‘Tis the season when you’re feeling like giving back. Am I right? We love that about you. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons we’re friends.

But did you know that November and December are really hard months for nonprofits? They get an enormous influx of people knocking on their doors to volunteer, and the truth is they don’t need all that help just in that month-and-a-half time frame. Here are your volunteer pro tips for the holidays. Feel free to share them far and wide:

1. Plan ahead. As in, right this very second try to find an organization to volunteer with if you want to do it this holiday season.
2. If you can’t find an organization that needs your help between now and the end of the year, be nice to them. Be understanding. There’s always next year.
3. Volunteer in February instead, or June, or get crazy and volunteer in September.
4. Donate. You don’t have to wake up early on a Saturday and you’ll still get that warm fuzzy feeling inside. Maybe you can donate a gift, or food, or something that will be used during the holiday season. It’ll be so close to actually volunteering that you might not be able to tell the difference. (Bonus: You’ll save time during the busiest part of the year. You can thank us later for that one.)
5. Do something individually. Is there a neighbor who might need some help? How about a co-worker or friend? Maybe they’re elderly, maybe they just had surgery, or maybe they’re just having a rough time. Go ahead and lend them a hand. It still counts as volunteering, maybe even more so.

That’s it. Now you’re a volunteering pro. Go forth and give back.