25 ways to be generous this summer

One of the best things about the summer season is the time and space it gives us to be more intentional with our generosity. That’s why, this summer, we want to encourage you to look for unique opportunities to share your time, talents, and resources.

Here are 25 simple ways to make the summer of 2025 your most generous season yet:

1. Set a summer generosity goal – Set aside time for yourself, your spouse, or your family to talk about how you want to be generous this summer. What goals do you have for giving your time, your resources, your words, your skills, and your money? Use the summer to explore who God is calling you to support using this Giving Strategy™ Causes and Passions exercise, and then set some goals to start making an impact on those specific causes.
2. Go for a walk and talk – Longer days and warmer weather make for the perfect environment for a little more outside time. So, invite a friend, your kids, your spouse, a struggling neighbor, or just someone in need of a little quality time to walk and talk with you. Take the time to get to know them a little better, listen to their words, and offer a prayer of encouragement.
3. Host a neighborhood hangout – Invite the families in your neighborhood over for an outdoor gathering. Meet up in your driveway or cul-de-sac, provide a few snacks, and share in some laid-back fun with the people in your community.
4. Volunteer at Vacation Bible School – One of the highlights of most churches’ summer calendar is Vacation Bible School. Spend time in prayer for the families in attendance and the leaders who will serve them. Then, sign up to serve in one of the ministry areas yourself.
5. Help with a summer mission trip or service project for teens at your church – Check in with your student pastor at your church to see what they have planned for the student ministry this summer. Ask where you can step in to help with a student summer service project or mission trip.
6. Create summer goodie bags for teachers to enjoy on their break – Let your local teachers know they haven’t been forgotten this summer. Put together some goodie bags for your children’s teachers with summer treats, gift cards, and handwritten notes of encouragement.
7. Offer childcare for a family with two working parents – Help alleviate a potential pain point for families with two working parents by providing free childcare for their kids. Offer a day or two (or more!) of babysitting while both parents are at work.
8. Go on a generosity scavenger hunt – In a world where pain, struggle, and heartache are easy to see, make a point this summer to look for the good. Take your kids on a generosity scavenger hunt of sorts, encouraging them to keep their eyes open all summer for ways they can be generous or ways they see others around them being generous.
9. Curate and share an encouraging a playlist – Support a friend with a Spotify playlist of worship songs or music that speaks to their situation. Send it along with a note like, “Listen to this when you’re on the long drive home,” or “Play this when you need a pick-me-up.”
10. Take a digital vacation day – Put down the phone, close the laptop, and give the gift of uninterrupted time to your family and friends. Make it a priority to savor some digital-free moments by staying screen-free and enjoying some quality interactions.
11. Invite someone else on a summer adventure – Planning a fun activity this summer? Invite someone else to join you. If you have space, invite a family or friend who may not otherwise get a vacation to join you on a summer trip or weekend getaway. Or keep it simpler by inviting them along for a day at the pool or a visit to the zoo.
12. Coordinate a neighborhood cleanup – Gather your neighbors to spruce up your neighborhood. Pick up trash, do a little lawn care, plant flowers, and enjoy a day of fellowship and service together.  
13. Partner with others to make a bigger gift – We can do more together, right? That’s true in most areas of our lives, giving included! So, consider making a bigger impact by partnering with others to make a bigger gift.
14. Support families who need meals in the summer – For many families, summer can be a season of scarcity. With schools closed and meals no longer provided during the day, the need for food can be great. Look for ways to donate or provide meals for families who need them most this summer season.
15. Clean out your closet – Take time to look at your clothing items to see what you and your family could offer to those in need in your community. Donate what is in good condition to a local shelter or charity to repurpose the items for someone else.
16. Host a Journey of Generosity in your home – Offer to host a Journey of Generosity this summer. It’s a great opportunity to facilitate discussion around the transformational topic of biblical generosity.
17. Support local businesses – Make this summer the season of shopping local. Whenever you can, opt to support a local business with your dollars, your business, and your good reviews online.
18. Drop off handwritten notes of gratitude to first responders – Show your support of local firefighters, police officers, paramedics, nurses, and other frontline workers and first responders. Write them personalized notes of gratitude, care, and prayers to encourage them in their incredibly important work.
19. Take a charity leader to lunch – Is there a charity you routinely serve in your community or an organization you want to learn more about? Offer to take the leader to lunch to get to know them personally, discover more about their work, and learn ways you can help.
20. Leave flowers on someone’s doorstep – With everything in full bloom, summer is a great season to brighten someone’s day with something beautiful. Make a habit of dropping off some flowers for someone you know might need something to boost their spirit.
21. Make a meal for a young family – Young parents in the throes of caring for a newborn or in the early childhood stages of parenting have a lot on their plate and little time to fill the dinner plates! Take one thing off their long to-do list by making a meal to feed their growing family. 
22. Provide free summer tutoring – Are you a math pro? A literature lover? A science specialist? Reach out to your network to let them know you are providing free tutoring sessions to help students grow in their knowledge of your preferred subject before school starts again in the fall.
23. Spend individual time with each of your kids – Nothing deepens a relationship with a child like individual quality time. Make space this summer for one-on-one activities with each of your kids. Do something they like to do, ask leading questions, actively listen to what they’re interested in, and find ways to tell them how special you know God made them to be. 
24. Volunteer at a children’s hospital – Unfortunately, summer isn’t carefree and fun for everyone. Show up for those battling illness this season by reading books, playing games, providing gifts, or spending quality time with patients at your local children’s hospital.
25. Dive into NCF’s database – Sign into your Giving Fund, and explore the charities in our database. Spend time learning about the ones that speak directly to causes you and your family care about. Then, recommend a grant to the amazing charity (or charities) you learn about!

For more ideas to infuse your summer with giving, connect with your local NCF team.