Print
The season of giving is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than by putting our credit union movement’s People Helping People philosophy into action? Giving Tuesday returns on December 1, offering Maine credit unions another opportunity to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to the communities they serve.
Following the incredible generosity of this month’s $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to build on that momentum in new and creative ways. Whether it’s raising additional funds for Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, supporting a local nonprofit, engaging members in acts of kindness, or partnering with area businesses, there are countless ways to make an impact—without needing a large budget or elaborate event.
And the generosity doesn’t have to stop on Tuesday! December 1–5 is also recognized as Generosity Week, extending the spirit of Giving Tuesday through International Volunteer Day on December 5. This provides an opportunity to spread kindness throughout the week and celebrate the many ways Mainers give back.
Looking for inspiration? We’ve rounded up 20 creative and achievable ideas to help your credit union make Giving Tuesday meaningful this year.
20 Ways Your Credit Union Can Give Back
- Maine Businesses Give Back Day: Invite local restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, and other businesses to join your efforts by donating $1 per purchase, rounding up sales, or contributing a percentage of Giving Tuesday proceeds to the Campaign for Ending Hunger or another charitable cause. Provide participating businesses with promotional materials to help spread the word.
- The $2 Tuesday Challenge: Small gifts can make a big difference! Encourage employees, members, and community supporters to contribute just $2 to the Campaign for Ending Hunger (or another charity of your choice)—enough to help provide four meals for hungry Mainers. It’s an accessible way to invite widespread participation without another major fundraising ask.
- Fill the Table for Maine: Create a visual display encouraging members to sponsor meals for neighbors experiencing hunger. Decorate your lobby with paper plates, meal cards, or a table that gradually fills as donations come in. It’s a fun way to demonstrate the collective impact of small contributions.
- The People Helping People Pay-It-Forward Challenge: Challenge members, employees, and community partners to make a small charitable donation or perform an act of kindness, then nominate someone else to do the same. Encourage participants to share their efforts on social media to keep the generosity growing.
- Round Up for Hunger: Invite members to round up a voluntary donation or contribute spare change to support hunger relief. If your credit union already has transaction-roundup capabilities, consider putting them to work for Giving Tuesday.
- Give $5, Tag 5: Launch a social media challenge encouraging supporters to donate $5 to the Campaign for Ending Hunger and tag five friends to do the same. Consider using a hashtag like #Give5FeedMaine to connect participants and build excitement. This can be done for a nonprofit focused on something besides hunger, too, of course.
- Casual for a Cause: Give employees the opportunity to wear jeans, festive sweaters, or their favorite casual attire in exchange for an optional $5 donation to a charitable cause. It’s simple, fun, and easy for credit unions of any size to organize.
- Adopt-a-Branch Giving Partners: Invite a local business to partner with your branch and match community donations up to a predetermined amount, such as $250 or $500. This approach doubles the impact of community contributions while strengthening local business relationships.
- Maine Kids Give Back: Partner with local schools, youth organizations, or student groups to encourage generosity among young Mainers. From penny drives and donation collections to creating posters promoting hunger awareness, there are plenty of ways to engage the next generation of community helpers.
- The Great Maine Gratitude Chain: Use social media to recognize a food pantry, volunteer, nonprofit, or community partner making a difference. Nominate another organization to share its own message of gratitude and keep the chain going. Include an optional donation link to support the Campaign or another charitable cause.
- Spare Change, Big Change: Place collection jars in your branches and invite members to contribute loose change throughout Giving Tuesday or Generosity Week. Every penny adds up!
- The Giving Tree: Set up a tree in your lobby featuring tags with specific needs from local nonprofits, food pantries, shelters, or other community organizations. Members and employees can select a tag and help fulfill a wish.
- Giving Tuesday Donation Match: Encourage generosity by matching member donations to a selected nonprofit up to an affordable amount, such as $500 or $1,000. Prefer to keep your efforts internal? Consider matching employee donations instead.
- Fill the Pantry: Partner with a local food pantry to collect its most-needed items and share a wish list with employees and members. Want to add a little friendly competition? Challenge departments or branches to see who can collect the most donations, celebrating teamwork and participation along the way.
- Coffee for a Cause: Team up with a local coffee shop to donate a portion of Giving Tuesday beverage sales to a charitable organization. Promote the partnership through your credit union’s social media channels and encourage members to grab a cup for a cause!
- Give Where You Live: Invite each branch to select a local nonprofit to recognize and support. Whether through donations, volunteering, or raising awareness, this approach empowers employees to make a difference in the communities they know best.
- The Giving Wall: Create a colorful lobby display inviting members and employees to share why they give back, their favorite local nonprofits, or acts of kindness they’ve witnessed. Watch your wall fill with inspiring messages throughout the day!
- The Kindness Chain: Ask employees and members to write down acts of kindness they’ve completed or pledge to complete on strips of paper. Connect the strips into a growing chain displayed in your branch as a visual reminder of the power of generosity.
- Holiday Cards With Heart: Spread some holiday cheer by inviting employees and members to write cards or encouraging notes for seniors, veterans, kids and adults in the hospital, or individuals supported by local nonprofits. Partner with a community organization to help deliver the messages.
- 12 Days of Giving Kickoff: Use Giving Tuesday to launch a holiday kindness challenge! Encourage employees and members to complete 12 acts of generosity throughout December, from donating food and volunteering to supporting a local business or helping a neighbor. Not every act of giving needs to involve money!
Small Acts. Big Impact.
Giving Tuesday is a reminder that generosity comes in many forms. Whether your credit union raises $100 or $10,000, collects food for a local pantry, volunteers with a community organization, or simply inspires someone to pay kindness forward, every effort contributes to stronger, more connected Maine communities.
As we head into the holiday season, the League encourages credit unions to find a way to participate that feels meaningful and manageable for their teams. After all, giving back isn’t something our movement does just once a year—it’s at the heart of who we are.
Planning something special for Giving Tuesday or Generosity Week? We want to hear about it! Share your credit union’s activities, photos, and results with the League so we can celebrate and showcase the collective impact of Maine credit unions. Together, we can demonstrate once again what makes our movement so special: People Helping People.