I Gave My Birthday Away — and You Can Too
Turning Personal Milestones Into Community Good
As we get older, many of us find that we need fewer things. Our wants change. Our closets fill up. What grows instead is a quieter question: What good can I do with what I already have?
For several years now, I’ve made it a personal practice to give my birthday away—to donate it, quite literally, to a cause I care about. What began as a simple fundraising idea has gradually become something more meaningful: a repeatable practice that connects gratitude, generosity, and community impact.
This year, I decided not only to do it again—but to explain how and why it works, so others could adapt it in their own way.
How This Works (and Why It’s Simpler Than It Sounds)
Giving your birthday away doesn’t require a large following, a formal event, or a complicated plan. It simply means choosing a cause you trust, setting a modest goal, and inviting others to celebrate with you by giving—at whatever level feels right to them.
What makes the practice effective is not scale, but repeatability. It’s not a one-time gesture. It’s something you can return to year after year, adjusting as your life and priorities change.
More importantly, it reframes birthdays—not as moments of accumulation, but as opportunities for gratitude and outward focus.
A Note for Writers, Creators, and Community Builders
Many of us share ideas online—through writing, video, social media, or conversation. Even modest platforms shape perspective and influence behavior. That makes them powerful tools for community good when used thoughtfully.
Incorporating something like birthday fundraising into your writing or creative work does not mean turning every post into an “ask.” Often, it’s enough to be transparent about what matters to you and why. A short paragraph. A link offered without pressure. An explanation rooted in values rather than urgency.
When done well, this kind of integration builds trust rather than eroding it—and reminds us that influence, however small, can be stewarded responsibly.
From Teaching to Practice
In many communities—nonprofit, faith-based, creative, or civic—generosity is often addressed through campaigns and appeals. While those have their place, generosity is most deeply learned through practice.
When people see generosity modeled in ordinary, repeatable ways, it becomes normalized rather than exceptional. Giving your birthday away isn’t a program. It’s a visible practice. It invites participation without obligation and encourages others to imagine how they might do something similar.
Trust Without Pressure
Conversations about money can carry tension. Past experiences, donor fatigue, or cultural suspicion can make generosity feel complicated. Practices like birthday giving help lower that tension because they are voluntary and personal.
When generosity flows from gratitude rather than pressure, it strengthens trust. It communicates that giving is something we participate in together—not something demanded or extracted.
Why Small, Consistent Giving Still Matters
Communities are rarely sustained by large, one-time gifts alone. More often, they are held together by many people giving modestly, faithfully, and over time.
Birthday fundraising reflects this reality. It welcomes small amounts. It encourages broad participation. It creates shared ownership. In doing so, it reinforces a view of generosity rooted in participation rather than performance.
More Reflections and Ways to Continue the Conversation
I’ve written about other dimensions of this practice—its leadership implications, nonprofit applications, and practical mechanics—in several places:
• Leaning Leadership — leadership, nonprofit, and board-level reflections https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-gave-my-birthday-away-you-can-too-tom-sims-noguc/
- • Pastoral Excellence — congregational and pastoral perspectives on generosity and formation https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/giving-your-birthday-away-pastoral-practice-formation-tom-sims-acd2c
Medium Article (free to read): I Gave My Birthday Away — and You Can Too https://medium.com/@tomsims/i-gave-my-birthday-away-and-you-can-too-ffc74bbeb9bd?sk=0f398d113b507e01e62697a807994216
If you’d like to explore how practices like this might fit your own context—whether personal, organizational, or community-based—I also offer a complimentary coaching conversation.
Stay in touch:
Tom Sims
https://linktr.ee/tomsims
A Closing Thought
Giving your birthday away won’t solve every problem, nor should it replace thoughtful planning or long-term strategy. But it can be a small, human practice—one that aligns gratitude with generosity and personal milestones with shared good.
And once you’ve tried it for yourself, the most important step comes next:
teach someone else how to do it.
- Generosity
- Leadership
- Community Impact
- Nonprofits
- Personal Practice
Stay in touch,
Tom Sims
https://linktr.ee/tomsims
Pastor Tom's Community 
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