Despite there not being any verification this year, we still want to see the kindness you spread! You are encouraged to submit pictures, links, etc for all the acts you do! You are of course more than welcome to blur or cover any identifying information you’re not comfortable sharing. If you do include personal information, it’s safe with us; anything submitted for the Kindness Challenge will not be shared beyond the organizing team.

Acts mention “once only,” “no limit,” or “up to X times,” which indicates how many times they can be submitted for points. But don’t let the points limit your kindness!

A: Charities and Organizations

• A01. Promote a charity on social media. Give a charitable organization of your choosing a shoutout on your favorite social media platform. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, anything you like! Send us a link to your post or a screenshot of it if you want. +1 point, up to 10 times.
• A02. Donate rice on freerice.com. Answer trivia questions and donate 1 grain of rice for every correct answer! To count, your rice must be earned during the Kindness Challenge. +1 point per 100 grains of rice, up to 10 times.
• A03. Collect hearts on Tab For A Cause. T4AC is a free browser extension that gives you a “heart” whenever you open a new tab. You can choose a nonprofit organization (or several) to receive your “hearts,” which they receive in the form of monetary donations. +1 point per 100 hearts, up to 10 times.
• A04. Buy from a charity sale. This may include a charity shop, an organized event, or someone selling things to donate all of the money. In-person or online! If you’re not sure if something near you counts, feel free to ask. +2 points, up to 3 times.
• A05. Make a P4A video about a charity. Length, format, and the charity you support are up to you! Send us a link to your video, so we can help spread the charitable love. +10 points, no limit.
• A06. Vote for a Project for Awesome video! Donating directly isn’t the only way to support the P4A. Find a video you like that supports a charity you support, and give it your vote! +1 point, up to 10 times.
• A07. Donate new or gently used items to a charity, supply drive, or shelter. This may include clothes, books and toys, non-perishable foods, personal items and toiletries, or home goods. If you’re donating outside of an organized drive or appeal, check with the charity to see what they need most – menstrual products, socks, and non-perishable proteins are often high on the list! You can also give through a Buy Nothing group or similar. +3 points, up to 5 times.
• A08. Make something for a charity or to donate. Some examples may include making cold weather items for a homeless shelter, baking for a charity bake sale, or making a homemade card for a charity that gives them to children in hospital. Get creative! +5 points, up to 4 times.

B: Caring for the Environment

• B01. Search using Ecosia. Ecosia is an eco-friendly search engine that uses the ad revenue from your searches to plant trees. It takes about 45 searches to plant a tree. Searches must be conducted during the Kindness Challenge to count. +1 point per 45 searches, no limit.
• B02. Get or use a reusable drink container, straw, and utensils. Use a water bottle or coffee mug in a setting where disposable cups/bottles are the norm. Ditto to a reusable metal, bamboo, or hard plastic straw, fork, or other utensils. Reduce the need for single-use plastics! +3 points, once per item category.
• B03. Switch to a sustainable hygiene product. This could include a bamboo toothbrush or reusable menstrual products! Items that are reusable, or will biodegrade when you have to throw them out. +1 point, up to 3 times.
• B04. Switch to a plastic-free/package-free version of a consumable product you use, like bar shampoo or toothpaste tabs. Minimizing your use of single-use plastic packaging helps reduce the amount of waste in the environment. +1 point per type of product, up to 3 times.
• B05. Say no to plastic drinking straws or utensils. Ask a restaurant not to include a straw with your drink, or plastic utensils with your takeaway order. +1 point, up to 5 times.
• B06. Upgrade your toilet to save water. Put a brick, a mason jar of sand, or some other weighted item in your toilet’s water tank to reduce the amount of water used for every flush. +2 points, once only.
• B07. Use a reusable grocery bag when you go shopping, instead of the plastic option. (If your reusable bag isn’t cloth but is designed to be reused rather than throwaway plastic, it still counts!) +2 point per bag, up to 5 times.
• B08. Commute sustainably. Take public transit, ride a bike, or walk somewhere you might otherwise drive. If it’s too far or unsafe to bike and you don’t have access to public transit, carpooling is another transport option that reduces your carbon footprint. +2 points, up to 3 times.
• B09. Store and eat leftovers sustainably. Don’t throw away food that could be another meal! Make sure to use reusable, washable storage containers instead of throwaways. +2 points, up to 5 times.
• B10. Buy damaged/discounted items at a local store. Things like dented cans, sticky or stained bottles, items that are undamaged but the packaging is ripped, products about to expire, etc. These are wasted and often thrown out if they don’t sell. +3 points, up to 3 times.
• B11. Compost for a week. Save any biodegradable food trash and use it to feed your yard, garden, etc. There are lots of online resources to help you learn what is compostable as well as how to make a simple composter if you want to! One option to find a local composter in many countries may be ShareWaste. +3 points, up to 4 times.
• B12. Go for a walk or roll exploring somewhere you haven’t before. Research a new safe way to social distance in your area, by finding and exploring a place like a park, hiking area, river/canal, or other “wide open” natural area you haven’t been before! Good for you AND the planet. +3 points, up to 3 times.
• B13. Pick up litter in a public place or your neighborhood. Clean up your jogging/walking route (“plogging”), do a beach sweep if you’re coastal, or just help tidy up wherever you happen to be! Any litter removal helps. +3 points, no limit.
• B14. Make (and display) a poster or flyer encouraging recycling. Help educate your community about an easy way to protect the earth. Be sure to check you’re allowed before you hang it! +3 points, once only.
• B15. Create or help tend a garden. This can be a garden you have, or a local community garden. This one may seem easier if it’s summer – if it’s winter where you are, keeping garden spaces clear of things like rocks and debris can help too! +4 points, once only.
• B16. Make a bird feeder/house/bath for a local species. Something similar like a bat house or a bee garden would count as well – help make a local animal species welcome. Be sure to read up on the local species in your area, what they eat, and what to do and not do! Your area may have information on how to best protect endangered species, or avoid helping invasive species. +5 points, once only.
• B17. Upcycle something you’d normally throw away and make it into something that’s useful to you. For example: Making a pen stand from your pringles container, making a drawer organiser from boxes and cartons. You can find more ideas on upcycling websites, blogs, and YouTube channels. +3 points, up to 4 times.
• B18. Eat a meat alternative. Reduce your environmental impact by eating a plant-based alternative! Instead of beef or chicken, go for tofu, seitan, or chickpeas. +3 points, max 3.

