This year, Porter partnered with PayPal to spread the Giving Tuesday word. The financial services company is expanding its charitable efforts this holiday and matching ten percent of every donation made to its Giving Fund, up to a total of $600,000 for Giving Tuesday.
Porter called the initiative “a springboard to create a space where giving is the norm. Giving is the air we breathe. Giving is the life we live. None of us can make it alone. None of us can do what we do in this life alone and we all actually need some help sometimes.”
But financial donations aren’t the only ways Porter hopes we’ll all contribute. He also has some other ideas about how to get involved.
“Some people get blocked when they hear donate because it’s always about money and a lot of us don’t have a lot of it,” he said. The Tony winner went on to say that volunteering “on all types of levels, whether it’s at a food bank or to be a Big Brother or to mentor a young child” is important, as is “supporting small businesses.”
If you’re pressed for time, Porter notes that you can always pull a Marie Kondo. “You know those clothes that you have in the closet that you haven’t worn in ten years because they’re too small and you keep thinking you’re gonna get small enough to wear them again? Uh huh. Give those clothes away. Donate those clothes,” he suggested.
At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong way to give. As Porter encouraged, “Get creative with it. All ideas are welcome.”
His suggestions may not be groundbreaking, but they’re an important reminder of what’s truly important about the holidays.
There’s nothing like a little pep talk to get us in the giving spirit.
