Experience the joy of giving this holiday season. Choose a gift, swipe your
card, change a life—it’s that simple.
Visit us at Kenwood Towne Centre (next to The Cheesecake Factory) from
December 9 – January 4 and discover the magic of effortless generosity.
The Cincinnati Giving Machines are open during Kenwood Towne Centre mall hours. Hours may vary during the holidays—check current hours here.
Every donation—no matter the size—transforms lives. Here are just a few examples of what’s possible when you give.
The Cincinnati Giving Machines will feature 5 local charities and 2 global charities. Everyone can find a cause they care about.
Empowering Tri-State youth through scholarships, mentorship, and character-building programs. Over 60,000 young people impacted since 2002.
Providing mental health and addiction treatment for children and families in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati since 1882.
Ending homelessness by providing permanent housing and support services for adults with mental illness in Cincinnati.
Neighbors helping neighbors with emergency food, utilities, and rent assistance throughout Greater Cincinnati for over 150 years.
Delivering medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare exclusively to those experiencing homelessness and living with HIV/AIDS.
Protecting refugees worldwide by providing shelter, food, water, and medical care to over 120 million displaced people.
Fighting global poverty and saving lives in 120+ countries, focusing on hunger, health, education, and women's empowerment since 1945.
Light the World Giving Machines are special red vending machines that make donating to charity as easy as buying a candy bar. Instead of purchasing a snack for yourself, you’re buying items like meals, clean water, goats, or school supplies for people in need around the world. These giving-focused vending machines have been sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2017 as a way to share the love of Jesus Christ with people around the world.
You select an item from the machine’s display, add it to your cart, swipe a debit or credit card (or use mobile pay), and a card representing your gift drops into a bin so you can watch the donations pile up. You get a receipt by text or email, and your information is not collected or shared. A Styrofoam card with a photo of the item you have purchased will drop to the bottom of the machine, signifying the purchase you have made.
Giving Machines accept credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.), just like a regular vending machine.
The Church of Jesus Christ covers all program operational expenses, including credit card fees and administrative costs. This ensures that 100% of every donation is used to provide those in need with the item a generous donor has purchased for them. Nonprofit organizations interested in participating must follow strict criteria, including using no more than 10% for administrative purposes.
Items available include food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education, job and career training, and livestock. You can select from items ranging from meals to diapers to bus passes to job training to two hens and a rooster for a family in a developing country. Items typically range from $5 to $250. Recent donations included 106,000 chickens, goats and beehives providing food and jobs; 48,000 children and adults receiving essentials like warm jackets and shoes; and 43,000 people furthering their education with books, school supplies, and scholarships.
More than 500 local and international nonprofit organizations participate in the Giving Machine initiative. Global charities include The Academy for Creating Enterprise, American Red Cross, Care, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, Days for Girls International, iDE Global, Lifting Hands International, MAP International, Mentors International, Right to Play, Save the Children, UNICEF, Water Aid, and World Food Program.
In 2024, Giving Machines are available in 107 cities in 13 countries on five continents — including the first locations in Africa and Asia. Machines typically operate 24/7 from mid-November through early January. For the first time, Giving Machines appeared in Asia (Hong Kong) and Africa (Nairobi, Kenya), and after five years, they also returned to the United Kingdom.
Yes, donations are eligible for tax deductions. Donations may also be eligible for employer matching programs.
While there is no direct digital option for the Giving Machine experience, you can visit the websites of participating local charities and donate directly to them. For global nonprofits supported worldwide, you can visit GivingMachine.org. You can also visit the Giving Machine section of the Light the World website to donate directly to charitable partners online.
Since launching in 2017, nearly US$50 million has been donated by children, teens, and adults across the globe. In 2024 alone, more than 850,000 visitors donated more than 490,000 items at Giving Machines. Millions of items have been donated through Giving Machines since 2017, valued at more than US$32 million. In one example, thanks to donations made through Giving Machines, mothers and babies in Cuamba, Mozambique now have access to clean, running water at their clinic.
