It's no secret that the state of the world is dire. Many of us want to help but lack the time, money, or energy to make as much of a difference as we'd like--or we just don't know where to start. As such, I've compiled a list of ways to help out, many of which are cheap, easy, and low-risk. (Note that this list is written from a leftist, anti-authoritarian perspective. I am based in the US, and as such my suggestions will be US-focused, but some of them should apply globally.)
Last updated January 2026.
What to do: Wear a facemask whenever you leave the house.Cost: Very low to moderate, depending on what kind of mask you buy and how often.Effort: Very low. Literally just need to put a mask on your face.Risk: Very low to low, depending on the likelihood of harassment where you live.Explanation: Covid remains an ongoing threat. It can kill or disable you even if you're up-to-date on all your vaccines and boosters. Moreover, wearing a mask hampers the surveillance state and grants you a degree of anonymity. N-95s and KN-95s are far and away the best masks for disease prevention, but even a homemade cloth mask is better than nothing.Relevant links:
- /r/Masks4All: Information on masks, vaccines, and covid
- /r/ZeroCovidCommuntiy: Information on masks, vaccines, and covid
What to do: Stay up-to-date with your covid, flu, pneumonia, etc. vaccines, and get boosted.Cost: Very low to low (USA). Most health insurance plans will cover vaccines; if you're uninsured, it may cost a small fee depending on your location.Effort: Low. If you can schedule and keep an appointment at a pharmacy, you can do this.Risk: Very low. Adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare.Explanation: Covid remains an ongoing threat. It can kill or disable you even if you're up-to-date on all your vaccines and boosters, but staying fully vaccinated does mitigate the risk. The elderly and immunocompromised are also at high risk from other diseases, such as the flu.Relevant links:
- /r/Masks4All: Information on masks, vaccines, and covid
- /r/ZeroCovidCommuntiy: Information on masks, vaccines, and covid
What to do: Donate money to reputable organizations or people in need.Cost: Low to very high, depending on how much/often you donate.Effort: Very low. You just have to press a couple buttons.Risk: Low. There is a small possibility of your identity being stolen if you donate to a scammer.Explanation: Many nonprofits do good work, and many people in need seek help online. If you can spare some money, consider donating.Relevant links:
- Charity Navigator, a website that rates charities based on effectiveness and transparencyA few recommended places to donate:
- Immigrant Family Defense Fund
- National Network of Abortion Funds
- A list of reputable organizations helping Palestinians
- A similar list for Ukrainians
- The Black Long Covid Experience
- Food Not Bombs
- Local homeless shelters, animal rescues, food banks, etc.
- Your local indigenous tribes
- /r/Assistance, a subreddit full of people requesting financial or other aid
What to do: Use click-to-give websites and other free ways to give to charity.Cost: Very low. You just need an internet connection and a device to connect with, which you already have, if you're reading this.Effort: Very low. Literally just clicks for most of them.Risk: Very low. You need to turn off your adblocker for these sites to work, but I've never gotten a virus from them.Explanation: There are many websites, apps, etc. that allow you to click or perform other actions to donate to charity for free.Relevant links:- Free Charity Sites, a list of ways to give to charity for free
- Arab.org's click-to-give for Palestine (included on the above list but worth highlighting)
- GreaterGood's click-to-give (again, included on the above list, but I can personally verify that GreaterGood works with nonprofits; I used to work with one such organization)
What to do: Use stickers and/or paint pens to inscribe messages around town.Cost: Low to high. On the high end, we have consistently buying stickers. On the low end, we have a one-time purchase of paint pens. If you live in the US, you can get shipping labels from USPS for nothing more than the cost of shipping as often as you want.Effort: Low. All you need to do is go for a walk and put up some stickers or scribble some slogans on flat surfaces.Risk: Low to moderate. Unless you're literally doing this in front of a cop (or on private property), you're pretty unlikely to be punished. Maybe check around for cameras before you do it if you're really paranoid. But even if you do get caught, your punishment is likely to be a slap on the wrist.Explanation: Want to annoy your local conservatives? Start putting up leftist stickers and graffiti everywhere! Store-bought stickers are often the most visually appealing and able to communicate the longest message, but they are easy to rip off. Paint pens can be a pain to use, but they're more permanent. Shipping labels with slogans written on them are very cheap to obtain and easy to customize, but they tend to fade in rain.For a less permanent alternative, try chalking up a sidewalk.Relevant links:- USPS shipping labels
- A list of sticker vendors
- Berlin Buyer's Club's long covid awareness stickers
- The Left Fist, a leftist sticker seller I like
- My own Redbubble. Fair warning, I am not an artist, and my designs are rudimentary (and often made from royalty-free clipart and whatever fonts I happen to have on my PC). However, they get a message across, and I donate the profits from certain designs to nonprofits.
