The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known on social media as #GivingTuesday, a day when you are encouraged to commit acts of generosity.
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What is Giving Tuesday?
The Giving Tuesday website suggests thinking about Giving Tuesday this way: “Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give.”
How did it start?
The annual initiative began as a social-media hashtag in 2012 to counter consumer advertising campaigns with appeals for charitable giving. The campaign, the result of a partnership between the 92nd Street Y in New York and the United Nations Foundation, has since grown into a “global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity,” The Giving Tuesday website explains.
Last year, charities raised an estimated $3.1 billion from U.S. donors on Giving Tuesday.
How can I participate?
Consider Giving Tuesday a day to do good.
Here are some ideas the Giving Tuesday website offers:
- Share kindness with your neighbors.
- Volunteer virtually or share your talents
- Give your voice to a cause that matters to you
- Discover a local fundraiser, community drive or coordinated event to join others in your area or with your same interests in giving back — they need your help. Search for opportunities here
- Give to your favorite cause or a fundraiser to help those in need.
- Talk about giving and generosity using the hashtag #GivingTuesday
Do you plan to participate in Giving Tuesday? What issues or causes are you supporting? What do you plan to do this holiday season to “give back”?