Many ways to get into the spirit of giving this holiday season

Philanthropy has been in the news a lot lately. Two of the biggest news stories about giving have been Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that he and his wife plan to donate most of their Facebook shares to charity, as well as a new movement called “Giving Tuesday,” a spin-off of the “Black Friday,” “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday” concepts designed to spur more charitable giving.

The Christmas season is traditionally a busy season for giving, with the familiar bell-ringers and uniform-clad Marines out in force to collect toys and donations for the needy. It’s a time when many of us — whether for tax reasons or simple altruism — dig deep into our checkbooks to support the causes we hold most dear.

When times are tight, however, it’s not always easy to get into the spirit of giving. Many of us have trouble just making ends meet — much less finding extra to help those less fortunate.

But one doesn’t need to have Zuckerberg money to make a difference. In fact, charitable giving doesn’t have to mean parting with money at all.

Volunteering is one of the most impactful and helpful ways to make a difference in your community. A few hours at the local food bank or animal shelter can go a long way toward helping the overworked volunteers and staff there have a bit easier time of it this holiday season. There are dozens of nonprofit groups in our area that can use a helping hand this time of year and — while money is always appreciated — most are more than willing to put some good old fashioned elbow grease to good use.

It doesn’t matter whether you decide to give money to a national charity, donate to a local nonprofit, buy a gift at a giving tree for a kid or swing by the local senior center to chat with elders. What matters is the thought and effort given in service to others. There’s nothing more gratifying than to know that your generosity has helped brighten someone else’s holiday spirits.

With holiday giving, it truly is the thought that counts.