Kids making demands for more presents. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In the nonprofit world, 'tis the season for fundraising. Can you blame us? What with consumers on the loose in malls across America, and going click-happy on the Internet for deals and steals for their loved ones, how can we not try to get a piece of that pie?

But in addition to crafting delicate ways of asking for your charitable donations, this year we also wanted to put together a list -- both overt and subversive -- of ways to support Hyphen this holiday season without having to chip in your lunch money. It's sort of a holiday survival guide cum Hyphen utility belt. Because whether you like it or not, this is the time of year to be sharing and caring, starting the love train, or whatever you want to call it. And, we truly believe our content presents special opportunities to deepen relationships and conversations with family and friends who will be gathering together over the next few days and weeks ... so please enjoy this time of togetherness and eating! Here goes:

1. If you're flying home, take a copy of our most
   recent Hyphen issue for the plane ride. During that guaranteed holiday delay, hold your issue up in front of your face for all the nosy folks in the terminal to get a good
   look at the adorable Kashiwagis on the front. Once you're on the plane, keep the mag stashed in your seat-back pocket (Title visible, please). When the time is
   right, flip through those gorgeous glossy pages, making sure
   to emphasize sounds that convey "How interesting!" to your seat
   neighbors around you, until they're forced to inquire about what you're
   reading. Captive audience, hey-o! On the other hand, it's a good decoy in case your plane neighbors are too chatty.
2. When holiday conversations hit a rut, having already thoroughly discussed the varying degrees of
   weather across the state, mention the intriguing video game or local mushroom growers you read about in
   Hyphen. Talk about the progressive male pageant you attended where an air-guitar shredding
   unicorn reigned supreme. You'll arrive at dessert in no time.
3. Take a copy of the magazine to your family get-togethers. Slip it to your
   moody cousin who doesn’t like talking to anyone, anyway. “What’s a magazine?”
   she may ask. Before letting her retreat behind her curtain of emo teenage hair
   to read it, maybe you'll even get in a few words with her. You’ll come away as the
   cool cousin and won’t feel so bad about having to still sit at the kid’s table.
4. Running out of recipes for all the holiday potlucks? Take a page from the recipes we've featured over the past year and when people comment on
   how tasty the dishes are, be sure to reference your source!
5. When you're out holiday shopping, tell bookstores you're looking to buy Hyphen magazine, and in the case that they look back at you with a blank stare (not that we'd expect that or anything...), tell them they'd be so much more legit if they did. Or in business talk, that their revenue would surely increase if they capitalized on the burgeoning demographic of Asian Americans buyers.
6. Buy your family some Hyphen gear, or better yet a
   subscription! Nothing says “I love you” or at least “I care about you enough to
   recommend this interesting read” like a good ol' fashion magazine. Don't worry, if the Postal Service goes broke we'll be sure to get them to you somehow. And c'mon we’d
   be pretty offended if you opted for the lame Coffee Bean and Blockbuster gift cards
   instead.
7. Better yet, donate straight to the source and join our Overachievers' Club!
8. Wrap your presents in back issues of Hyphen -- it's eco-friendly and it might
   start a conversation!
9. Is your tree lacking some decorations? Nothing says
   "tree-topper" like a paper cut-out of Margaret Cho karate-chopping a sandwich.
10. If you find yourself convening at any Chinese restaurants with your family and friends, tweet your best and most creative photos involving fortune cookies to #FortuneCookieUSA. Your pic could end up in Issue 25 of Hyphen! It's an excuse to play with your food AND take your Instagram skills pro.