Black Friday and Cyber Monday may leave bargain hunters satisfied. Who doesn’t like a good deal? But there’s another way to feel good while also doing good for others in the pre-holiday frenzy.
On December 2 this year, an event called Giving Tuesday marks a global celebration filled with activities to support charities. But it’s not just the charity that gains. Researchers see evidence of benefits for the donors too. Some have dubbed it “giver’s glow” or “helper’s high”. That happiness is greatest when we give something of our own.
Take a look, for example, at MyClassNeeds.ca. It gives kids an easy introduction into the world of philanthropy that connects directly with their own world – the classroom. School is also the place that shapes everyone’s life in their own community.
On this site, teachers in publicly-funded schools across Canada post projects that need some help with funding. The projects have ranged from robotics equipment in Surrey, British Columbia, to letter shapes for learning readers in Swan River, Manitoba, to musical instruments in Fergus, Ontario.
These are projects that make a big difference to students in the classrooms, but the requested amounts are modest, often only in the hundreds of dollars. And because the fundraising is crowd-sourced, every contribution makes a difference. The need is usually for tangible items that children, like those in your own family, could imagine in their classrooms: a corner library, art supplies, or science equipment, as a few examples.
The timelines are short and the supplies are put to use immediately. Everyone benefits. Students gain from an enriched learning experience and the donors get to keep that post-bargain glow going, knowing that they are supporting the next generation.
On December 2, at MyClassNeeds.ca, if you choose a project and donate, you will receive a tax receipt. If the project you choose has an outdoor environmental focus, Copernicus Educational Products will provide 50 per cent matching funding.