Every Tuesday after Thanksgiving, a very special day occurs: Giving Tuesday! To celebrate the joy of giving, here are some creative ways families can participate in #GivingTuesday.
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a relatively modern event, so don’t feel bad if you aren’t familiar with it! A quick background is that Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as an event to highlight the power of generosity and giving back to others. You may be curious, though – why this particular Tuesday?
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that celebrates generosity while encouraging us to be grateful for the people and things we have in our lives. Unfortunately, these themes are often overshadowed by what are arguably the two most consumer-targeted events of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
While we love the shopping deals as much as everyone else, even we have to admit it is a bit ironic that a holiday about being grateful for what you have is immediately followed by an event that encourages people to do the exact opposite – acquire what they don’t have!
It’s for this reason that Giving Tuesday has been described as “the antithesis” of these consumer-based events, and since 2012 the movement has had a single goal: to unleash the power of radical generosity around the world.
How to participate
The great part about Giving Tuesday is the central theme that everyone has something to offer. This means that Giving Tuesday is very much an open holiday for every individual. Simply offering a smile or compliment to someone – or telling a loved one how much you care – are acts of generosity, and the movement encourages people to spread awareness by using the hashtag #GivingTuesday.
Small business owners and community members can also participate in various ways – from organizing bake sales to leading park cleanups. It’s also worth pointing out that many charitable organizations will be offering special “donation matching” deals on Giving Tuesday. For example, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will be triple-matching every donation due to a generous sponsor. Put simply, this is the opposite of a Black Friday sale – it’s literally a donation promotion!
If you’d like to spread awareness for Giving Tuesday, hop on social media and share what you’re grateful for with the hashtag #GivingTuesday. The official Giving Tuesday website has a number of great suggestions, including:
- Do a “random act of kindness”
- Help a neighbor or loved one
- Organize a holiday food drive
- Fundraise for a cause
- Volunteer for a community event
- Sign a local petition
- Make a charitable donation
Once again, the central theme is to encourage generosity and kindness – and remember, no act is too small. To learn more about Giving Tuesday, check out their official guide on how you can get involved.