What to do: Volunteer at an animal rescue, soup kitchen, etc.Cost: Very low to low. Usually only involves transportation costs.Effort: Moderate to very high. Depends on what you do and how often you do it.Risk: Low. The only risk involved is whatever risks come with the gig--being bitten at an animal rescue or assaulted when working with the public, etc.Explanation: There are a million different organizations out there helping people and animals. They all need volunteers. Remember, volunteering once is better than never volunteering at all. Be sure to vet the organization before you start.Relevant links:- Charity Navigator, a website that rates charities based on effectiveness and transparency
What to do: Attend or organize a political protest.Cost: Very low to moderate. Usually only involves transportation costs, but you may need to buy good shoes if you're going to be marching around, or black clothes if you want to attend a black bloc protest.Effort: Moderate to very high. Sometimes you're chilling on a street corner holding a sign. Sometimes you're fighting the police for hours.Risk: Moderate to very high. See above. Even if you're just holding a sign, you risk being yelled at. If you're engaging with police or counter-protesters, you risk everything from arrest to death.Explanation: The obvious way to go about this is to look up local protests and attend them, but I want to point out that you are perfectly capable of organizing a one-man protest. Stand outside your local police station or Israeli embassy or ICE facility with a sign. Become that guy. Who knows, maybe people will even start to join you after a while. And remember, going once is better than never going at all.Relevant links:
- Quick guide to determining how dangerous a protest will be
- Protest tipsWhere to find protests:- Protest Finder
- Help Save America
- Mobilize
- Political Revolution
- The Big List of Protests
- 50501
- Find a Protest
- Tesla Takedown
- No Voice Unheard
- Evergreen Resistance
- /r/ProtestFinderUSA
- /r/protest
- Check subreddits, Facebook groups, etc. for your area
- Literally just use a search engine
What to do: Donate items to people and organizations in need.Cost: Low to very high. Depends on what you donate.Effort: Low to very high. If you buy things to donate or donate things you already own but don't need, the effort required is low. If you make them yourself, the effort required is much higher.Risk: Very low. Your only involvement with other people will probably be buying items and dropping off your donations.Explanation: Go through your home and give away any useful items you don't want. Buy cheap stuff and donate it to charity. Knit/sew/crochet hats, scarves, masks, blankets, etc. and hand them out to people you see on the street. (You can even make blankets and toys for animal rescues.) That sort of thing. If you were going to be crafting for fun anyway and your family is sick of getting scarves for Christmas, this is a great way to get rid of your finished items. If you don't craft, crafts make great hobbies, especially if you're like me and always want something to do with your hands. And almost everyone owns something they could stand to get rid of.Relevant links:
- Charity Navigator, a website that rates charities based on effectiveness and transparency
- A guide to knitting and crocheting for charity
- The Buy Nothing ProjectLists of places to donate:
- List 1
- List 2
- List 3
- List 4
- List 5
- Local homeless shelters, animal rescues, food banks, etc.
