Gifts Don’t Need Glitter…Just Community

’Tis the season! When our inboxes light up like the “Parade of Lights” and every nonprofit shows up on your doorstep with their hand out and their hopes high. Folks start talking about “generosity” with the same intensity they use when arguing over who makes the best mac and cheese at the family function.

Let’s keep it real:

When you’re a have, giving feels good… but sometimes it comes with that little whisper of guilt. That voice saying, “You could do more.”

And when you’re a have-not? Whew. Giving from your need—your last $10, your spare time, your stretched-thin energy—that’s not a holiday campaign. That’s a lived tradition/culture in historically marginalized communities.

We’ve been giving from the overflow and the underflow. Grandma gave it when she didn’t have it. The church passed blessings long before passing the plate. Neighbors showed up because someone always needed something—a meal, a ride, a witness, a word. Those gifts didn’t come wrapped in ribbons, but they carried us.

So yes, the giving season is here. But for our communities, giving never waited for a calendar. It’s who we are. It’s how we survive. It’s how we love. We’ve always known the difference between shiny gifts and meaningful ones, and community has always been the real sparkle.

And still, our organizations—especially Black-led nonprofits—are carrying the weight, meeting needs that never take a holiday break. They’re stretching every dollar like it came with elastic, pushing impact far beyond what their resources should allow. No glitter, just grit, grace, and community. That’s why this season matters!

Giving doesn’t have to be big to be powerful. It doesn’t have to be public to be meaningful. And it doesn’t have to break you to build community. When we show up collectively and consistently, every gift becomes part of a larger story. The thanks isn’t just for the act. The thanks is for the change we’re willing to invest in. For the future we’re determined to build. For the vision we refuse to let go of.

That’s the heart of BRIC: collective investment, collective action, collective power. Building strong, resilient communities BRIC by BRIC.

So as you move through this giving season, give with joy. Give with intention. Give in ways that honor your journey and fuel our shared impact. Because gifts don’t need glitter, just community, and we’ve always had that. Every offering, big or small, is a seed pushing us closer to the change we envision becoming real.

And when we invest together, our communities rise together. THAT is generosity worth celebrating.