Giving Tuesday (also known by the hashtag #GivingTuesday) is both a nonprofit and global movement that happens each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Since being founded in 2012, its impact and following have rapidly expanded. Giving Tuesday describes itself as “a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world.” In short, it’s a movement dedicated to philanthropy, service, and community engagement, where individuals are encouraged to donate, volunteer, or raise awareness for causes and organizations they are passionate about. In 2020, Giving Tuesday raised an astounding $2.47 billion for nonprofits all over the US. In addition to raising funds to improve communities, Giving Tuesday is also about drawing attention to the important work that nonprofits do and encouraging people to support them throughout the rest of the year. There’s a common misconception that nonprofits only benefit people in need, but in fact, this is far from true: when nonprofits thrive, they benefit all of society. While putting a quantitative value on the contributions of nonprofits is impossible due to the fact that the work they do is extremely varied and often not material, it’s safe to say that their efforts benefit just about everyone. If you can relate to any of the following, you’ve already experienced the powerful impact of nonprofits in your life:
- you were born in or have received medical treatment at a nonprofit hospital
- you have enjoyed natural areas that benefited from conservation work by nonprofits
- you have been lucky enough to live a polio-free life due the vaccine developed by March of Dimes
- you are one of the 3 million people in America employed by a nonprofit organization