C: Supporting Science, Health, & Education

• C01. Donate your computing power to research. Use a free resource like Folding@Home, Seti@Home, or similar to set up donating your spare computing power for science research. +1 point, once only.
• C02. Play computer games to support science education. Check out this website for some fun science-based computer games that use game data to further research. (If you can find other games with the same purpose, they’ll count too.) +1 point per game played for 10+ minutes, up to 10 times.
• C03. Become an organ donor. It’s possible you’re already a donor – in some places you’re automatically registered as a donor, and in some places you can opt in when you get your driver’s license. Find out your status, and if you’re not a donor, sign up! If you’re already an organ donor, that counts too. +2 points, once only.
• C04. Join the bone marrow registry. Most people who are on the registry are never called, but every extra possible match increases the chances of saving lives. The US link is here; if you need help finding the link for your country, don’t hesitate to ask. Already registered? Submit your proof! +3 points, once only.
• C05. Add/correct a transcript on nerdfighteria.info or another community captioning project. Transcribe or translate videos, podcasts, and other educational content for better accessibility! Nerdfighteria.info is a great example of this, or see if your other favorites are on the YouTube Captioner’s Toolkit, or there’s a fandom effort to transcribe or translate other media you love. +3 points per 10 minutes of video, up to 10 times.
• C06. Choose a healthier meal option. Make decisions that are healthier for YOU. This may mean grilled instead of fried, vegetables instead of grains, or homemade instead of takeout. Make an effort to eat healthier. +2 points, up to 3 times.
• C07. Practice another language. Maintain a 7-day streak or practice a foreign language for more than an hour. +4 points per 7 days of streak/1 hour, up to 3 times.
• C08. Help researchers on Zooniverse. You can choose a project to work on in a field that interests you. Each project is going to require something a little different depending on who’s conducting the research – choose one that works for you. +5 points per project worked on for 10+ minutes, up to 10 times.
• C09. Take or sign up for a First Aid course. Any kind of formal (or semi-formal) education that teaches you about health, medicine, and/or first aid will count! +5 points (once only).
• C10. Donate blood or assist with a blood drive. If for some reason you’re unable to donate blood, offer your help with something like registration or providing snacks to donors. Because blood donations have to be far apart, we’ll accept any in the 10 weeks before the challenge as well. +6 points, once only.
• C11. Make a vlogbrothers-style educational video. Choose a topic you want to help people learn more about, and make a video about it! Share the link to your video. +10 points (once only).
• C12. Use your local or school library. Check out a book (including ebooks and audiobooks!), attend a program, participate in an activity, use a research database – make use of one of the many services your library offers. +2 points, up to 4 times.

