GivingTuesday a National Giving Day – (Penence For Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday Excess?)

The unofficial pre-Christmas holiday isn’t over yet. “GivingTuesday” (December 3, 2013.) is a movement to create a national day of giving to kick off the giving season added to the calendar on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, encouraging giving and sharing. It was launched in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, a New York non-profit community centre, in partnership with the UN Foundation. In Giving Tuesday’a first time out last year, its organizers report that online charitable giving in the U.S. jumped 53 percent, with more than 2,500 recognized #GivingTuesday partners from all 50 states of the United States, and the collective efforts of partners, donors and advocates helping fuel a marked increase in charitable giving. In the same way that retail stores take part in Black Friday, Giving Tuesday wants the giving community to come together for #GivingTuesday, asking that partners create and commit to a project for/on #GivingTuesday and then help spread the word to their networks and to celebrate and encourage charitable activities that support non-profit organizations.

This year GivingTuesday has expanded to Canada as the “opening day of the giving season,” for charities, companies and individuals to join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes and think about others.

“We have two days that are good for the economy. Now we have a day that is good for the community too,” GivingTuesday Canada says on its Website. (http://givingtuesday.ca/about/)

For more information about Giving Tuesday, visit:
http://community.givingtuesday.org/News