In recognition of Giving Tuesday, we reached out to three L.A.-based charities to ask what they wish you knew about donating and volunteering: Big Sunday, the L.A. Food Bank and Pasadena Humane animal rescue. (The last two are in the midst of matching fund drives, so if you happen to have $5 to spare it will be matched and magically become $10. And we'd be remiss if we didn't add that LAist.com will also be in the middle of a Giving Tuesday pledge drive if you want to support local independent journalism.)
We’re pretty sure you’re going to be blown away by the experts' answers. And — spoiler alert! — we guarantee you won’t feel guilted by any of their answers.
$5 is great. So is $1
Everyone we talked to said the same thing: A donation of any size helps. “The majority of our donations are small,” said Kevin McManus, the spokesman for Pasadena Humane, which provides services across the L.A. area and helped nearly 40,000 animals last year.
And at the Food Bank, where most of the food is donated, just $1 can underwrite four meals. Big Sunday sponsored Thanksgiving meals last week, and donations to cover the cornbread stuffing were… 75 cents. Even at LAist, a $5 monthly donation is appreciated. So, even if your last name is not Bezos or Gates, you can still make a difference.
Consider direct payments
If you decide you want to donate, say, $5 a month, you might also think, “I’ll put this on my credit card and get the points.” And no nonprofit will ever complain about that! But here’s the catch: Credit cards charge transaction fees, McManus said. And you want your entire $5 to go to your favorite cause, right? So consider setting up direct bank deposits. Or you can also go old school and write a check.
No money? No problem
Not every nonprofit is looking for money, though. “Some people really don’t have the funds to donate,” Michael Flood, the CEO of the Los Angeles Food Bank. “From a food bank standpoint, that’s no problem.”
Flood’s need is for hands. Specifically, volunteer hands to help as donated food items must be sorted, packed and boxed, and ultimately handed — literally handed — to people who suffer from food insecurity.
“Our volunteer program is huge: 16,000 volunteers, many come in more than once and help, others come in just once," Flood said. "So you do not have to be in a position to contribute money to help. The volunteer time is incredibly helpful for us.”
Volunteer what you love
Can you knit for hours? Are you a movie expert? Can you sing? Are you handy with a hammer? Congratulations, you’ve just discovered your volunteer super power.
David Levinson, founder and executive director of Big Sunday, which is a kind of LinkedIn of sorts, matching up volunteers with those in need, said your particular set of skills can lead to all sorts of volunteering opportunities. How? Set up a once a month knitting club, movie club or sing-along at your local senior center or shelter. Reach out to your local house of worship and see if they have anything that needs fixing.
If you have professional skills like organizing or video editing, organizations will happily find a spot for you. At Pasadena Humane, for example, McManus said one of the most active volunteers happens to be a guy who… likes driving. "So we have him driving kittens to their vet appointments," McManus added. "He’s zipping around town, picking up donations. If you like doing something, we’re going to find a way to use that skill.”
Start in January
Probably weren’t expecting that one, were you? Levinson said volunteering during the holidays is welcomed, but nonprofits understand you might be feeling stressed. No worries. There’s plenty to do come January, and the rest of 2024. You can spend this month reaching out to places to gauge their interest. Just look for the “How To Help” or “Volunteer” button you’ll find on the website of nearly every charity that relies on extra hands.
No lifetime commitment
Volunteering doesn’t need to mean you sign your life over. Flood, at the LA Food Bank, said he’s thrilled when folks come in and just do a single three-hour shift.
One of the most important things people can do to help animals is foster, said McManus. This could be especially good for someone like a college student, who knows they plan to travel all next summer and can’t take on a pet. So why not foster a cat until then? Don’t hesitate to tell your chosen charity: “I can only give you one afternoon a month. What can I do?”
It can be a workout
“People can be on their feet for hours, they’re surprised at how much of a workout it is,” Flood said of the Food Bank’s sorting and bagging work. “They say, ‘Well, I don’t have to go to the gym today.’”
At Pasadena Humane, there are endless piles of laundry that need folding, McManus noted. So volunteering can also do double duty for those looking to stay active. (Sierra Club trail work and Heal the Bay beach cleanups also come to mind.) If you have physical limitations, no problem. Just let everyone know up front and accommodations can be made.
Hate people? Volunteer
Maybe you have a job where people are coming at you all day and you just want to be left alone on weekends. Nonprofits can work with that. Levinson said one of his most effective volunteers was a woman who said upfront that she “was bad with people.” But she was a super organizer. On any project that involved reorganizing a supply closet, or office, or even a file cabinet, she got the call.
Do it just once
“Start small,” said Levinson. “Don’t sign on to be a mentor everyday for the next year… Don’t say you can come up with 1,000 toys [to give to children]... Say, I can come up with 20 toys. Do it as a one off. See if you like it.” And don’t hesitate to keep going until you find a nonprofit or a cause that suits your time and skills.
Sometimes, all you need to do is smile
Every nonprofit we talked to mentioned the kinds of demands that just require a smile, a friendly word, and a willingness to roll with the punches. Such as, handing out name tags. Welcoming people to the party. Directing foot traffic. Answering basic questions at special functions. Sitting down and lending an ear. Laughing and clapping in the front row while kids sing on stage. Handing out a bag of food. These are all simple acts that require very little time. Volunteering doesn't mean you need to reinvent the wheel. Just showing up helps.
It's good for your mental health
All the experts we spoke to said they are aware that many of us don’t volunteer because we fear it will be depressing, or overwhelming, or jeopardize our own mental health. Many people decline to foster, McManus said, because “it’s really hard to say goodbye” when it’s over. But, he added, “Helping people or animals helps build your own personal resiliency …I know volunteers who have struggled with their mental health and they use helping the animals as a kind of therapy.”
He said this philosophy relates to other volunteering situations as well. “No, we can’t solve hunger, but we can help the people who are hungry," he added. "That feeling, that you are helping people or animals who are in need, that feeling fills your soul.”
This story originally published in 2023.
