What Is Giving Tuesday, And How Can I Partake?
What is Giving Tuesday?
In 2012, the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City came up with the idea of Giving Tuesday. It started as a national day for people to practice kindness, gratitude, and care for others. Since the beginning, the Giving Tuesday team has become a global generosity movement that advocates for radical generosity. The concept of radical generosity is focused on the belief that our everyday actions have the power to drive significant positive change.
Celebrating generosity: Giving Tuesday is held each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving
The annual Giving Tuesday event occurs during the holiday season each year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It’s a global day that encourages people to be more compassionate and generous. However, the Giving Tuesday nonprofit recommends celebrating the event even more frequently for maximum impact. They suggest doing at least one kind act for someone else in your community or around the world, one Tuesday each month.
What is Giving Tuesday? And what does the GivingTuesday nonprofit do?
The nonprofit GivingTuesday (GT) is the founding organization of the global Giving Tuesday event each November. The original goal of the Giving Tuesday campaign was to inspire others to have kindness and empathy and donate life-saving supplies or money to nonprofits or people within their communities. This year, the official Giving Tuesday date will be December 3rd, 2024, a day that falls within the giving season.
GivingTuesday chapters have worked directly in over 260 areas worldwide and over 80 American cities to provide relief and offer support, including free food, fundraisers for social causes, classes, and immigrant health outreach, among others.
Giving Tuesday is not just a giving day for individuals; it’s also an opportunity for small businesses and organizations to participate and give back to their communities. Individuals might work with their own organization or small business to support a nonprofit organization.
How can I participate in Giving Tuesday?
If you want to participate in Giving Tuesday, GT recommends practicing an act of kindness every Tuesday or one Tuesday per month. An act of kindness doesn't necessarily have to be a significant or expensive task. Read on for more suggestions—large and small—on how to celebrate Giving Tuesday in November or year-round. Since studies have shown that both the giver and the receiver can experience the positive mental and even physical health effects of generosity, adopting one or more of these into your regular routine can be beneficial to you and those around you.
Volunteer for an organization
One way to positively impact your community and/or the planet is to consider engaging in volunteer work. You might also consider supporting an organization whose mission you’re passionate about in your local community, which might involve spreading the word to raise money for donations. There are various types of volunteer opportunities available, including but certainly not limited to the following:
Offering food and drink to unhoused populations
Working at a community food bank
Working at a domestic violence shelter
Organizing or helping out at food, clothing, or baby item drives
Partaking in environmental clean-ups
Helping at an animal shelter or fostering pets
If you're interested in volunteering, you can search for nonprofits or organizations in your area and reach out to them. You might also speak with friends and colleagues for recommendations of organizations they support that you could join. GivingTuesday also has a list of local GivingTuesday campaign branches worldwide on its website, so you can locate resources and ideas where you live.
Make care packages
For Giving Tuesday, you might also consider making care packages for unhoused individuals, nursing homes, hospitals, LGBTQIA+ centers, emergency shelters, or domestic violence shelters. Your packages could include things like:
Warm socks
A healthy snack
A gift card to a local shop
Menstrual products
A kind note
A bottle of water
Tailor the items inside your package to the group of individuals you hope to help. Consider making it a regular occurrence if you can afford to do so. Remember that if you intend to donate these care packages to a specific organization or institution, it’s wise to check with them first to see if they accept such donations and what parameters or rules may apply if so.
Give a thoughtful gift
You could also give a gift to someone in your life to show appreciation and kindness. Giving gifts isn’t just for the holiday season; instead, it can be a semi-regular occurrence. For instance, you might put a special dessert in your child’s or spouse’s lunch, offer a refreshing beverage to your mail carrier or trash picker, or buy flowers for an elderly neighbor. It doesn’t have to cost much or anything at all, but a small, thoughtful gift can brighten someone’s day and show them that they are valued.
Write positive notes of encouragement via social media
Another way to put positivity and kindness out into the world is through a handwritten note. You might write out a card to a relative or friend you don’t speak to often, brightening their day with the experience of receiving a thoughtful piece of mail. You might even leave notes in public spaces where they have the potential to make a passerby smile. For instance, you could write one that says:
"You look beautiful today."
"You're doing amazing."
"I'm so proud of you!"
"Every day is a new day; keep on trying."
"You can make your dreams come true; I believe in you!"
You might also consider spreading positivity through social media platforms. You can leave positive comments of encouragement or reach out to others who might need support.
Sign up for a long-term volunteer project
If you hope to leave a long-term impact on your community and travel abroad, applying to work at a nonprofit or volunteer for a project in another country could be rewarding. Many organizations allow volunteers to apply to join them in providing aid to various communities around the world. You can find outreach programs across a wide variety of different sectors depending on your interests and skills, including:
Social and humanitarian aid
Education and language
Environmental studies and impact
Biology, plant, and animal work
Disaster relief and construction
Research
Medical care
For some programs, you may require a doctorate or master's degree in a particular field in order to offer aid. However, some nonprofits accept students, young adults, and those without experience or degrees. Many organizations offer room, board, and food for those accepted into the program.
Make a generosity plan
Planning how to spread kindness in the future could be another good way to celebrate Giving Tuesday and to hold yourself accountable for doing so going forward. To get started, you might write a list of the acts of kindness or service you’d like to complete this year. Then, one Tuesday each month, complete one of the activities until you've checked off every item on the list.
