Even in times of uncertainty, the holidays are a season of giving. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, even though some donation amounts might decline, most Americans still intend to make holiday donations this year.
One way this can be done is through a Light the World Giving Machine, giant vending machine-style kiosks, which can be found in 126 cities across 21 countries and on six continents.
First debuted in 2017, the Giving Machine is a project of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is inspired by a core teaching to “love one another.”
The kiosks make donating easy and engaging, allowing users to pick a specific dollar amount or item to contribute to a specific charity.
For instance, you could spend $35 and give a solar lamp to a refugee family, or provide malnutrition treatment to refugee children with a gift of $85, both supported by the UN Refugee Agency.
“Instead of purchasing candy or snacks from a vending machine, people buy goods and services to support those in need. It’s a machine that enables a person to give — rather than receive,” a press release from the Church said.
“Items vary by city, but a typical machine includes food, clean water, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education support, hygiene kits, bedding, job and career training, and even livestock such as chickens, goats, pigs, and beehives.”
When donations are transferred to each nonprofit organization, the Church also provides an itemized list of what was purchased, to make sure that every donor’s gift is delivered as intended. Organizations then have 12 months to fulfill the “orders.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covers all operating costs, ensuring that 100% of each donation goes directly to the participating nonprofits, according to the press release. The Church reportedly does not receive any financial benefit from this initiative.
Nonprofits can use up to 10% of their Giving Machine donations for overhead costs, but most choose to use much less or none, according to the Church.
Since the project’s inception, nearly $50 million has been donated by people across the globe through the kiosks. Each user receives a card that represents their donation once it is processed at the Giving Machine.
In 2024, 2 million meals were donated to feed people in need, 500,000 children were provided with polio and measles vaccines, 125,000 refugees received emergency food boxes, and more.
In 2025, more than 4,000 items will be available to donate worldwide from over 500 local nonprofit organizations. Twelve global participants are also included in this year’s festivities.
They include: the American Red Cross, CARE, Church World Service, Days for Girls International, Lifting Hands International, Mentors International, Right to Play, Special Olympics, Splash, USA for UNHCR, UNICEF, and Water for Good.
“These cards in the machine might just look like cards, but they’re giving back girls dignity and health and opportunity,” Tiffany Larson, CEO of Days for Girls International, said. The organization alleviates period poverty for women.
The impact is tangible for the people supported by the Giving Machine’s nonprofit partners, but it also instills a love of giving in the hearts of families every holiday season.
“My wife and I want our kids to experience the joy of giving,” one father told the Church after visiting a Giving Machine.
“Watching them choose a chicken, a book, or a baby blanket for someone else was a powerful lesson for them to learn. I’m so proud of my kids for sacrificing what little they have and loving it.”
Giving Machines are beginning to pop up around the world and will be on display in various locations during November and December of this year.
“It’s so fun to think about how what begins as a three-to-five-minute experience in front of one of these machines turned into a lifetime change for a family or even just one young woman,” the Church’s Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman said in a statement.
“That’s such an amazing and remarkable thing for all of us to be able to participate in.”
Where to find a Light the World Giving Machine this year:
- Adelaide, Australia
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Arlington, Texas
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Austin, Texas
- Bacolod, Philippines
- Bakersfield, California
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Barcelona, Spain
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Boise, Idaho
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Brisbane, Australia
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Caldwell, Idaho
- Calgary, Alberta
- Canberra, Australia
- Cebu City, Philippines
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chicago, Illinois
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio
- Davao, Philippines
- Denver, Colorado
- Iowa City, Iowa
- Detroit, Michigan
- El Paso, Texas
- Elko, Nevada
- Eugene, Oregon
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Fresno, California
- Gila Valley, Arizona
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Grapevine, Texas
- Guadalajara, Mexico
- Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Hamilton, New Zealand
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Henderson, Nevada
- Hilo, Hawaii
- Hobart, Australia
- Hong Kong, China
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Houston, Texas
- Huntington Beach, California
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Kennewick, Washington
- Kona, Hawaii
- Lahaina, Hawaii
- Laie, Hawaii
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- Logan, Utah
- London, United Kingdom
- Los Angeles, California
- Manila, Philippines
- McAllen, Texas
- McKinney, Texas
- Melbourne, Australia
- Meridian
- Modesto, California
- Montreal, Quebec
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Nashville, Tennessee
- New York City, New York
- Ogden, Utah
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Orem, Utah
- Orlando, Florida
- Panama City, Panama
- Perth, Australia
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Pocatello, Idaho
- Portland, Maine
- Portland, Oregon
- Prescott, Arizona
- Queen Creek, Arizona
- Querétaro, Mexico
- Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
- Reno, Nevada
- Rexburg, Idaho
- Riverside, California
- Rome, Italy
- Sacramento, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Antonio, Texas
- San Clemente, California
- San Diego, California
- San Luis Potosi, Mexico
- San Salvador, El Salvador
- Santiago, Chile
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Seattle, Washington
- Show Low, Arizona
- Snowflake, Arizona
- Spokane, Washington
- St. George, Utah
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Sugar Land, Texas
- Summerlin, Nevada
- Sydney, Australia
- Tacoma, Washington
- Tampa, Florida
- Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- The Woodlands, Texas
- Tokyo, Japan
- Torreón, Mexico
- Tucson, Arizona
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Victoria, British Columbia
- Vienna, Austria
- Waco, Texas
- Washington, D.C.
- Wellington, New Zealand
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Header image courtesy of Giving Machine Denver