What to do: Refuse to buy from certain corporations.Cost: Very low. If anything, you'll spend less money.Effort: Very low to low. You are at worst going to be mildly inconvenienced.Risk: Very low. I can think of literally no risk involved.Explanation: All corporations are evil, but some are evil even by corporation standards. Limit their ability to do harm and send a message that they must change their behavior if they want your patronage.Relevant links:
- BDS Movement list of boycott targets (focused on companies complicit with the genocide in Palestine)
- List of companies supporting ICE
What to do: Call, write, or email your elected officials and express your opinion.Cost: Very low. This is free, not counting the cost of any devices you use to do it.Effort: Very low to low. You may have to talk to someone if you call, but you're just as likely to get voicemail. If even that's too much effort for you, there's always email or even physical letters.Risk: Very low. Unless you start making actionable threats against a Congressmember, there's no danger here.Explanation: Elected representatives often cave under public pressure. Be that pressure. Demand they fight for you if they want your vote next election cycle.Relevant links:- Find your elected officials' contact info here (US)
What to do: Show up to town halls, school boards, and other local government meetings. Make your voice heard.Cost: Very low. Except for transportation costs, these should be free.Effort: Moderate to very high. Some of these can be attended virtually. However, many can't, and the point of going is to speak up.Risk: Low. It's possible you'll be in some danger if one of these is recorded and goes viral, but that's not very likely.Explanation: A lot of the most important governing in any country takes place on a local level. Attending these meetings and making your opinion known can sway local officials into doing the right thing.Relevant links:- Town Hall Resources
What to do: Don't go to work on May 1, 2028.Cost: Low to very high. Will cost you a day's wages at least; more if you get fired.Effort: Very low. You're literally taking day off.Risk: Remains to be seen. The likelihood of you being punished depends on how many people strike. I will update this closer to the day itself.Explanation: United Auto Workers is calling for a general strike on May 1, 2028. If successful, this could be a jumping-off point for future labor actions.Relevant links:
- May Day 2028 Strike
What to do: Join an organization that does good work.Cost: Low to high. Most such organizations have membership dues.Effort: Low to very high. On the low end, you may just need to press a button to become a member. On the high end, you may want to get deeply involved with the organization's efforts.Risk: Low to very high. The mere act of joining an org puts you on some kind of list, but that alone is unlikely to cause you to come to harm. However, depending on what the organization does, you may choose to join in on risky activities.Explanation: Many groups do things like organize protests, assist the needy, advocate for political positions, canvass for elections, etc. Joining them can be one of the best ways to make a difference. After all, you can do more with others than on your own. Even just paying your membership dues can have an impact.Note: Carefully vet any organization before joining it to make sure it is safe and aligns with your values. Refuse Fascism and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, for example, are two organizations that have reputations for being cult-like.Relevant links:
- Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the US
- Industrial Workers of the World
What to do: Receive alerts on ICE activity in your area and show up to document arrests, inform nearby residents, protest, etc.Cost: Very low. Only transportation costs if you choose to attend.Effort: Moderate to very high. At minimum, you must show up occasionally. At maximum, you may become deeply involved with an organization.Risk: High to very high. This varies based on locale, but even putting your name on a list is somewhat dangerous. Actually turning up while ICE is nearby could result in arrest, injury, deportation (even if you are a citizen), or death.Explanation: A number of organizations have cropped up across the USA dedicated to observing and/or protesting ICE activity. There are likely dedicated groups in your area.Important note: While the orgs below appear to be legitimate, I cannot guarantee that they or any other orgs are not simply handing your data over to the feds. Make your own judgment calls.Relevant links:- Stop ICE Alerts
- Adopt a Day Labor Corner
- ICE Out
- ICE Activity Tracker
- States at the Core
- Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW (Pacific Northwest-specific)
- Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (Washington-specific)
- Look up ICE whistles in your area
What to do: Learn at least basic phrases in the most common languages among migrants in your area.Cost: Very low to high. Varies based on your method. Options range from chatting with friends who speak the language to paying for classes.Effort: Moderate to very high. Depends on how easily you pick up new languages and how much of the language you choose to learn.Risk: Very low. There is absolutely no risk involved with learning a new language.Explanation: Learning to communicate with your neighbors who are at risk of violence, deportation, etc. can do a lot of good. For example, just shouting "La migra!" in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood when ICE is nearby could save lives. If you have the time and resources, you could even become a translator for marginalized communities.
