Being kind doesn’t have to take a ton of effort or money, but that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest to come up with ideas for showing compassion. Every act of compassion has a ripple effect in the world, and there are endless ways to show kindness.
Everyone is currently going through something in life and even the smallest act of compassion can make a significant difference for them and their mental health. The truth is, the world needs more generosity and love. Sure, it sounds cheesy and cliche, but it’s the truth.
Think about the last time someone unexpectedly did something kind or generous for you. Chances are, that gesture made an impact on you on some level. If you want to have a similar impact on someone else’s life whether you know them or they’re a stranger, here are 104 acts of compassion to help you do that.
104 Acts of Compassion and Kindness to Be the Change You Want to See
Whether you want to pay it forward, host a fundraiser, or give anonymously, these are 104 acts of compassion and kindness that you can do to facilitate change.
1. Pay for someone in line at the drive-through or coffee shop
2. Hold the door open for someone
3. Compliment somebody out of the blue
4. Comment kind and uplifting things on social media posts
5. Pick up litter
6. Offer to return a shopper’s cart for them
7. Tip more than the minimum
8. Help your partner with something even if they don’t ask
9. Send a care package to a new parent (or someone who just had another kid because each new baby comes with challenges)
10. Give a gift card, clothes, food, or toys to foster parents and kids
11. Volunteer at a nursing home, homeless or domestic violence shelter, or animal center
12. Message someone with an encouraging message (even if you don’t know them or their struggles very well)
13. Smile at anyone (and everyone!)
14. Pre Pray for someone’s gas
15. Buy a gift certificate/gift card for someone (even a stranger)
16. Buy breakfast or lunch for your coworkers
17. Send a thank you note or gift to a teacher (or police officer, firefighter, CNA, etc.) even if it’s not a special holiday
18. Leave extra change in a vending machine
19. Practice mindful listening next time someone talks to you (even if what they’re saying doesn’t seem very important)
20. Leave books in a mailbox library
21. Donate to a nonprofit or volunteer your time
22. Leave positive reviews about local businesses and share them on social media
23. Donate blood or plasma
24. Cheer for someone in a marathon even if you don’t know them
25. Avoid engaging in gossip or humiliating someone
26. Read to residents in a nursing home or patients in hospice
27. Send flowers to the loved ones at a funeral (even if you don’t know them)
28. Donate your unused items (clothes, shoes, home decor, etc.)
29. Buy lunch for someone who is homeless or in a shelter
30. Send someone a random ‘thinking of you’ gift
31. Thank someone who previously helped you
32. Buy a cashier their favorite snack while you’re checking out
33. Put coins in expired meters
34. Buy an extra bus fare for the next person
35. Sponsor a child in need (in any country)
36. Put loving and encouraging notes in your child’s or partner’s lunches
37. Give someone your undivided attention
38. Leave a thank you note or gift card for delivery drivers and postal workers
39. Send a care package or card to a soldier
40. Adopt or sponsor adoption fees for an animal who’s been rescued
41. Donate food and toys to an animal shelter
42. Leave a kind message or donation on someone’s Go Fund Me fundraiser
43. Fund someone’s Kickstarter campaign and share it
44. Sign petitions that matter to you and make a difference
45. Support your friends and family who have their own businesses
46. Help a student pay for their books or tuition
47. Buy lunch for a group of workers at a nursing home, hospital, store, and so on
48. Offer to help someone pay for their rent or utility bill, especially if they’re elderly or have kids
49. Buy a teacher a gift card for school supplies (and for themselves)
50. Sponsor lunches at a school (or offer to pay lunch fees)
51. Leave random and kind messages on rocks, sidewalks, and so forth
52. Hang up “take what you need” posters
53. Leave numbers to suicide hotlines and support groups on posters and hang in public places (along with an encouraging message)
54. Donate toys and comforting items to kids in the hospital
55. Give gift cards and coupons to parents and families of the sick or dying
56. Use eco-friendly alternatives
57. Buy something that’s fair trade
58. Donate feminine hygiene products to schools, women’s shelters, and homeless shelters
59. Leave kind bookmarks or notes in library books
60. Plant a tree
61. Take photos of someone with their loved ones (and share with them)
62. Foster a child
63. Adopt or foster a pet
64. Become a CASA volunteer
65. Donate your hair to a charity
66. Leave encouraging notes on seats and random places (using sticky notes or index cards)
67. Gift magazines to local doctor’s offices
68. Make a homemade thoughtful gift for someone
69. Let someone go in front of you in traffic or in line at the store
70. Make or buy dinner for someone who just lost a loved one
71. Help clean up at a family gathering (without being asked to)
72. Buy Christmas and birthday gifts for kids in foster care and underprivileged families
73. Write encouraging notes and hand-deliver them to someone in the hospital or anyone going through a difficult time
74. Shovel someone’s sidewalk or driveway
75. Participate in a fundraiser
76. Sponsor a duffle bag for kids in foster care with Together We Rise
77. Help raise awareness about mental health
78. Put out shelter for stray animals
79. Learn a different language and ASL to communicate with others in their own language
80. Pay someone’s library fees
81. Make time for loved ones without being asked (and do what they want to do)
82. Return someone’s cart for them
83. Tell a loved one that you love them (and why)
84. Donate school supplies with a charity like Pack-A-Backpack
85. Feed stray animals
86. Sincerely thank someone you for being themselves (and share how they make a difference in your life)
87. Read to kids during storytime at a library
88. Pay the toll for another car in line
89. Give up your seat for someone else
90. Say something encouraging to a parent in public (especially if they’re struggling with their kids)
91. Donate flowers to a nursing home or hospital patients
92. Talk to someone who is alone
93. Walk dogs or play with animals in an animal shelter
94. Volunteer as a “Grandma Cuddler” and comfort babies in NICU
95. Donate your old glasses
96. Recycle
97. Buy from a small business instead of a corporate one
98. Put together a donation drive for a cause you care about and one that your community needs
99. Give someone a hug
100. Write someone a love letter with More Love Letters
101. Give to those in need with Pack-A-Bag
102. Apologize to someone you hurt (and ask how you can do better next time)
103. Pay for someone’s therapy/counseling
104. Most importantly...be kind and compassionate with yourself
These are just some of the endless acts of compassion that you can show someone, whether you know them personally or not. Some require your time, while others require money. Pick a couple that feel genuine to you and start spreading some love and compassion around!
There are so many ways you can be a better person, but it all starts with showing yourself some love every day first, so always start with yourself.
And don’t forget that everyone can benefit from some act of kindness or loving gesture, including you. So next time someone offers to do something nice for you, don’t tell yourself that you don’t deserve it or that you’re not the taking type. Everyone can give and take, so allow yourself to receive the gestures of others, too.