Giving is Personal: 6 Ways to Express Yourself Through Your Giving

You know that feeling when the air gets crisp, the smell of pine (or maybe a cinnamon-scented candle) starts wafting through the house, and your calendar suddenly explodes with cookie swaps and family dinners?

The holidays have a way of hitting the pause button on our everyday hustle. We find ourselves baking, gathering, and giving. Of course, we care all year long. But this season has a special way of reminding us how connected we are and bringing that generous spirit to the forefront of our minds.

What Does Giving Mean to You?

So, before you figure out how to give, it helps to ask why you give.

This isn’t a pop quiz, and you don’t need to go on a deep, soul-searching retreat. It’s just a little self-reflection. And truly, people self-reflect constantly without even realizing it. 

We take personality quizzes to see if we’re an “introvert” or “extrovert.” We look up our “love languages” (acts of service, or words of affirmation?) or ponder whether we’re acting like an eldest child or the youngest. Are you an ENFJ or an ISTP? A Virgo or a Capricorn? 

The more we understand our own motivations, whether we’re driven by logic, a sense of community, or just a gut feeling, the more intentional we can be about our giving. 

And intentionally matters. Your capacity to give, just like your energy, isn’t bottomless. You only have so much time in the day. Giving is the same—it’s not an infinite well.

So, the best way to make it count is to make it you. Think about how you show up for others in your daily life.

• Are you the first person to text, “You okay?” when a friend is having a bad day?
• Are you the one who quietly organizes the group gift for a coworker, collecting all the money so no one else has to?
• Or maybe you’re the one who bakes a casserole for the new parents on your street, because you know they haven’t eaten a real meal in 72 hours.

When your giving is intentional, it stops feeling like another “to-do” on your list and just becomes a reflection of who you already are.

6 Ways to Express Yourself Through Your Giving

There’s no one right way to give. Here are a few examples of how different people might express their generosity. See if any of them sound familiar or spark inspiration.

1. The Overscheduled Parent

You feel like your brain has 20 tabs open at all times. You’re juggling lunches, deadlines, “Did I remember to move the laundry?” and… wait, what was I saying? You care deeply, but you just don’t have time for a three-hour deep-dive into charity financial statements.

Your giving might look like sending a quick e-transfer to a friend’s fundraiser or giving your empty bottles to the local hockey team (one less errand for you). Your time is stretched thinner than the elastic on your favourite pair of sweatpants, so you need the ‘one-click’ version of making a difference.

You can make it happen by joining a Cause Fund. Cause Funds let you bypass the overwhelming research by giving to a single fund focused on an issue you care about. Your gift is then pooled with others and directed by trusted experts to the front-line charities where it will make the biggest impact. 

Explore our list of Cause Funds and find one that speaks to you.

2. The Community Champion

You’re the kind of person who knows all of your neighbours (and invites them over regularly). You love this street, this park, these people. Your heart is right where you live, and you’re proud of it.

Your giving might look like organizing the annual neighbourhood block party or running the school’s bottle drive. You’re the first to shovel your elderly neighbour’s walk, hit the pavement to search for a lost pet, or encourage people to participate in local celebrations. You want your impact to be felt right here, on the sidewalks you walk every day.

You can make it happen by finding ways to support community initiatives. Support programs run by your local charities, like your local churches, food banks and school districts. Visit their websites and social media accounts to see what events they have happening in your area. 

In your Impact Account mobile app, tap “Search & give” and allow location services to see registered charities making a difference right near you. Or search for charities by location from your desktop. 

3. The Practical Planner

You’re the kind of person who likes a good, solid plan. You get a little thrill from a well-organized spreadsheet, while spontaneous detours send you into a spiral. For you, giving is a line item in your annual family budget. You probably also identify as type A, an Earth sign, eldest sibling, or an ISTJ. 

Your giving might look like building generosity right into your daily routine. You take advantage of “buy one, get one” sales at the grocery store, where you know that extra can of soup is going right in the food bank bin on your way out.

