Communities, companies, celebrities and causes unite to create an “opening day for the giving season”

Yesterday, 10,000 partner organizations in all 50 states and in countries around the world came together to create an “opening day” for the giving season. On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday, in only its second year, catalyzed a global community around philanthropy. Using new tools and technologies to celebrate traditional, community-based values, #GivingTuesday showcased the creativity and collaboration in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors.

According to Blackbaud, a leading global provider of software and services for nonprofits, online giving in the U.S. on #GivingTuesday 2013 (December 3^rd) was up 90% for its nonprofit customers, compared to #GivingTuesday 2012.

“When we launched #GivingTuesday, our goal was to celebrate (and stimulate!) the sense of community and giving that is at the heart of the holidays and at the heart of 92nd Street Y. Yesterday, from volunteering to local service activities to donations, we saw people everywhere come together to give. We want to thank all 10,000 partners in theUSand across the world, from big cities and businesses to small towns and nonprofits, who united to create an ‘opening day’ of the giving season,” saidHenry Timms, Interim Executive Director of 92Y, the catalyst behind #GivingTuesday along with the United Nations Foundation.

“#GivingTuesday is not a moment, it’s a movement,” said Kathy Calvin, president and CEO of the United Nations Foundation.  “Every action counts, every dollar matters.  And the UN Foundation is proud to be a founding partner in #GivingTuesday and help people and organizations give better, give smarter and give more during the holiday season.”

The movement counts high-profile individuals and organizations among its supporters, including The White House, Bill and Melinda Gates and a who’s who of celebrity activists, from Mary J. Blige to Chelsea Clinton, as well as endorsements from mayors in more than 20 cities around the country.  Partners in this year’s movement included large, international corporations and non-profits as well as small businesses, local organizations, faith groups and schools throughout the country.  For #GivingTuesday, these organizations created online fundraising and awareness campaigns as well as events on the ground that included clothing and food drives, volunteer opportunities, summits exploring and encouraging philanthropic activity, and fundraising parties designed to help those in need.

Just a few of the many #GivingTuesday 2013 success stories also include:

• TheUnitedMethodistChurch raised $6.5 million in donations from donors in 24 countries to support their missions and ministries.
• In Baltimore, thousands of individuals supporting nearly 500 non-profits came together with BMore Gives More to feed the hungry, shelter vets, find homes for pets, plant trees, put music and computers in schools, advance life-saving research, and so much more, raising $5.4 million for non-profits around the city.
• Good Ventures, the foundation started by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife, Cari Tuna, announced a $5-million matching grant to GiveDirectly, a non-profit that touts its no-strings-attached cash payments to poor people around the world.
• InChico,CA, residents of a homeless shelter partnered with local businesses to do clean-up projects in Downtown Chico, including curb painting, trash pick-up, downtown park clean-up and more.

#GivingTuesday is, at its core, a social movement that encourages participants to give of their time, talents and resources, and to leverage the power of social media to share their passion for giving with friends, family and colleagues.  The hashtag #GivingTuesday became a rallying cry on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+, as users raised their voices in support of causes they believe in and shared their reasons for giving.  A few social media highlights include:

• #GivingTuesday was a top trending term on Twitter in theUnited States throughout most of the day, with more than 269,000 tweets using the tag yesterday.
• Google+ partnered with Mashable to hold the first ever “Hangout-a-thon,” a 12-hour Google+ hangout that presented viewers with information about a variety of non-profit initiatives and provided opportunities to donate to those causes. The Hangout-a-thon was highlighted on the Google home page throughout the day.
• Facebook held a special #GivingTuesday live-streamed session for its members.
• The #UNselfie soared on Instagram, where more than 7,000 users have so far posted pictures (tagged with #UNselfie and #GivingTuesday) showing how and why people are giving.

About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. The second annual #GivingTuesday took place on December 3, 2013, with more than 10,000 partner organizations worldwide. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.  #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a global moment that is dedicated to giving around the world.

A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of92nd StreetY and the United Nations Foundation and supported by a core group of founding partners, originally spearheaded this effort. The founding partners in 2012 included Blackbaud, the United Nations Development Programme, Dynamic Signal, Public Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, charity: water, Darden Restaurant Group, GlobalGiving,Groupon,Iraqand Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), jcpenney, Kiva, Mashable, Microsoft, Unilever, and VentureThree Capital, among many others. Leaders in philanthropy, social media, innovative giving, grassroots organizing, marketing, and communications are providing counsel and resources to help build this movement.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday
Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTues