You Can Participate in #GivingTuesday By Committing a Simple Act of Kindness
Wintertime — a.k.a, right about now — is often considered the season of giving. First, there's Thanksgiving, a holiday focused on gratitude and generosity. Then, there's Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa — holidays that celebrate the joy of giving to others. However, there's one holiday you might not have considered: Giving Tuesday. What's that, you ask? It's no big deal if you don't know — after all, the day is fairly new. But once you learn these interesting facts about Giving Tuesday, you'll want to find ways to celebrate it every year. Fortunately, that's easy to do, especially after you know a few basics.
What is Giving Tuesday?
According to its official website, Giving Tuesday is a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world." Everyone can get involved, whether that's by donating money to a charity or nonprofit, volunteering, advocating for issues you care about, providing your professional talents to a local organization, or committing a random act of kindness. Giving Tuesday is a big deal for charities and nonprofits too; many of them promote the holiday on their websites and social media to inspire monetary donations.
So how did all this start? Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as an initiative of New York's 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. It became a standalone organization in 2019. At its inception, the idea for Giving Tuesday included a social media hashtag (#GivingTuesday) and a package of advice and branding for nonprofits that wanted to participate, according to Vox. That first year, Giving Tuesday raised about $10 million for charity. Last year's campaign resulted in about $503 million in donations.
The campaign has legs outside the U.S. too. Last year, the social media hashtag #GivingTuesday was used in more than 145 countries, and country-wide Giving Tuesday movements took place in more than 70 countries. Ultimately, it's a movement of goodness that inspires people to give back.
When is Giving Tuesday 2020?
This year, Giving Tuesday falls on December 1, 2020. The holiday is held each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Organizers chose that day in an effort to make time for philanthropy and kindness during a week that's often associated with the consumerism of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the lead up to the holidays. The first Giving Tuesday took place on November 27, 2012.
To make a difference this year, add Giving Tuesday to your holiday calendar. You can celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, shop for holiday gifts on Friday and Monday, and give back to your community on Tuesday. It's the perfect way to round out your week.
You Might Also Like