Giving Tuesday: 5 Howell Area Nonprofits That Could Use Your Help

HOWELL, NJ — There’s no single way to show generosity on Giving Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, Dec. 2, this year, but several nonprofits in Howell are counting on end-of-the-year donations and support.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all focus on consumerism, while the idea behind GivingTuesday is to galvanize fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes.

Since 2012, nonprofits, community and grassroots groups, and mutual aid networks worldwide have used the #GivingTuesday hashtag to encourage fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes, according to the nonprofit of the same name behind the movement.

Local nonprofits remain heavily dependent on donor support. Charitable contributions increased 2.9 percent from June 2024 to June 2025, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Report analysis.

Notably, although total dollars raised have increased, year-to-date performance among supersize donors has been softer than in 2024, making small contributions more important than ever.

In the United States, Giving Tuesday is led by hundreds of communities, networks and coalitions.

Here are five nonprofits in Howell that depend on community support (donations should be made directly to each of the nonprofits below):

Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey: This organization helps senior citizens age in place and remain in their homes by providing caregiver assistance and programs to support them and their families. Operates in northern Ocean County and part of Monmouth County.

Meals on Wheels of Ocean County: Meals on Wheels delivers hundreds of meals daily to homebound seniors throughout Ocean County, providing not only nutrition but connection for people who are not able to get out often. Meals on Wheels drivers spend time with those receiving meals, providing wellness and safety checks.

Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity: The local chapter has been building homes in Ocean County for more than 25 years. They also help low- and moderate-income homeowners make repairs to their homes through the hand-up, not hand-out model in which homeowners invest both sweat equity and affordable payments to get the work completed.

Hope Sheds Light: The organization works to raise awareness and educate individuals, families and the community about the impact of addiction along with offering resources to help people achieve long-term recovery.

Animal rescues: There are several animal rescue organizations in Ocean County that assist with finding homes for dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and other animals. Here are some to consider; click the names for more information.

• Animal Birth Control NJ (ABC NJ): Provides assistance with low-cost spay/neuter for those in need and for trap-neuter-vaccinate-return efforts for cats and kittens.
• All Fur One Pet Rescue: Rescues and adopts dogs and cats in Toms River
• Calling All Cats Rescues: Foster-based rescue of cats and kittens; also maintains a sanctuary for cats in Jackson.
• K's Kitten Rescue: Cats and kittens in Ocean County, and events at its K's Catnip Corner in Toms River
• Rescue Ridge: Foster-based rescue for dogs and cats based in Howell.
• Rebecca's Rescues: Foster-based rescue for cats and kittens in Brick.

The Giving Tuesday movement encourages “radical generosity,” the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering, according to the movement’s website.

Giving Tuesday was created in New York City in 2012 with a simple goal: to encourage people to do good. Over the past nine years, the idea has grown into the global movement it is today.

Last year, Giving Tuesday participants raised a record-breaking $3.6 billion from 36.1 million participants, bringing the total raised on the day since 2012 to $18.5 billion.