The season of giving has arrived. It’s that time of year when we reflect on life and when we consider everything that’s happened this year. It’s a time to embrace gratitude, humanity, and generosity. As individuals, we can’t save the world, but we can help real people in our own community. It’s simple — think globally, act locally.
We are fortunate to have so many nonprofits serving Tahoe/Truckee that support food-insecure families, seniors, children, people with special needs, the arts, animals, and our precious environment. Donating funds or goods and volunteering are great ways to support our community.
Here are some organizations and programs to consider donating your time or money this holiday season:
1. The Christmas Wish Box has been serving Tahoe Donner Seniors for 35 years. Residents of the Tahoe Donner Senior Apartments, a low-income housing center for senior citizens, fill out a wish card with specific needs like warm socks, coffee, pet food, laundry soap, toiletries, and batteries for emergencies. Donors grant wishes by purchasing requested items.
The program has been run by Jesse Griffin, 75, since she became a resident 20 years ago. “With Medicare costs rising, people are really struggling,” said Griffin. “The average income here is about $1,200 a month.”
The goal is to have all wishes granted in time for the residents’ holiday party on Dec. 8. Griffin is also hoping for a donation of a roast beef for their party, a rare treat for residents. To grant a wish, contact Griffin at xmas.wish@hotmail.com or call (530) 587-5152.
2. The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation supports and strengthens local nonprofits by partnering with donors as well as facilitating public and private philanthropy. There are multiple ways to give, such as donating to urgent funding needs, setting up legacy giving, or even starting up a new fund.
One way to donate is through the organization’s Give Back Tahoe end-of-year campaign, which highlights dozens of local nonprofits in need of financial support. Last year, TTCF raised more than $780,000 benefiting 64 nonprofits in our region. The campaign runs from Dec. 2 to 31, so mark your calendar and choose which organization(s) you’d like to support.
The foundation’s Queen of Hearts Women’s Fund has a goal of raising $12,000 this holiday season for its Senior Gift Program to deliver gift cards to local seniors who are on their own.
3. The Tahoe Community Foundation, formerly known as the Parasol Foundation, supports various nonprofits in the Tahoe region. The organization has granted $137 million over the past 29 years. The foundation’s 2025 Community Impact Grants, which total $300,000, were awarded to groups including a new kids summer program called Music, Movement, and Literature in partnership with Classical Tahoe and the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe. Other recipients were the League to Save Lake Tahoe for its Basin-wide programs addressing environmental threats to Lake Tahoe, and Tahoe Family Solutions to help expand its bilingual mental health services to Spanish-speaking children and families.
4. Sierra Community House offers a wide variety of services, including hunger relief. Every week, households may attend one of three food distribution events: Tuesdays in Truckee, Wednesdays in Kings Beach, and Thursdays in Incline Village. Distributions are open to anyone in need and recipients are not required to provide personal information. Home delivery service is available to housebound residents and short-term emergency needs.
Sierra Community House offers other valuable services such as victim support, legal assistance, violence prevention education, emergency sheltering, immigration assistance; the nonprofit can also help people sign up for services like Medi-Cal and CalFresh. The Know Your Rights and domestic violence resources are posted on its website, and the organization has a 24-hour community helpline. All services are available in English and Spanish. Individual donations of funds or food are accepted, as well as volunteers.
5. Truckee Roundhouse is a makerspace that serves the community with classes that are open to the public, memberships, and partnerships with groups like Sierra High School, the school district’s Truckee River Program, Aim High summer school program, Wounded Warrior Project, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, Tahoe Ability Program, and Keep Truckee Green, which sponsors free fixit clinics. The Roundhouse has outgrown its space at the Truckee Tahoe Airport, and thus funds are being raised to add more space for classes, members, and special programs.
“The Roundhouse is the only facility of its kind in the Tahoe/Truckee region. In a rural area where access to arts and vocational programs is limited, the Roundhouse has become more than a makerspace; it’s where people come together to support each other not just creatively, but in all aspects of life,” said Executive Director Karyn Stanley. “Every day, people of all ages come together to learn, build, and connect. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. With record participation, we’re expanding our space to meet the demand. This growth will add new classrooms, improve safety and access, and open more opportunities for youth, artists, and tradespeople across the Tahoe/Truckee community.”
Not everybody can afford to donate money. No worries — consider volunteering instead. Getting involved with your community through volunteering is rewarding in so many ways — it increases social connections and decreases feelings of isolation. It gives people a sense of purpose, provides different perspectives, teaches new skills, and can even increase one’s lifespan, according to medical studies. Chances are, there is a local nonprofit that supports the causes that you care about, one that would greatly appreciate your help.
The North Tahoe community has heart and soul. We’re diverse, connected, and supportive. The work of our local nonprofits benefits the entire community, people we know and some we haven’t met yet. Regardless, we’re all in this together.
