Giving Machines are a modern twist on our holiday generosity, where you can choose a gift to give to a stranger.
Instead of a snack or soda, these vending machines dispense donations to a local or international charity of your choice, starting at $5. Choose the item you want to give, and swipe your credit card. It’s that easy.
The Giving Machines arrive today - Giving Tuesday, Nov. 30 - at Rockefeller Center, and remain through New Year’s Eve.
Photo: Catholic Charities of NY
It’s a time when hundreds of thousands visit the festive holiday destination every day, including to see the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, being lit for the season on Wed., Dec. 1., the festive holiday windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, and the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City with the world-famous Rockettes.
So it’s a great opportunity to visit the Giving Machines to make a holiday donation of $5 to $250, to donate items to the needy locally and internationally, with a swipe of a credit card and the push of a button.
It’s a teachable moment for kids, to choose the gift they want to give, from school supplies to a well for clean water.
International charities you can donate to at the Giving Machines include:
- CARE
- UNICEF
- USA for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency)
- WaterAid.
Participating local charities include:
- Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York
- The New York Board of Rabbis
- The Mariano Rivera Foundation
- The Actors Fund.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which operates the Giving Machines, covers all administrative costs to ensure 100% of each donation goes directly to charity, through it’s program Light the World.
Photo: Light the World Giving Machine
Here’s how it works:
Each charity has provided items for purchase related to the services they offer. Items range from $4 to $250.
In addition to gifts like blankets, gloves, boats and meals for the homeless and others in need, donors can also purchase unique items such as livestock including chickens and sheep, polio vaccines, a well to provide a family with access to clean water, or even covering prescription co-pays or the cost of utilities for an out-of-work New York actor/performer.
After donors make a purchase, the Giving Machine dispenses a postcard featuring an image and description of the donation.
Where Giving Machines are located:
The Giving Machines are directly underneath the 1 Rockefeller Plaza building entrance on 49th Street, next to the NBC Today Show storefront, in between the Free People and Morrell & Company locations.
The Giving Machines are located in other US cities, and internationally in London and elsewhere.
- Las Vegas, Nevada – Downtown Summerlin Mall
- Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena
- Honolulu, Hawaii – Pearlridge Center
- Orem, Utah – University Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah – City Creek Center
- Oakland, California – Temple Hill
- Gilbert, Arizona – Water Tower Plaza
- Denver, Colorado – Writer Square
- Kansas City, Missouri – Crown Center
The Light the World Giving Machine campaign will run through January 1, 2022.
Giving Machines background information, including the full list of items available for purchase, details on each charity and a list of other U.S. cities hosting Giving Machines this year is available here: https://we.tl/t-0K1FDMrKHw
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.