A day focused on giving back
Giving to people in need has always been part of the holiday season, but that spirit of goodwill took a more focused spin in 2012 with the creation of Giving Tuesday, a day intentionally devoted to supporting and encouraging good works.
Nine years later, Giving Tuesday and the charitable giving it inspires have reached new heights, fueled in part by a global pandemic that spurred an increase in generosity from individual donors, corporations and philanthropic organizations.
Nearly $2.5 billion was donated in the U.S. on Giving Tuesday 2020, according to GivingTuesday.org. That’s up 25 percent from the 2019 total of about $2 billion.
The 92nd Street Y, a community center in New York, is credited with the original idea for Giving Tuesday, planned for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to donate to charities just as the holiday shopping season kicks off.
Soon, a broader movement was born. A separate nonprofit organization called Giving Tuesday was created to organize and promote the global giving effort and to provide data, ideas and content to maximize the reach and impact.
From the start, social media has played a huge role. Charities and businesses use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to spread awareness and seek donations. People who are passionate about specific causes share posts and challenge friends and followers to join them in supporting their favorite charity.
But it isn’t all about the money. Giving Tuesday also encourages people to do good work in their local communities through volunteerism, helping neighbors, donating needed items to charitable groups, or just spreading small acts of kindness.
Find ideas on how to give back, along with information about some of the needs here in the San Diego region, on these pages or by visiting www.sandiegouniontribune.com/giving-tuesday.