D: Improving Self & Community

• D01. Organize an event. Participating in others’ events is fun, but how about running your own! Could be a charity sale, a meetup, a book club. Engage your community! +10 points, max 2.
• D02. Leave a positive comment for a YouTuber with fewer than 1000 subscribers. Help someone who’s just getting started or doesn’t have a big following by letting them know you appreciate their efforts. +1 point, up to 10 times.
• D03. Leave encouraging notes or messages in public. A simple post-it on a window or mirror note wishing someone a good day can make things a little brighter. Write in chalk on a sidewalk that gets decent traffic. Post a positive message on a pole or bulletin board. Get creative and help make someone smile. Be sure to check you’re allowed before you hang it! +1 point per note, up to 10 times.
• D04. Leave a positive online review for a small or local business. Many reviews are only left when something bad happens, but star ratings can make a big difference for small businesses! Choose a place you love, or a place you just found, and leave a positive rating AND review. +2 points, up to 3 times.
• D05. Give positive feedback for an employee at any business. Managers often only hear the bad things their employees do. Leave a note, make a phone call, or find an email/form online for submitting positive feedback or “kudos” for employees you feel have done a great job–take some time to be appreciative of good customer service. +2 points, up to 3 times.
• D06. Shop in a small, local, or family-owned business. Avoid bigger chains and support your economy and new business owners! +3 points, up to 5 times.
• D07. Write a letter to the editor of a news source you read (or a similar style opinion piece). The issue can be anything you feel strongly about. +3 points, up to 5 times.
• D08. Write to your government representative(s) about an issue that matters to you. Online resources can help you find out who your representatives are and how best to contact them, and Tuatarians can help too. +2 points, up to 4 times.
• D09. Register to vote. If you’re already registered or automatically registered, that counts too. If you’re not eligible to vote, check that your parents or another adult family member are registered. +2 points (once only).
• D10. Write a thank-you note to a front-line or essential worker. This includes everyone from medical staff, to store employees, to emergency responders, to your postman or trash pickup worker. Just write and deliver/leave a tangible note thanking someone who provides a service. +3 points, no limit.
• D11. Thank a teacher who had an impact on you. Teachers are important figures in our lives and often go underappreciated. Take a moment to appreciate a teacher who was important to you. +3 points, up to 5 times.
• D12. Read a book written by or about someone in a culture outside of your knowledge base. Try to choose a book where the author’s perspective is different from your own. Tell us what you read and your thoughts on the book! +3 points, no limit.
• D13. Read a book by a local author. Many public libraries and bookstores will have a section for local authors, but if yours doesn’t, you can usually find a list on the internet or ask an employee of the library or bookstore. Unsure if something you found qualifies as local? Feel free to define it for yourself! +3 points.
• D14. Leave a book in a Little Free Library or other free book exchange in your community. Tell us what you left for others, and if you like, take a book to read! +3 points, up to 5 times.
• D15. Set up a virtual meetup or chat with someone you haven’t talked to in a while. This may be a friend, an old classmate, or a more distant relative. It’s never too late to get in touch, and spend some time catching up! +3 points, up to 3 times.
• D16. Write a physical letter to someone. This can be someone you talk with online regularly, or someone you haven’t talked to in a while. You can write or type, but send it through the physical mail to give them a surprise and a smile! +4 points, up to 3 times.
• D17. Pay for a stranger’s order at a coffee shop, etc. Some shops have designated pay-it-forward tools to buy a coffee for a stranger in need; in other shops you may have to be a bit more proactive and say “hi, I’d like to pay for their order too.” However you do it, treat a stranger to something. +3 points, no limit.
• D18. Volunteer! A local school, food bank/pantry, religious organization, political organization, or with any other non-profit or community group. If you’re giving of your time and energy to help make your community better, you’re decreasing worldsuck! Be sure to review their safety guidelines and needs before volunteering, or find ways to do it online. +7 points, up to 8 times.
• D19. Give someone a homemade gift or card for no reason. Gifts and cards are often expected on holidays, but giving one “just because” is a great way to make someone feel valued. Write a note, bake a treat, or make them a thoughtful present. Birthday and holiday gifts don’t count for this! And be sure to drop it off safely. +3 points, up to 5 times.
• D20. Exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week (or equivalent). This is the recommended amount of exercise. If you’re just not able to do this, exercise as much as you can, because every little bit helps. Make sure to warm up first so you don’t hurt yourself! +5 points, up to the number of weeks in the challenge.
• D21. Do chores or errands for someone for free. Find ways to help especially for those around you who are older or more vulnerable. This may include picking things up for them when you go shopping, running an errand, doing yard work, or other ways to help. +5 points, up to 5 times.
• D22. Random Act of Kindness! Anything that doesn’t otherwise fit, but you feel is contributing to decreasing worldsuck and creating kindness in the world. +2 points, up to 5 times.