For many of us, the few days between Christmas and New Year’s is a time to continue the holiday festivities with loved ones, recycle wrapping paper, and eat leftovers. And it’s also when many of us make our year-end gifts to the causes we’re passionate about. But have you ever thought about why we give so much in the last six days of the year?

The Reason for the Season

The inherent generosity of this time of year is a direct reflection of God’s greatest gift: Jesus. Our generosity is a reflection of that ultimate gift. Charles Dickens reinforced the importance of generosity at this time of year in his beloved classic “The Christmas Carol”. At Medical Teams, we rely on the gifts that we receive during this crucial period to plan for another year of providing loving, lifesaving medical care around the world.

When you give a heartfelt donation to Medical Teams, you’re doing more than just keeping the holiday spirit alive — you’re helping to change lives and provide life-saving medical care around the world.

Your generosity turns “seasonal magic” into real hope and opportunity for a mother needing an emergency C-section, a refugee father needing life-saving surgery, or a precious child battling malaria. So, while most of the world might be focused on gifts and glitter, remember this: it’s your kindness and commemoration of Christ’s transformative light that makes the season truly special.

 

A Tax Break

Giving around Christmas and the end of the calendar year has most certainly been occurring for generations given the generous spirit of the holiday. However, the current tradition of end-of-year giving in America has been heavily shaped by tax policy. From 1894 to 1969, Congress sorted out tax exemptions for charities and volunteer organizations. But 1917 was when the real magic happened. “The Revenue Act of 1917 established, for the first time, an individual income tax deduction for contributions made to tax-exempt charitable organizations.”

Over the years, tax-deduction levels have increased and expanded to cover more types of charitable organizations. In an ongoing attempt to help Americans choose how they want to meet the needs of their communities and the world, the government has continued to support these tax incentives leading to America consistently being at the top of the lists of most charitable countries. With the tax incentives running out at midnight on January 1 for the year, this deadline has long been an incentive for giving in these crucial days at the end of each year.¹

 

The Giving Season in 2024

Here at Medical Teams, we rely on generous donors giving at the end of the year to fuel our life-saving programs for people facing crisis around the world. By giving in November and December, you help us budget for the medical care, supplies, and hygiene kits that refugees and disaster survivors will need the whole year. Giving is always at its greatest this time of year and this helps us understand and plan effectively for the months to come.

At a time when many people are taking time off from work to be with family and friends, our staff around the world are working long hours to make sure that every dollar possible is raised to provide loving, life-saving care for families experiencing crisis.

We are also incredibly grateful for donors like you. It’s you who makes this work possible. You are a critical partner in helping a mother have a safe delivery. You are essential in helping a sick child get the necessary medication to help him heal from malaria.

Not only that, but you also encourage our staff when you give. This work is hard. The days are long, and the need seems endless. However, when you give, you provide us hope, courage, and the energy to keep going. We need people just like you – whether you can provide $10, or $15, or you can provide $1,000,000, we need each and every one of you, and we are so grateful when you answer the call to give.

We invite you to come alongside us this holiday season and provide a loving hand. You may not get to see the look of joy on every person’s face when they receive the care they desperately need in the coming days and weeks, but we will do our best to share with you the stories of the lives you have helped heal.

 

Be the Light this Winter

This year let’s make the holidays a time to celebrate what matters most — sharing love and making an impact on our global neighbors that lasts far beyond December.

When you give now, you’re not just checking something off your holiday to-do list — you’re joining a compassionate community that invests in real hope and change, spreading Christ’s light to places facing the darkness of war.

Let’s turn the spirit of the season into action. Together, let’s make a tangible difference and remind people near and far that they’re not forgotten. Will you give a year-end gift today and help continue this life-changing work year-round?

Make a tax-deductible gift today

 

¹Arnsberger P, Ludlum M, Riley M, Stanton M. A History of the Tax-Exempt Sector: An SOI Perspective. Internal Revenue Service. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/tehistory.pdf

 

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Tricia Caldwell
Chief Development Officer, Medical Teams International

Tricia is a people-first leader with an impressive history in sales and marketing, having served in high-impact leadership roles for more than 20 years. With an MBA from George Fox University, Tricia spent most of her career developing the for-profit side of business, leading teams at Starbucks and Stash Tea. She joined Medical Teams International in March of 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic started spreading across the world. Over the past few years, Tricia’s leadership has proved invaluable in several different roles within the organization, the most recent of which is Interim Vice President of Marketing and Development.