You can make it happen by treating giving like any other important part of your budget. Set up an automatic donation into your Impact Account and a recurring gift to your charity of choice. (Bonus: you’ll also know how much of a charitable tax receipt you’ll have well before tax season!)

Set up scheduled donations into your Impact Account and recurring gifts to your favourite charities.

4. The Digital Amplifier

You’re the kind of person who uses social media as your connection to the world. It’s how you see photos of the family members you love, reconnect with old high school friends, and find out what’s happening in your local community group. You’re just as likely to share a laugh-out-loud meme as you are to share a post about a lost dog in the neighbourhood.

Your giving might look like using your digital voice, no matter the size of your audience. A “like” isn’t just a like. It’s engagement. A comment boosts the post in the algorithm. A share introduces a cause to a whole new audience. Some people might dismiss it as “slacktivism,” but we know better. 

You can make it happen by giving visibility to a cause or charity you care about. Even when you’re relaxing after a long day, you can like or repost the content from a local shelter. Or, share an article on giving back from a philanthropic influencer. It’s a simple, powerful way to expand reach, which helps charities get more support and the resourcing they need. 

5. The Connection Creator

You’re the kind of person who makes small talk with everyone, and you genuinely enjoy it. You’ll happily strike up a conversation with the person in line at the grocery store. You’re a great listener, and you have a special knack for making people feel truly seen and heard.

Your giving might look like showing up for people, whether they ask you to or not. You’re the one who went over to the new mom’s house and just did her dishes and laundry while she slept. You’re the first to drop off a hot meal (in a container you don’t need back) for a family going through grief. 

You can make it happen by… well, you’re kind of already doing it, aren’t you? And we love you for that. But you could maximize that superhuman power by starting a Giving Group. Think of it as your own personalized fundraising page—people can donate to support your giving, and you can direct the funds to charities that matter to you, whether that’s the seniors’ home down the street, a local animal shelter, or any registered charity you choose. The people you help, or even just those who see your beautiful gift for giving, can pay it forward by donating to your Group. (Trust me, they’ll want a meaningful way to say thank you.) Then, the next time you’re bringing cookies to the seniors’ home, you can also gift them a quiet donation from your growing pot of funds.

Learn how to create a free Giving Group.

6. The Skillful Supporter

You’re the kind of person who is truly passionate about your craft. You have a job, skillset, or talent that you’ve probably turned into a career, but you also find yourself using those skills any chance you get. You’ve always got a side project on the go and you’ll happily teach anyone who will listen how to do what you do.

Your giving might look like being the person that friends and family call to help build, create, or fix things. They know you’re good at it and that you secretly love the challenge. You’re the one helping a friend build a website for their new business, hanging pictures perfectly level, or installing a new light fixture. You’re “working for free” all the time, but it fills your cup.

You can make it happen by volunteering those exact skills to charities or local non-profits. They often don’t have the funds to hire professionals but could seriously use the help. Are you a writer? Offer to draft a newsletter for a small charity. A great organizer? Help coordinate their next food drive. A coder? Help a non-profit fix that one annoying bug on their site. 

Ask your employer if you can use some work hours for pro-bono services. You get paid, the charity gets expert help, and your company fulfills their corporate responsibility goals. Or ask your employer if they would create a corporate matching program. For every dollar you donate to your Impact Account, they match it—doubling your support for the charities you’re helping. Chat with us for help setting up a matching program.

Whether you see yourself clearly in one of these, a mix of all of them, or something else entirely, what matters most is that your giving feels like you.

Once you know that, the rest becomes easier and far more meaningful.

Giving isn’t about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it personally. When your generosity is a true reflection of who you are, it stops being an obligation and becomes something you simply do.

You don’t have to choose just one style. Most of us give through our time, our skills, our money, and our relationships all at once. The important part is to recognize it, own it, and keep going.

Explore your Impact Account to express your giving, your way, with our support.