Make a donation instead of shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday
One of the main goals of Giving Tuesday is to raise money for nonprofit organizations, and every year, tens of thousands of people come together to support the causes they believe in. Some people find that they are too busy or otherwise unable to offer physical assistance or support to a nonprofit. In these cases, making a monthly online donation could be a valuable way to support a community you care about if your budget allows for it. The giving process has been simplified over the years, with many nonprofits offering the option of signing up for recurring donations so that you don't have to remember to give each time. Even $5 per month can make a difference. Forbes lists the top 100 charities donated to in 2021 for those who aren't sure where to start.
Pay for someone's school lunch debt
Although buying someone's coffee at Starbucks can be a generous way to connect with others, most communities have others with more pressing needs that the same amount of money could significantly help. For example, many children and young people in the US have school lunch debt and can no longer buy meals at school.
The Education Data Initiative reports that over 75% of schools in the US in 2021 had unpaid student breakfast and lunch debt, at an average of $170 per year per student. If you can donate this or a lower amount, you can help a child receive the nutrition they need to focus and feel energized at school for a year or more. To get started, you might call a local K–12 school to ask if you can contribute to their school lunch debt.
Support young adults in need
If you are familiar with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, you are aware that many young adults struggle with disability issues. Many people find supporting the well-being of children to be rewarding, and there are many nonprofits dedicated to such causes. However, support for young adults between 18 and 25 is often overlooked, as they may be expected to receive support from family as they transition into living on their own. However, not all young adults have adequate family support. If you want to help young adults who may lack resources, you can search for nonprofits focused on the following:
Young adults experiencing cancer
Autistic young adults
Young adults with disabilities
LGBTQIA+ young adults
Young adults experiencing homelessness
When young people go through a transitional period, dealing with homelessness, financial insecurity, a lack of social support, and other challenges and traumas can be difficult. Donating to or volunteering with a nonprofit that supports these groups or working to create your own could be a way to give back to the community's younger members.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Cultivating a sense of generosity with therapy
Generosity is a way to show others that you care, benefiting all parties involved and affirming our humanity. Studies have shown a connection between healthy interpersonal interactions like those listed in this article and an individual’s mental and physical health. Other research even shows that practicing acts of kindness can increase the giver’s life satisfaction. Plus, showing generosity to others can inspire them to do the same, creating a ripple effect that can have a major impact. Giving selflessly of your time, energy, or money to someone else is a positive way to show love and support to those in your community and beyond.
Cultivating a sense of generosity
It can sometimes feel challenging to give to others when we have trouble giving to ourselves. Generosity toward oneself can be a method of self-compassion, which can improve one’s own emotional resilience and potentially overflow into generosity towards others. For those who are looking to increase their levels of generosity both inwardly and outwardly, speaking with a therapist can be helpful. They can assist you in increasing self-esteem, setting and reaching goals, and handling any other emotional or mental health challenges you may be facing.
Practicing positivity beyond the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving with online therapy
Research suggests that online and in-person therapy can offer similar benefits in many cases, which means that people can typically choose the format that works best for them. If you have a busy schedule, trouble locating providers in your area, difficulty in reliable transportation, or simply prefer to meet with a therapist from the comfort of home, you might consider online therapy. With a virtual therapy platform like BetterHelp, for instance, you can get matched with a licensed therapist who you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or online chat to address the challenges you may be facing.
Takeaway
Giving Tuesday is an annual event designed to get more people interested and involved in showing kindness and generosity to each other and their communities. You can try any of the ideas above to participate in Giving Tuesday this November or year-round. For assistance in increasing your levels of compassion and generosity toward others, speaking with a therapist may be helpful.
What holiday is held each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving?
Giving Tuesday refers to a global generosity movement that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It's a day that encourages people and organizations to donate time, resources, and talents to help resolve local and global challenges. This day kicks off the giving season when individuals, communities, and companies are inspired to contribute to nonprofit organizations through the giving process and show radical generosity.
Why is Giving Tuesday celebrated?
Giving Tuesday is celebrated as an international day of charitable giving during the holiday season. On this day, Giving Tuesday campaigns are spread across various platforms, with tens of thousands participating in the act of giving.
What does the GivingTuesday organization do?
Giving Tuesday was developed to rally people around donating to nonprofit organizations, charities, or causes they are passionate about. As a result, people can be united under a purpose to support societal needs. It's a response to the commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season, notably Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Who came up with Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y – a cultural center in New York City – in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. Over time, it has become a global movement that connects diverse groups of individuals, communities, and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.
Who celebrates Giving Tuesday?
Everyone can celebrate Giving Tuesday, including those looking to contribute to their own organization or cause they believe in, businesses and corporations that promote philanthropy, nonprofit organizations that solicit donations, and even small businesses that participate through Small Business Saturday.
What is the history of the Day of Giving?
The Day of Giving, known as Giving Tuesday, was established in 2012 and has since become a critical part of the giving season worldwide. It started as an idea to bring people together to raise money and awareness for important causes. The concept has now turned into an annual global generosity movement where nonprofit organizations benefit from the donations of the public and various partners.
What is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday called?
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is called Giving Tuesday. It follows the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday and is a day dedicated to charitable acts. The date signifies a return to the true spirit of the holiday season – focusing on the giving process rather than receiving.
What are some interesting facts about Giving Tuesday and social media?
Some interesting facts about Giving Tuesday include that it has engaged over 75 countries around the world since its inception. Each year, online donation pages see a significant spike in activity on this day, with millions of dollars raised for various causes. Notably, the movement has gathered tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations to participate, often using social media to spread its message.
Why is Giving Tuesday important?
Giving Tuesday represents a day of action focused on giving back. It helps raise awareness and support for nonprofit organizations and causes, creating a sense of community and humanity. This global day also serves to remind individuals of the impact of their philanthropic actions and encourages a sense of civic responsibility.
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