Give NOLA Day: A Family Opportunity to Support Nonprofits

csalvant
22 hours ago
3 min read

Give NOLA Day is more than a day of giving. It’s an opportunity to teach our families about generosity, community, and the impact of supporting organizations that are doing meaningful work right here at home.

One of the best parts of Give NOLA Day is that it can become a family discovery project. Instead of just choosing a nonprofit at random or because you see their commercials, families can take time to research organizations together, learn what each one does, and decide where their support matters most. It’s a wonderful way to involve children in the process and help them understand that giving is not just something adults do — it’s part of building the kind of community we want to live in.

Start With a Budget

Before choosing nonprofits to support, decide on a giving budget. This doesn’t have to be large to be meaningful. In fact, what matters most is intention.

A simple example might look like this:

Total Give NOLA Day budget: $100
Choose 4 nonprofits to support
Give $25 to each organization

Or you may choose to give:

$10 to 10 organizations.
$50 to 2 organizations.
A smaller amount to several groups you want to encourage.

The goal is not how much you give compared to someone else. The goal is to give intentionally.

Make It a Research Project

Turn nonprofit giving into a family learning experience. Sit down together and ask:

What organizations are serving our city?
Which causes matter most to our family?
Who is helping children, families, seniors, animals, education, food security, or the arts?
Which nonprofits are making the biggest difference in ways we care about?

This process helps everyone learn more about the needs in the community. It also gives families a chance to talk about values, compassion, and what it means to support others well.

Decide Who You Will Support and Why

Once you’ve done your research, talk as a family about which organizations you want to support and why.

Maybe you choose:

A food pantry because you believe no family should go hungry.
A children’s organization because you care about the next generation.
A women’s shelter because safety and healing matter.
A nonprofit supporting the unhoused because housing shouldn’t be a luxury
A literacy nonprofit because reading changes lives.
A local arts organization because creativity strengthens community.

When you decide why you’re giving, the gift becomes more meaningful. It also helps children understand that giving is connected to purpose.

Give With Intention

After choosing the organizations, decide how much to give to each one. Some families may divide their budget equally. Others may give more to one organization that feels especially close to their hearts.

For example:

$25 to an environmental organization.
$25 to a children’s nonprofit.
$25 to a women’s organization.
$25 to a literacy or education nonprofit.

You can also involve children by letting them help choose one nonprofit or decide how to divide part of the budget. Even a small amount gives them a sense of ownership and teaches them that they can be part of something bigger than themselves.

Support Beyond Money

While Give NOLA Day is about financially supporting nonprofit organizations, you may realize that there is more need than you can support monetarily. You can save some for a later donation or consider other ways to help them.

Can you:

Follow them on Social Media
Share their events and activities
Become a volunteer
Serve on their board
Contact them for a list of needs
Support legislation that promotes their efforts

Why This Matters

Giving teaches empathy. Research teaches awareness. Together, they create a beautiful lesson in community responsibility.

Give NOLA Day gives us a chance to pause and ask: What kind of city do we want to help build? And how can our family be part of that?

When we choose to support nonprofits with intention, we’re not just making a donation. We’re investing in people, families, and futures.

And that is a lesson worth passing on.

Here’s a list of nonprofits to help you on your journey.