Updated: November 18, 2023
The holidays are a good time to slow down and reflect on what’s most important. For many business owners and solopreneurs, one of those things is giving back to their community.
If you’re wondering how to give back in Tucson this holiday season, look no further! Supporting the community doesn’t mean you have to write a check—there are many other creative and impactful ways to support your local community.
Here’s how to give back in Tucson, plus 19 awesome charities with special holiday initiatives you can check out.
Time, Money, and Skills: 3 Ways to Give Back in Tucson
When you think about how to give back in Tucson, writing a check might be the first thing that comes to mind. And while so many charities and non-profit organizations appreciate additional funds during the holiday season, it’s not the only way to give back.
There are three main ways how to give back in Tucson this holiday season:
- Donate money or resources
- Donate time by volunteering
- Donate skills and talents
We’ll look at each one, but remember this: all charitable giving is beneficial. Beneficial to not only the recipient but the giver as well. One study demonstrated that volunteering makes people happier, and another study found that giving benefited both mental and physical health.
Giving back is also an important part of your business’ CSR (corporate social responsibility), and can help build company culture and connection between team members.
So, consider the options here and choose one way how to give back in Tucson that works for you and your team this holiday season.
Money
Many charities rely on the “holiday rush” of resources to keep their organizations going through the year. There are a number of meaningful ways to donate money and resources to charities in your area:
- Donate on behalf of the company: Become a corporate sponsor and donate funds under your company’s name.
- Offer payroll deductions for charitable giving: Set up the option to donate to a charity of their choice directly from payroll. This makes it simple and administratively easy to manage.
- Host a drive: Collect items such as food, clothing, electronics, or other resources needed by local nonprofit organizations.
- Give food hampers: Sponsor a family for the holidays and put together items they may need, including food, hygiene products, and gifts.
Time
Donating your time, or volunteering, is a great way to get involved in local initiatives and one key way to give back in Tucson.
Here are a few ways you can do it with your company or team:
- Have a team volunteer day: Choose a charitable initiative in Tucson and spend a day working with them together as a staff group.
- Offer PTO for volunteering: Offer your staff additional paid days off if they volunteer. You can offer 2-4 a year to claim when they spend time giving back to a charitable initiative.
- Host a remote volunteering day: Get everyone to volunteer on the same day, but with different charities. This is a good option for a remote or hybrid team spread over a few cities.
Skills
As a professional, you have skills and expertise that other people can benefit from. Here are a few ways to use your talents and how to give back in Tucson:
- Mentor or coach someone: This is a great way to pass on valuable skills and encouragement to young professionals or students in your industry.
- Host free training or resources: Use your expertise to educate the community about important topics. For example, host a “how to do your taxes” or “how to complete immigration paperwork” workshop.
- Do pro-bono work: This is often done by lawyers, but all professionals can offer their services for free to a charity, non-profit, or person in need. Think about creating a marketing campaign, offering a photo shoot, or other similar projects.
How to Give Back in Tucson: 19 Local Charities and Initiatives
There are hundreds of charities and non-profits throughout the city of Tucson that support people in need. And while most are year-round operations, many also have specific holiday events and initiatives.
Here are 19 Tucson-based initiatives to get involved in and give back to Tucson during the holidays.
Food-Focused Tucson Charities
1. Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
Responding to root causes of hunger, the food bank has been supporting individuals and families in need. They distribute food across five counties and operate many food pick-up locations throughout the area. You can support them through donations and volunteering, or by hosting your own food drive.
- Upcoming event: Winterhaven Festival of Lights from December 9-25. The event is free to attend, but guests are encouraged to bring a donation of non-perishable food or money to support the food bank.
2. Interfaith Community Services
Since 1985, Interfaith Community Services has been helping people in need to achieve stable, healthy, and independent lives. It provides people in a financial crisis with a compassionate place to turn for vital services that help stabilize their housing, employment, food, and healthcare situations. You can support ICS by volunteering or donating.
3. Casa Maria Soup Kitchen
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen is a Catholic Worker House that is committed to fighting hunger and homelessness in Tucson. They serve meals daily and provide food, clothing, and hygiene item donations to those in need. You can support their mission through volunteering or donating money and goods.
4. Felicia’s Farm
Felicia’s Farm grows and donates 100% of their vegetable and egg production to organizations serving people facing food insecurity. Unsheltered people, working families, the elderly, single parents, and more have received nutritious food to help them get through hard times. Donate to the cause financially or volunteer on the farm.
Family-Centered Tucson Charities
1. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse
The Holiday House is a donation-driven event to support Emerge’s programs. This charity helps survivors of domestic abuse in Tucson. They look for volunteers and donations to support the drive each year.
