Thanksgiving serves as a kick-off for the season of giving when many people generously donate to the causes they care about. It’s also the start of the shopping season with several days that have become well known to us–Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday–when we often participate in endless retail therapy.
What is less well-known is Giving Tuesday. It is a day when we stop buying for our friends and family and begin giving to others.
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
While Giving Tuesday is about making a financial contribution to one or more of the many nonprofit organizations that provide needed services to our communities, it is also about giving generously of your time and talents through volunteering.
If you are interested in becoming a social entrepreneur who wants to make a living by making a difference, then Giving Tuesday is a great time for you to connect with nonprofit organizations in your community to learn more about the sector, the needs in your community, and the gaps that still need to be filled.
If instead, you are interested in learning a new skill in order to pursue a passion in just about any field, Giving Tuesday may be the time when you find a nonprofit organization where you can volunteer in order to learn a new skill or enhance an existing skill. Nonprofit organizations need your skills and talents and can also be a great training ground. There are nonprofits focused on the arts, technology, youth, senior, sports, nutrition, and just about anything you can think of. Here are a few places where you can begin searching for volunteer opportunities. (Click the logos below for links)
This Giving Tuesday, make a commitment to share your time and talents with a nonprofit organization in your community and learn something new at the same time!