The holidays are a time for giving and not just because it’s the last couple of weeks of donation season for 2016 income tax receipts. That alone will have caught a lot of people’s attention, but at this time of year we need to remember all of the amazing reasons why we should donate to charity.

It’s not only those who you donate to that can benefit from your charitable donations – you and your family can as well!

To help explain, here are 7 reasons why you should donate to charity:

Donating Is Good For You: Body & Soul

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” is not just a phrase found in the Bible, many scientific studies have shown that giving to charity, whether donating money or volunteering time, makes people happier, longer. And when you are happier, you are healthier! One study showed pleasure centres of participants’ brains lighting up after donating money. How’s that for instant gratification?!

Helping charity can make you more thankful for the things you already have. Recognizing that you are in a position to be able to give can help you feel grateful day to day. You’ll also feel great about yourself, helping to build up your own self-esteem and self-worth! If nothing else convinces you, help charity to help yourself!

Think About Your Tax Rebates

As mentioned before, we’re in the last couple of weeks of donating for your 2016 tax receipts. Holidays are a big time for charities as people feel that wonderful giving spirit. While you’re already feeling great about giving, don’t forget that you’ll feel even better when you don’t have to pay as much come tax season! That’s always a nice bonus.

Meet New People

Giving your time or your talent can be just as, if not more, valuable as giving your treasure. Volunteering can help you experience all the personal benefits with the added bonus of also letting you meet new people. Those people will have shared values, potentially leading to some new quality friendships that can last a lifetime.

Donating Can Be Good For Your Budget

It’s great to give once in awhile, but if you can build it into your regular budget, why not? Not only will that mean more help for those in need, but you’ll have these great benefits across a long term period! Plus, knowing you have to set aside a certain amount of money each month will turn your focus towards the rest of your budget. Closer attention to your overall spending can mean you’re actually saving money every month, leaving more money in your pocket.

Be a Role Model

Keep an open dialogue with your kids about your charitable work. Talk to them about where you’re donating and why. Tell them the reasons why helping people in need is so vitally important. Share with them why it’s great that your family is able to do this wonderful act. 

The more your children see all of this, the more likely they are to grow up with a charitable and giving mindset of their own. This time of year is the perfect time to get your kids involved – malls and stores in your community are likely to have some sort of charity set up ready to receive donations. After you’ve taken them shopping or had their picture taken with Santa, take them over to the nice people at the charity to say hello!

Bond With Friends and Family

Get everyone you know involved! Charity needs to be a community-wide effort. Arrange a social gathering to plan fund-raisers. Get together with your friends and bake things to sell. Host a charity auction in your community. Gather people together and make giving a fun experience for one and all! 

Build a Better Future

Don’t forget the real reason charity matters – the people who benefit from the monies raised and aid given.

Even the smallest donation can create considerable, long-lasting changes.

I believe in supporting local first. I give at my local church first and foremost, but I also support charities who directly benefit my community. After that I donate to causes which help my region, my nation, and lastly, the world. Today I’m sharing with you just one of the charities I support with my time, talent, and treasure.

With The Grocery Foundation, a not-for-profit organization I’ve worked with since 2013, when you donate to them not only are you impacting children in the short term – improving nutrition and ensuring a better education – you’re also creating long-term change. With a good start, those children will grow up healthy and happy. Those children are more likely to graduate and create even more opportunities for themselves in the future.

New for 2017, Toonies for Tummies (#toonies4tummies), brought to you by The Grocery Foundation, will expand west with Save-On-Foods, February 9-23, 2017. Over 150 Save-On-Foods stores will be supporting Toonies for Tummies benefiting local student nutrition programs in western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) in the communities of the participating stores. More than 355 Ontario stores will be participating again; including Metro, Food Basics, Longo’s, and participating independents. 

Since 2000, with public and industry support, the Toonies for Tummies campaign has raised $14,986,614. 100 percent of those funds raised have gone back in to the communities where the monies were donated.