How To Center Community In Your 2026 Money Goals

For four weeks, we are 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 your personal values, include community support in your budget and give more intentionally. Special thanks to our partners at The New York Community Trust for sponsoring this series!

By Holly Trantham

If there is one word defining our year here at TFD, it’s community. When every news cycle centers on yet another horrendous event, we’re faced with one reminder: the way forward is through building community and solidarity. According to an American Psychological Association poll from last year, “half or more adults said they felt isolated (54%), left out (50%) or lacking companionship (50%) often or some of the time.” No one is better off living in isolation, yet somewhere along the way, social connection has frayed. Blame it on divisive politics, social media, or screens, but regardless, we have to find a way back to connection. 

Including community in your money goals does not mean shirking the responsibility you have to yourself or your family. It means prioritizing your values, and potentially reassessing what “success” means to you. Think about the goals you’ve already set for yourself this year — what do they focus on? Do they actively contribute to making your life more community-oriented and less lonely, or do they contribute to your own isolation?

Here are some guiding principles to consider when deciding to make your financial goals more community-focused:

Don’t sacrifice your own oxygen mask. This may feel counterintuitive, but the last thing you want to do when centering community and social health is to leave your personal financial health by the wayside. Once you’ve built a solid foundation for yourself, you then have the capacity to support organizations that build up your community. 

Focus your dollars within your community. While big-name national organizations often become the default, your dollar often stretches further locally. For those of us here in the NYC area, that starts with The New York Community Trust. The Trust is the region’s community foundation and plays a vital role in making life better for everyone. This includes those struggling to pay the bills, immigrant families, LGBTQ+ communities, older adults, and those with disabilities, and others. Put simply, The Trust helps everyday New Yorkers to make a meaningful impact through charitable giving. And, fun fact, that actually created the first-ever donor-advised fund in 1931.

If you want to make a difference, a Donor-Advised Fund at The New York Community Trust is the best first step. A DAF works like a charitable checkbook that lets you give tax-smart, eliminate paperwork, use a variety of assets, and give in your name or stay anonymous! You can also get advice on where to give to support the causes you care about. Your fund is invested for growth, meaning your money often goes further than through a simple donation; you can receive an immediate tax benefit, then recommend grants to nonprofits of your choice over time. Level up your giving to the causes you care about with The New York Community Trust. 

Build small, sustainable habits for giving back. It may feel like you can’t make a difference without a big lump sum, but a little can go a long way — especially when given regularly. Nonprofits love recurring monthly or annual givers, as this regular income helps them plan for the future and grow. So, in essence, they have a higher lifetime financial return than one-time donations. Find ways to (sustainably) fit recurring donations into your budget, rather than waiting until you can write one big check. 

Pick one or two spending areas that don’t always sit right with you to cut back on. The goal with this is aligning your spending with your values. You may not always be able to choose local spending over big box stores, but maybe you could order takeout from a local restaurant rather than a chain. Try a day out thrifting rather than defaulting to fast fashion. Secondhand and consignment stores are full of conversation-starting pieces…which is great for, you guessed it, making friends and building community!

Get involved in a way that fits your life. Finally, with our busy lives, it can feel hard to fit in being civically involved and/or volunteering. But there are tons of opportunities out there, even if your time is limited; you just need to know where to look for them. Here in NYC, you can use New York Cares to plug into hundreds of volunteer opportunities on the issues you care about and convenient to your location and availability. Outside of New York, find your local community foundation, and they can point you in the right direction. 

There are also groups like Board Source that will help train you to be a board member and help you match with an organization — for free. Or, if there is a local group you like, just let them know you are available to serve on their board. Even if you don’t have the capacity to give financially, your time and talent can be very valuable to grassroots organizations.

Thanks again to NYCT for sponsoring this series. Level up your giving to the causes you care about with The New York Community Trust.