One Month Countdown to December 3 Energizes Partners and New Discussions about Giving Back

The second annual #GivingTuesday, now just a month away, is set to help kick off the 2013 giving season on December 3.  This new day on the calendar is bringing together a network of generous and creative people who want to remind the world that the holidays are about giving back. The collective impact of their donations, voices, volunteer hours, and resources will help increase and enhance giving around the world in places and ways where it is needed most this holiday season.  More than 4,000 organizations and businesses, from local nonprofits to multinational corporations, have already started creating action to mobilize their communities to make positive change happen.  Coming on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday encourages people to talk with their families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues about the importance of giving and to find creative new ways to raise funds and help out in their communities.  The #GivingTuesday message for 2013 is clear:  every action counts, every dollar matters, and when these things come together, they make a powerful statement about who we are.

Even in an era when the headlines are filled with news about shutdowns and gridlock, #GivingTuesday’s growing movement reminds us that generosity and giving back is part of who we are and that it’s never been more important or easier to get involved.  This message has resonated around the globe with #GivingTuesday activities being planned in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Singapore, and Latin America (where organizers are already focusing on #GivingTuesday as a powerful “Dia Para Dar”). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with offices in more than 140 countries around the world, is helping to power this global #GivingTuesday conversation by celebrating local heroes around the world who give of themselves for the betterment of their communities.

Big Names and Big Thinkers Bring Big Influence to #GivingTuesday

As we count down the days to December 3, creative and philanthropic leaders around the country are lending their voices to the movement, helping to spread the mission of #GivingTuesday to communities worldwide.  Advocates for #GivingTuesday include designer Kenneth Cole; Hugh Jackman and Laughing Man Coffee and Tea; New York Times best-selling author, television personality, and activist in the domestic violence space Robin McGraw; and Howard Buffett, author of 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World.  Bill and Melinda Gates are adding their voices to the #GivingTuesday movement in support of the ideas behind catalytic giving.  In addition, this November, #GivingTuesday stories will be shared daily on The Huffington Post.  As Ariana Huffington explains, “#GivingTuesday is a celebration of our capacity to come together to improve the lives of others.  At the same time, it’s a reminder that giving doesn’t just benefit others: We grow spiritually by what we give, and as giving becomes part of us, we discover that like a muscle, the more we exercise it, the stronger it gets.”

#GivingTuesday Partners and Projects Showcase Creativity and Impact

#GivingTuesday recognizes that today’s social media world makes it possible to power meaningful movements that help individuals and organizations make the day their own and bring together real action that aligns with their goals and missions.  Each of the thousands of partners is taking the #GivingTuesday promise to a new level of creativity by activating their supporters, donors, partners, and friends to prove that we can give more and give smarter on #GivingTuesday and throughout the holiday season.  Below are just a few examples of this year’s partner projects.

• Avon Foundation for Women: The Avon Foundation will launch a #GivingTuesday campaign to match donations made in December to the National Domestic Violence Hotline to prevent calls from being unanswered. An Avon Foundation global social media campaign launching on Facebook on November 25, #SeeTheSigns, is expected to increase calls to the Hotline. #SeeTheSigns will educate domestic violence victims and bystanders on the often hidden signs of domestic abuse through a series of 16 digital “signs.”  The Avon Foundation will use the hashtag #GivingTuesday on December 3 to raise awareness of domestic violence and to help drive donations to the Hotline.
• Bank of America: On #GivingTuesday, Bank of America is using all of its connections to fight hunger. Bank of America is partnering with Feeding America as the exclusive sponsor of its holiday Give a Meal campaign to help the 49 million Americans who struggle with hunger. For every dollar contributed from November 18 through January 10, Bank of America will donate $2 more, up to a total match of $1,500,000.  Follow the conversation on Twitter @BofA Community.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: On #GivingTuesday, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America will engage its celebrity ambassadors and hold a Twitter party where “Bigs” will share their stories and tweet about why they give.  The organization is also bringing together its 339 agencies to create #GivingTuesday campaigns within their communities.
•  Camp Kesem: Camp Kesem, a nonprofit supporting children affected by a parent’s cancer, will encourage college students, “Big Kids,” across the country to GIVE BACK this #GivingTuesday with the launch of its 2013 #GivingTuesday #BigKidsGive Photo Campaign. On December 3, 35 Camp Kesem college chapters nationwide will activate on-campus Camp Kesem themed #GivingTuesday photo booths that invite their fellow students to take photos and to give back to their communities and help send more of Camp Kesem’s little kids to camp.
• Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves: The Alliance will launch a new outreach campaign on #GivingTuesday to draw attention to Julia Roberts’ fundraising appeal on behalf of clean cooking solutions and will promote Roberts’ Catapult fundraising page http://www.catapult.org/team/julia-roberts and use the hashtag #cookstoves.
• The Home Depot Foundation:  Beginning on Veterans Day (November 11) and continuing through #GivingTuesday on December 3, the Home Depot Foundation is asking people to salute veterans by tweeting and using the hashtag #TeamDepot.  For each #TeamDepot tweet, the Foundation will donate $1 to Operation Homefront (up to $100,000) to address veterans’ housing needs.
•  Nothing But Nets: Beginning on #GivingTuesday and running through the holidays, Nothing But Nets, a campaign to fight malaria in Africa, will launch its “Gift A Net” campaign. By donating $10, anyone can give the gift of health by sending a bed net to a family in Africa, protecting them from malaria. The Nothing But Nets campaign will send donors a print or electronic card for their loved ones letting them know they’ve donated in their honor.
• Voto Latino:  This #GivingTuesday, Voto Latino, a national organization that empowers American Latino youth to effect positive change in their communities, will undertake a special fundraising effort to support civic engagement activities planned for their 10-year anniversary. As part of their year-long celebration, the organization will host four Power Summits— Voto Latino’s youth leadership and training conference—to train Latino Millennials to register people to vote, to teach them strategies for turning out voters, and to share best practices to advocate for solutions to issues that impact their communities.
• When Georgia Smiled: Robin McGraw will issue a call to action on the Dr. Phil show and The Doctors (check local listings) on #GivingTuesday to help draw attention to the issue of domestic violence and engage broader audiences in supporting those in need.   A longtime advocate for women and children, Robin recently introduced The Aspire Initiative, which includes an emergency smartphone app to help women and teens in crisis through her foundation When Georgia Smiled.
• World Food Program USA: World Food Program USA and FEED Projects will join forces with Facebook on #GivingTuesday with events at Facebook headquarters on how we can all help solve hunger globally. FEED Founder and CEO Lauren Bush Lauren will join Facebook Live and do a Q&A on Facebook with supporters across America to talk about the work of the UN World Food Programme, FEED’s 75 million meal impact and the power of WFP school feeding to help children in need around the world reach their full potential.

