Updated: December 2, 2024
The holidays are a common time to slow down and reflect on what’s most important. Many business owners and entrepreneurs finish the year by giving back to the community.
If you’re wondering how to give back in Tucson this holiday season, we’ve compiled a list of ideas you can consider.
Supporting the community doesn’t mean you have to write a check—there are many other creative and impactful ways to get involved locally.
Here’s how to give back in Tucson, featuring 18 awesome charities and their special holiday initiatives.
The 3 Main Ways of Giving Back in Tucson
When you think about how to give back in Tucson, financial support might be the first thing that comes to mind. So many charities and nonprofit organizations appreciate additional funds during the holiday season, but it’s not the only way to help.
There are three ways you can donate resources in Tucson this holiday season:
- Money or resources
- Time by volunteering
- Skills and talents
There are examples below for each one, but the important thing is that any charitable giving is beneficial to the giver and the recipient. Volunteering makes people happier, and it can benefit 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 connections between team members.
Here are a few specific ideas for how to give back in Tucson for businesses.
Money
Many charities rely on holiday fundraising to keep their organizations going through the year. There are many 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 charity drive: Collect items such as food, clothing, toys, or other resources needed by local nonprofit organizations.
- Give food hampers or participate in an Adopt-A-Family program: 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. It’s also popular. A recent survey shows that 54% of people have donated their time in the last year.
Try these activities with your company or team:
- Have a team volunteer day: Choose a charitable initiative in Tucson and spend a day working with other volunteers at an event, or roll up your sleeves for a good cause.
- 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, and it’s popular with employees.
Skills
As a professional, you have skills and expertise that other people can benefit from. Put your talents to good use by giving 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, nonprofit, or person in need. Think about creating a marketing campaign, offering a photo shoot, tutoring for kids, or other similar projects.
- Share your career path: Children’s charities often focus on the critical basics of reading and writing or providing school supplies. But you can share your education or career journey with other organizations supporting older kids and foster kids.
How to Give Back in Tucson: 18 Local Charities and Initiatives
There are hundreds of charities and nonprofits throughout the city of Tucson that support our neighbors and colleagues in times of need. And while most are year-round operations, many also have specific holiday events and initiatives.
Here are 18 Tucson-based initiatives to get involved in and give back to Tucson during the holidays.
Food-Focused Tucson Charities
Helping to address food insecurity is one of the biggest ways you can give back to the local Tucson community. While the holidays are a time of celebration and special meals for some, others are struggling to put food on the table. Around 46,000 children in the Tucson area are affected by food insecurity every day.
1. Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
In response to the root causes of hunger, the food bank has been supporting individuals and families in need. They distribute food across five counties, and you can support them through donations and volunteering or by hosting your own food drive.
- Upcoming event: Winterhaven Festival of Lights from December 14th – 28th. 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. In 2023, the Tucson community donated $31,222 and over 37,000 pounds of food at this event.
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.
- Upcoming event: Gifts of Love from November 4th – December 2nd. Gifts of Love is a need-based annual drive to provide holiday gifts for children, teens, and older adults living alone. It brings joy to families living below the poverty line and to older adults who might not receive any other gifts this year.
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 and donations to those in need. You can support their mission to create decent, affordable housing in South Tucson through volunteering, advocacy, or donating money and goods.
4. Felicia’s Farm
Felicia’s Farm grows and donates 100% of its vegetable and egg production to organizations that serve people facing food insecurity. Unsheltered people, working families, the elderly, single parents, veterans, and more have received nutritious food to help them get through hard times. Donate to the cause financially or volunteer on the farm. Every dollar counts to providing food in Tucson, South Tucson, and Marana.
Family-Centered Tucson Charities
The cost of raising a family is high today, and for families facing illness or abuse, the struggle is extra difficult. These family-focused organizations help to ease the burden, and there are also events you can participate in as a group.
1. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse
The Holiday House is a donation-driven event where Emerge survivors of domestic abuse and their children can pick out gifts for each other at no cost while building new traditions. The event is supported by volunteers, and donations are accepted until December 9th this 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), or the in-kind holiday wish list is another way to give support.
- Upcoming event: Arcos de Oro Walk for Kids on December 8th. Get involved as a walker, volunteer, or sponsor for the annual family-friendly fundraiser. The event includes a 3K fun walk, free photos with Santa, and activities from sponsors and nonprofit partners.
Children-Centered Tucson Charities
If helping kids holds a special place in your heart, there are many charities in our city doing great work to support children with education, hygiene supplies, and holiday gifts. Several charities focus on foster kids of all ages.
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. Individuals can also sign up to shop for a child entering care.
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. Ben’s Bells educates communities about the benefits of kindness and the skills we need to make kindness a part of our daily lives.
- Upcoming event: Ben’s Bells Studio Workshop on December 14th. 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 nonprofits in and around Tucson. Their programs impact one million children locally. The annual Angel Ball black-tie gala fundraiser is an amazing way to give back to deserving children in need.
- Upcoming event: 2024 Angel Ball: A Starry Night on December 14th. 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 Cards, Holiday Party for CASA Children, and Holiday Giving Trees.
6. Aviva Tucson
Aviva Children’s Services 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. You can donate financially, craft or sew a gift, or support with donations of school supplies and hygiene items.
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. During 2023, over 28,000 toys were distributed to kids. You can support the mission by donating toys or donating online.
8. Casa de los Niños
Casa de los Niños has been promoting child well-being and family stability in the Tucson community for 50 years. They deliver a variety of services to effectively address the needs of at-risk children and their families.
In 2019, they opened the Kelly Early Education Center to provide a high-quality education for infants and small children, regardless of family income level. You can support their work through one-time or monthly giving.
9. Children’s Clinics
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. It has more than 25 medical and dental specialty clinics, primary care, behavioral health, and therapy services under one roof.
- Upcoming event: Adopt-A-Family is accepting donations until December 12th.This initiative is designed to support families raising a child with special healthcare needs and their unique challenges. Local businesses and individuals can sponsor a family with a $300 donation of food gift cards, household items, children’s clothes, and toys.
Community-Based Tucson Charities
These organizations support Tucson residents, businesses, and the greater community by aiming to secure basic necessities like housing, education, and employment for all. They partner with other organizations on this list to build long-term initiatives that serve the community.
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, workplace campaigns, 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 also have several holiday initiatives, including Christmas Angel Assistance or Adopt-a-Family Tucson.
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, clothing, addiction recovery, and employment or housing opportunities. You can support their mission through donations or volunteering.
If you’re looking to get involved this holiday season, there are a range of ways to get involved with local programs in Tucson. You can choose an activity that’s close to your heart and works for your team, whether it’s donating time, money, or skills.
We’d love to hear your ideas for giving back to the Tucson community over the next few weeks! Reach out and share your story with us. We appreciate you for making Tucson a better place for all of us to live and work. Does your business need more flexibility, or has it outgrown its current space? Get a closer look at our coworking offerings and book a tour today.