The Bible is clear that as followers of Christ, we are called to live generously. Believers gave up time and resources for family and community, and the disciples gave up their young careers to follow Jesus. In the most sacrificial way, God gave us His only Son because of His love for us. A common practice in Western culture is replicating that love and generosity through the giving of our monetary assets. But how might we give intentionally through other forms?

At The Signatry, our hope is to inspire and facilitate whole-life generosity. Changing things up from the common ways of giving, we wanted to offer some ideas for practicing generosity for free, any time of the year. If you want to find ways to be generous without reaching for a wallet or are just looking to expand your whole-life generosity, this resource is for you. Think about how you can use one of these today.

Share and endorse a friend’s page on social media.

You might be surprised how important providing visibility can be for a friend’s small business, artwork, or project. Just a click of a button or quick review can go a long way. Use LinkedIn to endorse someone’s work or skills.

Make an introduction for someone.

The potential for someone’s life to completely change is quite large in exchange for a low cost of time. A simple email or logistical plan to connect two people can mean new careers, opportunities, and lifelong friendships.

Ask how you can support one another.

You can practice being a part of the body of Christ by supporting one another’s needs. Check in on a loved one to see how they are doing.

Think about how and where you shop and the impact it can have.

Already planning on spending money somewhere? Look for businesses that give back through their proceeds. Check that where you shop does not support slavery, child labor, or abuse in its production.

Share your support of a ministry on social media.

Do you consider yourself an avid supporter or close follower of some of your favorite organizations? Tell people about what your charity is doing. Shine a light on the good in the world and boost the work of God’s hands and feet.

Give appreciation and kind words.

Make it a goal to daily tell others what you like about them, why you look up to them, or how they make your day better. You can give the simple gift of putting a smile on someone’s face.

Spend intentional, planned fun together.

Entitle someone to a full, planned afternoon of fun. Whether you prepare a hike, visit a new museum, or take a nephew to a local playground, connective family and friend moments build memories.

This is no exhaustive list, but we hope you are inspired to transform the way you live generously and will challenge yourself to make intentional generosity contagious.

“Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.”

PSALM 112:5