2. Ronald McDonald House of Tucson
This organization offers a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children being treated at nearby hospitals. The Ronald McDonald House keeps families together during the most challenging times of their lives. You can support their mission through financial donations (including cryptocurrencies, matching gifts, and vehicle donations).
Children-Centered Tucson Charities
1. Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona
Supporting both babies and adults struggling with incontinence to get the diapers they need, this charity encourages community members to host diaper drives. It’s a great chance to pull together and provide a much-needed resource that food stamps can’t buy for families in need.
2. Arizona Department of Child Safety Giving Tree Program
Each year, the DCS (Department of Child Safety) hosts a giving tree program to bring joy to children in foster care. Businesses can sponsor a minimum of 20 children and purchase specific, personal gifts for them to receive on Christmas.
3. Ben’s Bells
After the tragic death of her son Ben, Jeannette Maré and friends started making ceramic wind chimes in his memory. It grew to be a nonprofit organization that promotes kindness through educational programs.
- Upcoming event: Ben’s Bells Studio Workshop on Saturday, December 9, 2023. See what this organization is all about by participating in a two-hour workshop to create your own tile stepping stone.
4. Angel Charity for Children
This organization invests in projects that improve the lives of children by supporting non-profits in and around Tucson. Their annual Angel Ball black-tie gala fundraiser is an amazing way to give back to deserving children in need.
- Upcoming event: 2023 Angel Ball: Noir et Blanc on December 9, 2023. This upscale fundraising event has amazing dining, entertainment, casino gaming, and a silent auction to support the Angel Charity for Children.
5. CASA Support Council for Pima County
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. They are trained volunteers who a judge appoints to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children during a dependency case. The support council in Pima County assists in the recruitment and training of CASA volunteers. Part of their efforts includes holiday initiatives such as the Holiday Gift Card Extravaganza, Holiday Party, and Holiday Trees.
6. Aviva Tucson
Aviva supports more than 3,000 children in foster care through family support, health services, and emergency resources. Each year they collect holiday gifts to give to foster children throughout Southern Arizona as part of the Holiday Giveaway.
7. Toys for Tots Tucson
Run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots collects and distributes toys to children from families in need. In 2022, Toys for Tots distributed toys to over 54,000 children in Tucson. You can support the mission by donating finances or toys.
8. Casa de los Niños
Casa de los Niños’ mission is to promote child well-being and family stability in the Tucson community. It delivers a variety of services to effectively address the needs of at-risk children and their families. Last year, they supported over 7,700 children in our community. You can support their work through one-time or monthly giving.
9. Children’s Clinics Holiday Toy Days
Children’s Clinics is a comprehensive medical home that offers southern Arizona’s families a unique environment to meet the healthcare needs of their children. They have more than 25 medical and dental specialty clinics, primary care, behavioral health, and therapy services under one roof.
- Upcoming event: Holiday Toy Market on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. This event is a chance to visit the clinic and celebrate the holidays—each child gets to pick out a special toy and visit Santa.
10. Jewish Family & Children’s Services
Since 1941, the JFCS has served the community’s most vulnerable people with programs like financial assistance, abuse and neglect prevention, refugee services, and more. They have holiday programs including Mitzvah Magic, which helps create holiday gift baskets for families in need to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, and Passover. You can support their mission through donations or volunteering.
Community-based Tucson Charities
1. United Way of Tucson
Serving more than 180,000 people annually, the United Way of Tucson works to bring long-lasting systemic change to our community. They focus on underlying issues and fight for education, financial wellness, equality, and healthy communities. You can support their mission through donations and volunteering.
2. The Salvation Army of Tucson
The Salvation Army supports people in our community by providing shelter, rehabilitation services, and food or clothing donations. They have a number of holiday initiatives including Tucson Family Angel Tree or Adopt-a-Family Tucson.
- Upcoming event: Stuff the Bus for Local Kids on Friday, December 1. Bring toy donations to the Walmart at 7150 E. Speedway Boulevard to give back to children in need this season.
3. Gospel Rescue Mission Tucson
Partnering with over 30 organizations, the Gospel Rescue Mission seeks to end homelessness and restore lives by providing shelter, food, and clothing in addition to addiction recovery and employment or housing opportunities. You can support their mission through donations or volunteering.
Take some time to look at all the ways how to give back in Tucson this holiday season. Think about what will work for you and your team, and whether you’ll be donating time, money, or skills.
We’d love to hear what you get up to and how you give back in Tucson over the next few weeks! Reach out and share your story with us. And thanks for making Tucson an even better place for all of us to live and work.
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