How to come up with creative ways to give back

It’s giving season! Your family may want to find ways to give back this holiday season, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with unique opportunities that feel authentic to your family. But good news – there are so many ways to give, and you can even get a little creative!  

Junior Champion Bennett, 6, has done 2 fundraisers for Children’s Mercy Kansas City. For his birthday, he accepted book donations in lieu of gifts and more recently sold cookies and lemonade at the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. We talked with Bennett about how he came up with his fundraiser ideas and why he chooses to give. 

Q: How do you come up with your fundraising ideas?  

A: By making good stuff for them so people will actually buy it. I chose the lemonade and cookie stand so I could give money to Children's Mercy. I chose books so the kids can read them before they have to get their stuff done at the hospital. 

Q: How did you decide to give to Children’s Mercy?  

A: For the sick kids. Children's Mercy is a nice place that helps hurt kids. Like if there was a birthday party and somebody was going down a water slide and they went flying off and hit gravel and had to get stitches, Children's Mercy could help them get better! 

Q: Do you raise money for specific areas of Children’s Mercy?  

A: I just raise money for the hospital, that way if they need something like their windows cleaned, they can use the money for that! 

Q: What is your favorite fundraiser you’ve done?  

A: When I sold lemonade and cookies because it got me the most money for Children's Mercy and it made me feel good to give them that money. It was fun to see the bikers during the rally, but I was just happy to give Children's Mercy money. 

If you’re still brainstorming ideas, here are some local nonprofits and ways to support them: 

• Host a fundraiser or volunteer for patients at Children’s Mercy. 

• Collect diaper donations for Happy Bottoms. 

• Donate gently used clothing to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City. 

• Volunteer as an individual or set up a group volunteering session at Harvesters.  

• Make sure families receive holiday gifts while they’re staying at the Ronald McDonald House. 

• Adopt a family with Operation Breakthrough. 

Whether you find a unique way to give back like Bennett, or you support one of the causes above, you’re truly leaning into the reason of the season by helping others in the community have a happy holiday.