After Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes Giving Tuesday - a global day of giving back that encourages people to focus on what they can give to others rather than what they can buy, according to ABC News.
Started by New York nonprofit cultural center 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation, Giving Tuesday is a charitable follow-up to the post-Thanksgiving wave of deals and savings on consumer goods. Now celebrated for the fourth year running, the aim of the campaign is to encourage us to donate and volunteer, keeping in mind the charitable spirit of the festive season, according to NBC News.
The founders of Giving Tuesday describe it as harnessing the power of social media and generosity around the world in order to bring about change in their communities, stating that "it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges." They say on their site that they have helped initiate the estimated 470 percent increase in online donations since its inception in 2012, along with more than 40 civic campaigns in U.S. cities and communities and millions of people engaging on social media.
Some 35,000 nonprofits, businesses and government agencies over 70 countries are reported by NBC as having signed on to Giving Tuesday, including Dress For Success, a nonprofit that helps low-income women prepare clothes for job interviews. Inspired by the hashtag #GivingTuesday, Dress For Success is running #GivingShoesDay to help encourage people to donate clothes to women in need.
Giving Tuesday is gaining a lot of traction, having raised $46 million last year, but it is still relatively unknown, with a survey by the John Templeton Foundation finding that only 18 percent of Americans are familiar with the campaign, according to NBC. Engaging on Twitter using #GivingTuesday or posting an #UnSelfie will spread the word of this charitably minded day, while donating time or money to your local charities and organizations is a sure way to help your community.
