Since February, we've been bringing you Committing To Community: weekly prompts designed to help you rethink your personal and financial goals for 2026 in light of today’s political and economic realities. Instead of encouraging you to focus on restrictive or individualistic goals, we’re inviting you to consider the broader impact of both your money and your time: how to align spending with their personal values, budget for community support, and give more intentionally. Special thanks to our partners at the New York Community Trust for sponsoring this series!
By Holly Trantham
As much as we love focusing on ways to be more involved in our communities, getting out there and actually doing things isn’t always a simple task. On top of the bleak realities we often see in the news, we have our own lives to deal with, too. It can be difficult to find the time and energy to consistently show up in all the ways we’d ideally like to for our communities.
Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to be a better community member without leaving the comfort of your home (or your couch). One of the most low-touch but high-impact ways is to plan your giving strategically. For those of us in the NYC area, that starts with a Donor-Advised Fund (commonly known as a DAF) at The New York Community Trust. A DAF works like a charitable checkbook that lets you give tax-smart, eliminate paperwork, and use a variety of assets to fund it. Your fund is invested for growth, meaning your money often goes further than through a simple donation. A DAF is also convenient because you can receive an immediate tax benefit with your gift then recommend grants to nonprofits over time.
And for those of us concerned with being more involved in our local communities, the great part about setting up your DAF with a community foundation, like The New York Community Trust, is that you are supporting an organization that plays a vital role in forwarding local systemic change. Donating through a community foundation can be a thoughtful, ethical, and thorough way to get money to a particular community in need — yours or others. Level up your giving with The New York Community Trust.
Of course, that’s just one way to get involved. The next time you find yourself doomscrolling, redirect your attention to one of these options instead:
Research and follow. There are organizations near you doing great work in your community. These groups usually have Instagram or Facebook pages posting free events you can get involved with. Start by just following them online.
Support local, even when you feel like being lazy. Order a meal from a local restaurant and do it directly, rather than via an app. This puts more money in local businesses' pockets. Remember they are on the apps out of business necessity, not because it’s actually more lucrative for them.
Attend a virtual community meeting. Many town halls and other local government meetings now have the option to attend via Zoom. Here in NYC, you can start by finding your local community board and checking out their schedule of meetings. Pro tip: find meetings that say “livestream available” in their agenda, even if they aren’t listed as fully remote.
Research low-commitment volunteer opportunities. Many organizations allow you to volunteer remotely, such as with a crisis hotline or phone or text banking for a local election. Check out New York Cares to get matched with a group.
Scroll strategically. Use your time on social media to find and share events being put on by local grassroots organizations, or fundraisers your network is participating in.
Support fundraisers monetarily (when you can). Even just ordering Girl Scout cookies — one of life’s simple joys — can be done online now. Here in NYC, I love supporting Troop 6000, which serves girls and families in the city’s shelter system.
While this is the end of our short series Committing to Community, it’s nowhere near the end of our journey exploring the impact of personal connections in our lives. On that note, stay tuned for more exciting community-related updates from us here at TFD in the coming months!
Thanks again to The Trust for sponsoring this series. Level up your giving to the causes you care about with The New York Community Trust.
