Giving Tuesday reminds us that all gifts, small and large, can change the world

Opinion

Giving Tuesday reminds us that all gifts, small and large, can change the world

We’re wired to focus on filling our lives with more and more. Giving Tuesday is a chance to shift that mindset and choose generosity over self-interest

Dale Sutherland Fox News

Published

December 2, 2025 12:32pm EST

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It is no coincidence that Giving Tuesday falls the week after Thanksgiving. After days of filling our plates during the holiday, our shopping carts on Black Friday and our calendars during the hustle and bustle of the season, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to slow down and pour out our time, money and energy to boost others in need out of the abundance of what we’ve been given. Instead of stuffing ourselves with more, we’re invited to do the opposite and turn gratitude into generosity.

Real fulfillment is not found in consuming more, but in living with purpose and generosity. Giving Tuesday redeems the shop-filled weekend, shifting our mindset from consumption to contribution and reminding us of the impact we can have when we show up for others.

There is no shortage of people who need help, that’s why after nearly three decades of working as an undercover officer, I began leading a nonprofit with a simple but powerful mission — to fill in the gaps government programs and other organizations can’t.

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Sometimes that means purchasing special medical equipment, so that a sick child can come home from the hospital, or providing glasses for a special needs child whose family can’t afford them or placing abused children in safe homes.

Our work at Boost Others, and that of hundreds of nonprofits across the country, would not be possible without the generosity of the community. Every giving hand makes a difference.

Real fulfillment is not found in consuming more, but in living with purpose and generosity. Giving Tuesday redeems the shop-filled weekend, shifting our mindset from consumption to contribution and reminding us of the impact we can have when we show up for others

You don’t have to look far to realize needs abound in this world, and likely right next door in your own community. You may find yourself with a heart ready and willing to give, but paralyzed on how to do it. Often, our desire to make the biggest impact becomes the very thing that keeps us from taking any action at all.

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Yet, God can do exceedingly and abundantly more when we give with open hands. We see it in the biblical story of the boy who offered his five loaves and two fish. A simple meal for one fed 5,000. The size of a donation isn’t the point — the generous heart seeking to serve others is.

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This spirit of giving is not something we are supposed to tap into once a year. A generous life is meant to shape our daily choices, how we spend our time, how we treat people and how we use our resources. When generosity becomes a rhythm rather than a seasonal gesture, it shifts our perspective. We begin to notice needs we once overlooked, and we find ourselves more connected to the people and stories in the community around us.

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This Giving Tuesday, I encourage everyone to give to local and global ministries or charities. Don’t worry about the size of your gift, and don’t give performatively or for the applause of others. Give humbly, out of an abundance of what you have been given. Even a small offering, when given in faith, can have a lasting impact.

An image of a man's hand holding an open wallet with dollar bills inside.

A generous life is meant to shape our daily choices, how we spend our time, how we treat people and how we use our resources. (Photo illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

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While many nonprofits focus on meeting physical needs over the holidays, I believe the greatest need in the world today is spiritual. There is a need for hope, connection and purpose. When you partner with organizations that speak into those deeper needs, your generosity and impact is amplified.

We’re naturally wired to focus on filling our lives with more, more comfort, more things, more distractions. Yet, Giving Tuesday is a chance to shift that mindset and choose generosity over self-interest. But, we shouldn't let a calendar date dictate when to be generous, this should become an integral part of who we are, a habit that shapes our daily actions.

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The spirit of giving doesn’t depend on wealth or recognition. It begins with a willingness to use what we have to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

So, with Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas ahead of us, let’s reflect on what we’re grateful for and remember one of our greatest blessings: the ability to serve, support and lift others up. A generous heart nourishes us far more than any Christmas gift, dessert or Cyber-Monday shopping deal ever will.

Dale Sutherland is a 29-year veteran undercover Washington, D.C. detective turned pastor. He founded the nonprofit Boost Others to help schools, hospitals and homeless shelters solve urgent problems that couldn’t be fixed quickly by government agencies or existing nonprofits.

Giving Tuesday reminds us that all gifts, small and large, can change the world