What to do: Create works of art that promote social and economic justice.Cost: Very low to very high, depending on your medium.Effort: Low to very high. On the low end, you could slap a slogan on some royalty-free clipart and make a political poster; that still counts. On the high end, you could write and publish a novel, and there are countless options in between.Risk: Very low to low. If you put your art out into the world and someone doesn't like it, they may doxx or harass you. However, this is relatively unlikely.Explanation: Propaganda is not a dirty word. Art and progress inspire each other. Paint a picture of a burning cop car, or write a story about revolution, or sing a song about unions. Maybe someone will take action because of it. If you make visual art, you can even sell your designs on places like Redbubble, which allows your message to spread further. See my section on stickers/graffiti.Also, if you have an idea but lack the skills to bring it to life, you can always commission someone to create it for you.
What to do: Sign petitions demanding positive change.Cost: Very low. No cost involved.Effort: Very low. Just takes a few clicks.Risk: Very low. You ARE putting your name on a list, but since it's typically a list with thousands of others on it (many of which could be fake), you're not likely to be singled out. (Note: Signing physical petitions at protests may be more dangerous, as this could easily be a cover for cops collecting protesters' information. I've never heard of this happening, but still, exercise caution. Don't sign a petition at a protest without at least googling the organization behind it.)Explanation: Admittedly, petitions don't do anything on their own (except for a handful of petitions which are legally binding, but those are not typically found online). They just put pressure on an issue. But it can't hurt to try.Relevant links:- Change.org
- MoveOn petitions
What to do: Vote for the leftmost candidates available.Cost: Very low. Typically only transportation costs, if you need to leave the house to vote.Effort: Low to high. In places with mail-in ballots, it's as simple as reading up on the candidates, filling out your ballot, and returning it before the deadline. In places with only in-person voting, you have to show up to a physical location and may be required to wait in line and/or produce identification.Risk: Low. In the US, registering to vote makes your name and address publicly available, which can be risky. Additionally, polling places sometimes attract people who harass the voters.Explanation: While the effectiveness of voting is hotly debated, at the very least, voting for the best candidate won't do any harm. Remember to vote in the primaries and local elections as well as national elections.Relevant links:
- Register to vote (US)
- List of states with online voting registration (US)
- Youth voting resources (US)
- Elections calendar (US)
What to do: Stop using LLM chatbots, "AI" image generators, etc.Cost: Very low. No cost at all.Effort: Very low to moderate. Depends on how often you use "AI."Risk: Very low. Since "AI" companies sell your data, and there are mental health risks associated with LLM usage for some people, you'll actually be safer.Explanation: So-called "AI" (which is not actually artificial intelligence, despite the misleading name) is an unmitigated disaster. "AI" data centers use huge amounts of energy, and they often poison the land around them. Moreover, "AI" is trained on stolen data and takes jobs from artists. Finally, it has been known to fuel delusions and even prompt murder/suicide in some people. Use it as little as possible. (Tip: Many apps and websites with "AI" integration allow you to turn it off. For example, you can type -ai at the end of a Google search to remove the "AI" summary.)Relevant links:
- Vivaldi, a browser whose creators have vowed not to add "AI" features
- Ecosia, a search engine that, while it does offer "AI" summaries, also allows you to turn them off; in addition, each search helps plant trees
- How to disable all "AI" features in Firefox
What to do: Stop using Twitter/X.Cost: Very low. No cost.Effort: Very low to moderate. Depends on how often you use Twitter.Risk: Very low. Everyone is safer if they don't use The Nazi Website.Explanation: Twitter is run by a Nazi and its "AI," Grok, creates child sexual abuse material. By using Twitter, you make that profitable. Do I really have to say more?Relevant links:
- Bluesky, a popular Twitter alternative
- Mastodon, a federated Twitter alternativeNote: By suggesting Bluesky and Mastodon as Twitter alternatives, I am not saying that they are perfectly ethical or otherwise flawless, merely that they are morally superior to Twitter.
What to do: Unionize your workplace.Cost: Very low to very high. No initial cost, but in the event that you are fired because of this, obviously you will lose money.Effort: Moderate to very high. At minimum, you must talk to your coworkers to get something rolling. At maximum, you may wind up having to fight management to allow you to unionize.Risk: Moderate. While it's illegal to fire someone for unionizing, that doesn't mean it's not done.Explanation: Unions give workers collective bargaining power and may be the building blocks of a socialist society, depending on your school of thought. If you want higher wages and a better workplace overall, unionize.Relevant links:
- Industrial Workers of the World sometimes offers training on how to unionize your workplace