The best charities to give to on Giving Tuesday (and beyond)

From someone who worked in marketing for a charity for almost a decade

Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash

Nestled amongst all your Black Friday emails, you likely have a few charities in your inbox vying for your attention this week, too.

Here’s my hot take for this post: The best charity to give to on Giving Tuesday is pretty much any charity. Let me explain.

A case for charities

This year is the first time in 8 years that I’m not working for a charity on Giving Tuesday. It felt a bit strange at first, but then I got inspired and thought to myself, That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be writing some Giving Tuesday content!

So here I am, cheering on my friends in the charity space on one of the biggest giving days of the year and sharing some insights from my 8 years working in marketing and communications for a charity.

Here’s the thing: Each year during the holidays, I watch charities fight for space in your inbox and feeds with a fraction of a fraction of the budget that big for-profit brands have—only to face a kind of scrutiny and skepticism that consumers rarely extend to the businesses jockeying for our impulse purchases.

Worse, the charity sector is facing all kinds of sobering statistics. In 2021, only 17.7% of Canadians claimed charitable donations on their tax returns, down from 23.4% in 2010 (CanadaHelps). Between 2013 and 2023, the percentage of Canadians who made any kind of monetary donation to charity at all dropped by 22 percentage points (CanadaHelps). All the while, needs at home and around the world are skyrocketing. Take hunger as just one example: this year, Food Banks Canada reported a 90% increase in visits to food banks in Canada compared to 2019. Meanwhile, on the global scale, the United Nations reports that the world has been set back 15 years in the fight against hunger.

It's against that backdrop that I write this post—not as a guilt trip, but as an encouragement to say that any donation to any charity matters this holiday season (and beyond).

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Common charity concerns

Having worked in the sector, I know the common concerns about charities—often valid concerns that I understand! In response, here are some things to consider as you weigh these concerns and evaluate making a donation on Giving Tuesday…

1. What if the charity mismanages my money? My sincere question in response is this: Do you ask the same question of Amazon? Are you combing through Amazon’s financial statements each year and questioning how much their executives make? (Spoiler: it’s a lot.) Don’t get me wrong, charities’ financial integrity is important—and in my experience, the vast majority of charities are doing a lot with a little, working harder than any for-profit enterprise to extend your dollar to make the most impact possible.

2. How do I know my donation is really making an impact? Most charities have staff or entire teams dedicated to sharing their impact with you. Follow your favourite charities on social media, subscribe to their emails and read their websites—I bet you’ll be inspired and blown away. You can also use resources like Charity Intelligence to see a third-party evaluation of charities’ impact.

3. I don’t know where to start—or if I’ll even make a difference! I get it—the needs can be overwhelming. I always say we can’t all do everything, but we can all do something. Doing nothing is close to the worst thing you can do. There are so many ways to start—a cause you care about, a story you read in the local news, or a recommendation from a friend. What’s important is that you find something that aligns with you, moves you and inspires you.

With that in mind, I’d love to close by sharing five of my recommendations for the best charities you can give to this holiday season.

Five of the best charities to give to on Giving Tuesday

1. A newer or small charity

CanadaHelps reports that most charities are small, with 77% making less than $500,000 in revenue per year and 90% employing 10 or fewer full-time staff. These charities are often the underdogs doing some of the most important and grassroots work in our communities. Don’t forget them during your holiday giving!

My pick: Hashtag Hope | This small but mighty suicide prevention organization is one that I’ve long admired, even before they became a registered charity in 2020.

2. A proven and established charity

On the flip side of new and small charities are large and well-established ones, which also have their merit as candidates for your support because of their proven track records and wealth of experience and expertise. A larger scale can also be advantageous when tackling some of the world’s biggest and most complex problems.

My pick: Compassion Canada | Full disclosure, this is the charity I used to work for—but that bias aside, Compassion has a 60-year track record of proven impact that’s easy to get behind.

3. A global charity

It’s no secret that the needs around the world are urgent, from hunger crises, to violent conflict, to the fact that around the world, people living in poverty are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. These needs can feel overwhelming, but thankfully, there are many organizations addressing these issues on the frontlines.

My pick: Mennonite Central Committee | What I love most about MCC is that they address urgent needs through their relief work while also working for sustainable solutions and deep-rooted justice through their development and peace work, whether in Ukraine, Gaza or even here in Canada.

4. A local charity

Something I heard often while working for a global charity was, “Why help people around the world when we have so many needs here at home?” My answer: “Why not both?” I’m a firm believer that our generosity can be big enough to address multiple needs at the same time.

My pick: Your local food bank (such as the Daily Bread Food Bank) | With food bank usage at an all-time high in Canada, it goes without saying how important it is to support our local food banks.

5. Your friends and family’s favourite charities

If you really don’t know where to start, I’m sure your friends and family have causes or charities that are close to their hearts—organizations they’ve had positive experiences with as donors or beneficiaries. I’m confident that they would be delighted to tell you more and to see you get involved.

My pick: Christie Refugee Welcome Centre | I was introduced to CRWC through a friend’s fundraiser this year, and it was a delightful way to add a new charity to my list.

What charities are on your list?

These are difficult times for so many, but there are so many opportunities to make a difference. While times like these can make it tempting to become more insular, for those of us who can, I truly believe it’s more important than ever to prioritize generosity.

What charities are on your list this holiday season? Please share in the comments—I would love to see the comments section become a resource of charity recommendations ahead of the holiday season!