You don’t have to look too far to find a headline reminding you that now is the time to make charitable contributions. For many reasons, including taxes, the end of the year is when we typically reach into our wallets and donate.

Last year, U.S. donors gave more than $3 billion on GivingTuesday alone, a record for the day of philanthropy that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. With fundraising power like that, it’s no surprise that GivingTuesday is a key part of nonprofit donor drives at the end of the year.

Of course, giving is not just a one and done. GivingTuesday, which launched in 2012 as a way to encourage people to give back, has spawned a “global generosity movement” that extends well beyond a single day.

Truly, our hearts are always open to helping—whether it’s at home, next door, or a world away. I’ve certainly found that to be true in my work.

Over the past few months, we’ve shared stories about the giving landscape, including how it’s changed since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. From crowdfunding campaigns to personal foundations to socially conscious nonprofits, we’ve highlighted the thoughtful and meaningful ways people are making a difference today.

In fact, the desire to improve lives is a key reason people give. Research shows we genuinely want to play a part in making the world a better place.

**READ:** When Health Care Costs Are High, Medical Angels Offer a Lifeline

For my friend Sharon Martinelli, that meant giving to a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe so a woman faced with medical bills could have some financial peace of mind.

Like Sharon, more and more people are becoming medical angels, and sites like GoFundMe, the largest platform for medical crowdfunding, are making it easier. Many donors, including Sharon, say they feel a bond with the people they are supporting.

Connections—to a person, to an organization, to a cause—play an important part in philanthropy. One of the joys of my work is helping people connect their values and beliefs with their giving.

**READ:** Laying the Foundation of Giving

In a story about setting up a foundation, we introduced you to a donor we called Ben. Ben’s values have always driven his giving decisions.

By establishing a private foundation, Ben was able to stay in control of his contributions, gain tax advantages, and support causes dear to him, such as education and health care.

Those two areas also figure prominently in Americans’ overall giving. Last year, individuals contributed nearly two-thirds of the $500 billion directed to charity, with education and health landing in the top five categories, according to Giving USA’s annual philanthropy report.

Yet, unfortunately, too often we feel like our donations are not producing the societal change we want and hope to see.

**READ:** Democratizing Philanthropy: Enabling Everyone to Be the Change They Want to See

The nonprofit, nonpartisan group RepresentUs is working on a solution. In a guest column, Lauren Bartolozzi, the organization’s vice president of development, wrote that a dysfunctional political system contributes to the problem by incentivizing the wrong things.

But—and it’s an important but—Lauren says we can turn things around by working together for a stronger democracy. We can be the change we want to see in the world. In this season of giving and gratitude, that sounds like just the right message.

As you review your year-end giving, are your donations where you want them to be?
Do they match your beliefs and values? To help you decide:

Spend a few minutes with our short survey and learn about next steps.

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Reach out and send us your contact information to connect and get started.

Moments. We live for them. In 2022, as we were slowly reemerging from the sadness and challenges of the coronavirus, I was fortunate to connect with family, friends, clients, and colleagues for some uplifting conversations.

Amid the uncertainty and heartbreak of the pandemic, these moments of hope sustained me as we all navigated our new norms. They also kept me thinking about how to help with the social implications of a worldwide health crisis.

During one of these talks, a colleague asked me about the giving strategy of my clients, given the pandemic and its impact on donors. My answer was straightforward: Most of my clients stayed the course with their strategic giving plans. That’s the beauty of having such plans when inevitable disruptions happen.

For clients with health care priorities, their approach was to lean more heavily to their preferred nonprofits and expand their interest to prospective organizations working on vaccines. Because they already had giving plans in place, they were able to easily adjust to match their priorities and the times.

Interestingly, I received a text early this year from a dear friend, Sharon Martinelli. Her message was short, sweet, and to the point:

“Hi, I'd really appreciate it if you would share or donate to this GoFundMe. (She included a link.) I have been supporting their monthly deficits for PT for a while and have supported the go fund me as an effort to create a cushion for safety. Let me know what you think.”

My husband and I didn’t think long. After reading the post, we matched Sharon’s most recent gift the next day. First, we trust her savvy triaging for legitimacy. As a retired accountant, Sharon has tremendous experience in vetting clients and poring over numbers of those with sizable net worth. Second, after reading the GoFundMe post, we learned the recipient suffered from mobility issues. Her fight was for time and expert care to be able to walk.

Health care costs can be staggering in the United States and can unravel the lives of so many.

19% of households couldn’t pay for timely medical care according to a 2021 Census study

Did you know, for instance, medical costs are a main factor in personal bankruptcies? A May 2023 Forbes article looked at this critical issue. The report cited a 2021 Census Bureau study that found 19% of households couldn’t pay for timely medical care. That’s almost one in five. Imagine the neighbors in your community. Could one or more be struggling, possibly quietly, with the financial burden of health care costs?

Forbes also referenced a 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In that report, the federal agency said medical debt was the leading reason debt collectors called on consumers. Statistics and reports like this reinforce why health care is such a priority for giving.

When Sharon learned that my husband and I had decided to participate in her chosen GoFundMe, she was moved.

“I love you so much for doing that,” she wrote. “Not sure why she’s so deeply in my heart but she is. I’m grateful to you and love your support.”

Of the many gifts we could have given Sharon, this one clearly meant the most to her. There is a connection here, a very direct and personal way of giving—of helping.

Moments. Of compassion and action.

Today, as you look at your priorities, what difference could you make by giving to an individual who has an immediate health care need?