz.ca.

As always—peace and much love!