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First, read the About page to learn the real wonderful meaning of this site. Then come back here for ideas.
Anonymous giving comes in many forms. Here are some of our favorite ways to give to others anonymously:
- GIFTS ON THE FLY: Gifts on the fly? You bet! The “On The Fly” method is not always anonymous, but it works well if you are able to exit the situation immediately after gifting.
My kids and I enjoy purchasing the coffee and donuts for the car behind us in the Dunkin Donuts line. By the time we are at the window, the car behind us has ordered. I always ask the employee if it is under $20, as our funds are limited. If it is, we will pay for them and zoom off. The kids are practically in hysterics by the time we are down the road. This is an extremely fun way to give, and it absolutely makes the day of the person receiving the gift!
I think of Gifts on the Fly as handing someone some money and leaving, buying for the people behind you, helping to pay for something when someone is short at the register. You can also give a newspaper to a stranger, purchase a box of girl scout cookies for your neighbor and have them delivered – there are all kinds of ways you can give. Again, not so anonymous, but so welcomed by the recipient!
- ODD JOBS: Odd jobs often seem like huge tasks to many, including the elderly, widowed or military. There are some odd jobs that can be done anonymously which are always appreciated by the recipient.
During the winter, you might consider shoveling the driveway of an away neighbor. In the summer, scrub down a mailbox or clean off a nearby sidewalk. You can also return a neighbor’s trashcan before they get home from work. If your neighbor leaves with a car and leaves another home, race to wash it before they come back!
- HOMEMADE GIFTS: Any mother will tell you that a homemade gift is the best gift of all. Especially when it happens to be chocolate chip cookies, a beautiful card or a freshly baked pie. Homemade gifts are an excellent choice for someone who doesn’t have a lot of money, but has just enough time to make someone’s day just a little bit brighter.
I have always tried to teach my children that giving a gift anonymously is the best way to make someone feel special. This lesson blossomed into what is now an amazing Christmas tradition at our house. We like to call this, “Stealth Mode.”
A day or two before Christmas Eve, we get together and make something delicious such as fudge, pies or cookies. We make enough for four houses – one on either side of us and two across the street. Then on Christmas Eve we wrap our holiday treats up tightly and wait until it gets dark. That is when Stealth Mode begins.
When the time is right, my children put on dark clothes and sneak outside through the back. Up and over our fence, and then around to their assigned house. Each delivery is made separately, so the remaining family can peek through a dark window and watch. As the child slowly sneaks to a neighbor’s house, everyone inside giggles, bites their lips and eventually shrieks with laughter when motion sensors alight! Success results in a special gift placed on the porch without anyone being the wiser.
All of my children have been programmed to later say, “We had fudge put on our porch! Did you get anything!?”
I cannot begin to tell you how much this tradition means to us personally. Everyone has learned just how fun it is to be sneaky when they give. And how rewarding.
Now it’s your turn! Why don’t you think of someone who might benefit from something tasty placed at their door? Or do you know an elderly neighbor who would smile at a child-drawn “You are Special” card placed in their mailbox? Anything homemade is appreciated, from knitting to baked goods or even homemade dog biscuits for a special pet.
Post your ideas or successes in a comment. Spread the word! How did you give a homemade gift and how did it feel!
- INEXPENSIVE GIFTS: You don’t have to give big to be “giving big.” Inexpensive gifts can make someone feel just as wonderful as expensive ones. Ideas? How about a new 7-11 coffee refill cup with a five dollar bill inside? Or a bar of chocolate left on someone’s doorstep. Any small gift snuck on a desk, in a mailbox or on a doorstep can make a person’s day brighter.
We have “You’ve Been Gifted!” forms you can use to go with your gift. It explains they have been selected as a special person, and gives the url of this site so they can read more. And maybe, just maybe, they will print some out to use on others as well!
- MONETARY GIFTS: You don’t have to have a lot of money to give a bit away. Even a $5.00 bill can buy someone a lunch or nice coffee. And even better, make them feel special.
For only a dollar, you can make someone smile. How? Print out one of our Gifted Forms and slip it under a windshield with a dollar bill. Hide in your car and watch puzzlement turn to a big grin. And chances are, the person you helped will turn around and help someone else. If you have more money, try a ten dollar bill and up!
Gift cards are wonderful tools for anonymous gifting. You can easily place a gift card from a local grocery store into an envelope and send it along. Restaurant, super store and even visa gift cards work just as well.
One of our favorite gift card ideas is to purchase one and give it back to the cashier. Tell the cashier to keep it and then scoot out quickly! Or tell the cashier to hold on to it until someone comes along that looks like they could use a bit of extra cash. This allows the cashier to feel special as well as the person who receives the card.
Don’t forget about your local charity too. If you have a significant amount of money you would like to give anonymously, send a friend in with the cash and a brief explanation. You can also flat out lie too – write a check and say you are helping a friend give anonymously when in fact, shhhhh, it is really you!
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