#GivingTuesday Shines a Light on Philanthropy, Service and American Generosity and Creates Opening Day for the Giving Season

An unprecedented partnership of more than 2,500 charities, volunteer organizations, corporations, community centers and foundations made history yesterday with the inaugural #GivingTuesday, marked by activities and campaigns in all 50 U.S. states.  The #GivingTuesday movement created a new day on the calendar to mark the opening of the Giving Season, with volunteer projects, online fundraisers, and collections for the needy with many focusing on Superstorm Sandy victims. The movement’s goals of inviting more people to think about giving and encouraging generosity of time and resources were embraced by grassroots organizers, corporate and retail leaders and an emerging cadre of entrepreneurial philanthropists.

The #GivingTuesday message was also echoed in statements from Mayors of Chicago, Philadelphia and New York, philanthropy leaders including Bill Gates, and the White House.  Early indicators point to the promise and potential of the movement. Blackbaud(www.blackbaud.com), a global provider of software and services to nonprofits and a founding partner of #GivingTuesday, processed $10 million in online donations on inaugural #GivingTuesday – a 53% increase when compared to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving the previous year.

Organizers hope this outpouring of giving and awareness will catalyze a sustained period of robust and creative giving during the holiday season.

An “Opening Day” for Giving

Coming on the heels of the country’s biggest shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday was designed to help change the national dialogue about giving and mobilize an “opening day” for charitable giving and volunteer support for causes large and small.  Born from conversations at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, and supported by the United Nations Foundation and a Team of Influencers including some of the nation’s leading foundation executives, philanthropy experts, public relations professionals and social media leaders, #GivingTuesday asked people to support their favorite charities and do something special to give back on November 27.  Next year, #GivingTuesday will fall on December 3, 2013.

Social Media Helps Power a Movement about Generosity

The #GivingTuesday conversation reached millions of people on November 27 through a coordinated social media effort that included a Social Media Ambassadors program; special blog series; innovative platforms designed to help participants share information, tools and best practices; and a sustained Twitter and Facebook conversation.  The social media conversation included thousands of posts and photos showcasing the variety of ways that people donated or gave back on November 27 and the plans they have to support causes throughout the holiday season.

The robust conversation resulted in #GivingTuesday becoming a trending topic on Twitter in the United States for much of the day on November 27 and intermittently trending as a global topic, as well. In addition, media outlets reaching all 50 U.S. states covered both local and national initiatives, fueling discussions about how organizations can make giving more accessible and relevant for future generations and emerging leaders.

Increased Support Points to a Promising Start to the “Giving Season”

In addition to the nationwide surge in conversations about giving, #GivingTuesday partners reported strong response to calls for increased support, volunteer efforts and matching grants.  Many organizations have already started reporting the impact of their efforts on #GivingTuesday to their supporters and donors, encouraging them to maintain this momentum throughout the holiday season.  From supplies to volunteer hours to pints of blood donated, or even miles walked or jogged for charity, the #GivingTuesday community asked people to help “Get out the Give” in thousands of ways that will have lasting impact.

ABOUT #GIVINGTUESDAY
#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate giving and provide incentives to give. It will begin with a national day of giving on November 27, 2012. This first-of-its-kind 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 is inspiring people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, to give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and to help create a better world. #GivingTuesday is harnessing the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays that is dedicated to giving, similar to the way Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of 92nd Street Y and supported by a core group of founding partners, are spearheading this effort. Founding partners include United Nations Foundation, Case Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VentureThree Capital.  Leaders in philanthropy, social media, innovative giving, grassroots organizing, marketing and communications are providing counsel and resources to help build this movement.

FOUNDING PARTNERS

92nd Street Y
(RED)
American Red Cross
Benevolent
Blackbaud
Bob Woodruff Foundation
Bridgespan
Care2
Causes
Charity Miles
charity: water
City of Hope
Clear Channel Outdoor
Conservation International
Crowdrise
Darden Restaurants
Discover
DoGoodBuyUs
DonorsChoose
DoSomething.org
Financial Times
Games for Change
GlobalGiving
Groupon
The Huffington Post
IAVA
JPMorgan Chase
JCPenney
Kiva
Mashable
Microsoft
Pencils of Promise
Plant a Fish
Posterscope
PSI
Samasource
Simon Malls
Skype
Sony
The Case Foundation
The Salvation Army
United Nations Foundation
United Way
Unilever
VENTURE3Philanthropy

ENDORSERS

Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy
Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy
Giving Institute
Giving USA Foundation
InterAction
Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation

CHARITY ADVISORS

Charity Navigator
GiveWell
GuideStar

VOLUNTEER ADVISORS

VolunteerMatch

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