Today is Giving Tuesday, an international effort encouraging individuals and corporations to donate money to their favorites causes.
The premise is simple. According to the official website: “We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.”
Giving Tuesday began in 2012 in partnership between the United Nations Foundation and 92nd Street Y in New York City. Not only are people encouraged to give but organizations are encouraged to utilize the Internet, social media and other creative means to encourage donations.
In 2013, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports, organizations raised somewhere between $21-32 million. Analysts anticipate, based on a sampling of current campaigns, organizations could raise “$40 million or more based on the goals of participants and promises of matching gifts.”
According to Funders for LGBTQ Issues, 70 percent of all LGBT nonprofits have a budget of $500,000 or less. Many rely on skeletal staff and volunteers to do their work. “As such, they don’t always have the resources to employ dedicated development staff.” Giving Tuesday also has an outsized impact for these groups:
By mobilizing social media to encourage people to give, efforts like #GivingTuesday can give an important platform to even the smallest of nonprofits to educate a wider audience, one they might not otherwise reach, about the critical work they are doing. So how can you get involved with #GivingTuesday?
I’ve reached to a handful of local LGBT organizations about their progress. While I wait, check out some of the creative partnerships. For instance, shop at the Amon Carter Museum’s store and receive a 20 percent discount when you mention you are with the AIDS Outreach Center. (By the way, the store and museum are open until 5 p.m.)
Not sure where you wanna give? If you’re on Twitter, follow #GivingTuesday to see who’s giving and where.