Helping the community grow and learn has always been a core part of the #GivingTuesday movement. As the movement continues to grow, partners like Bridgespan, Charity Navigator, DonorsChoose, Facebook, Global Giving, Guidestar, and Stanford Social Innovation Review are proving invaluable resources to guide both people and organizations to make smart and well-researched giving choices.   Dozens of trainings, webinars, toolkits, and case studies are helping to ensure that organizations and donors can increase their effectiveness and transparency when mobilizing their communities to impact positive change.

#GivingTuesday Movement Goes Global

Individuals and organizations in countries around the world continue to join the #GivingTuesday movement, supporting a huge range of local charities and champions for good.  The international movement shares the #GivingTuesday values that everyone has something to give, whether it’s a monetary contribution, large or small, or an investment of time or expertise. New international partners include:

• Israel (http://www.givingtuesdayisrael.org): IsraelGives, the main website for giving in Israel, is spearheading a national campaign for giving, partnering hundreds of nonprofit organizations, corporations, and philanthropists. Giving on this day will reward donors with special deals from their favorite brands, as well as having their donations matched by philanthropists. To avoid overlapping with the Chanukah holiday, Israel’s #GivingTuesday campaign will launch on Tuesday, December 31, with the ambitious goal of making that day the biggest online giving day in Israel’s history.

• Latin America (http://undiaparadar.net): Championed by pioneers in social entrepreneurship such as Sergio Fernandez de Cordova of Pvblic Foundation and Patricio Boyd and Guillermo Caro of OurMark, and officially launched at the FIIS conference in Chile, #GivingTuesday Latin America and #UnDiaParaDar are galvanizing the region around giving back.  As a growing roster of nations pledge to encourage charitable giving, #GivingTuesday messages, tools, and resources in Spanish are being used around the region as organizers and champions organize #GivingTuesday activities in their respective countries.
• Singapore (http://www.givingtuesday.sg): Led by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, partners and social media ambassadors in Singapore have begun creating new ways to give in the digital age. MasterCard Singapore will be running various campaigns to bring cheer and support to children suffering from cancer. For every MasterCard contactless payment made on #GivingTuesdaySG, the company will make a contribution to the Singapore Children’s Society (SCS). In addition, MasterCard will match dollar for dollar all employee donations made to SCS on that day.

Cities in the U.S. Rally to Show That They Are #GivingTuesday Communities

In addition, #GivingTuesday continues to grow deep local roots with activities in the U.S., as cities and towns across the country come together to kick off local campaigns.  Bmore Gives More, for instance, is a new initiative launched by 15 nonprofits and businesses in Baltimore, with the support of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, to help raise $5 million to benefit the more than 150 participating charitable organizations and programs. Local #GivingTuesday activities are also taking place in Philadelphia via #GivingTuesdayPHL and in Bucks County, Pennsylvania through #GivingTuesdayBucks.

Now Is the Perfect Time to Get Involved

#GivingTuesday encourages everyone to create positive change in their communities, in whatever way is possible for them. Individuals can visit www.givingtuesday.org to find out more, see who is participating in your area, identify an organization that’s doing work you believe in, find a way to get involved, start a campaign, or become a #GivingTuesday social media ambassador and help spread the word.  Businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations can visit the website to join #GivingTuesday as partners and receive materials that will help with organizing employee matching gifts, holiday gift drives, volunteer days, and other activities.

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About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving on December 3, 2013. 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 of 92nd Street Y 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, Pvblic Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, charity: water, Darden Restaurant Group, GlobalGiving, Groupon, Iraq and 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