‘Tis the season….to be inundated with messages about giving. The moment we open our emails, we become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of donation requests that decorate our inboxes like tinsel on trees. Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely love that warm feeling that the holiday season provides, but we have a little qualm with its name. By definition, “seasonal” language enables us to believe that out of 365 days of the year, just 61 days deserve our philanthropic attention and efforts (that’s just 17% of the year)! We can all agree, present season is incredible, filled with feelings of gratitude and goodness. But here at Humanified, we want to set a new precedent. Let’s keep the seasoning to the food industry–giving should be all-year-round!
Did you know that many nonprofits raise up to 50% of their annual funds from year-end donations? In fact, approximately 31% of annual giving occurs in the month of December alone, and 12% of all giving happens in just the last three days of the year1! Now envision a world where each month had an important push (like GivingTuesday, which is set on the first Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday every year). Just think of how many more resources we could provide. Imagine how many more programs nonprofits could provide if they weren’t limited by the uncertainty of fundraising goals to be met Q4. It is an exciting, world-changing prospect!
Humanified followers are hungry and know that our acts of kindness deserve more time than mere months! We know that if we took the word seasonal out of service, the world could reach new potential in terms of fundraising and civic engagement. Simply put, every day we have the ability to do something kind; to give a little and get a lot back. As humans, we have a responsibility to care for one another, to close that empathy gap we previously discussed and make this world better for the generations to come. It’s time to transform tradition and make doing good go the long haul, 365-day-style. Kindness is #notjustaseason anymore. It’s a lifestyle