The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. I am deeply connected to the nonprofit industry not just because it’s where I’ve built my career or the route I chose when I created The Smile Project at age 17, but because I have always been deeply interested in what it means to give.
In second grade, my friend hosted a birthday party and asked for friends to bring donations to the local animal shelter instead of presents for her. I can still remember how fascinating and beautiful I found this… how much I loved walking around the pet section at Target and how I loved doing the same thing for every elementary-aged birthday party I had in the years following.
I am interested in what it means to give because I think that giving is so intrinsically tied to what makes us human.
Giving Tuesday is an annual event held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a call to action for philanthropic giving. It’s a movement for generosity. A sharing of our collective compassion.
Each year, I open my email inbox and am flooded with impact stories from the amazing nonprofits that make up my community. I see the appeals for worthy causes. I strategize how I want to spend my Giving Tuesday budget. I think about the things that mean the most to me. I think about the work we can do to make the world a little better.
On Giving Tuesday, my timeline will be filled with causes that matter. If you’re reading this, I will probably be another one on your list. Thank you for being with us.
Giving Tuesday is traditionally focused on financial giving. But there are so many ways you can be a leader for goodness in the world. So many ways you can make a difference today. Right now.
This week, we invite you to learn more about an organization that is working on an issue that you care about. We invite you to follow them on social media or engage with their page. Tell a friend about them. Reach out about volunteering. If you have $5 to spare, make a donation.
The world is at its best when we are generous givers. The world is at its best when we give together.
And perhaps that’s why I love Giving Tuesday so much. Sure, there is a saturation of emails and campaigns and posts on this one day and sure that can feel overwhelming. But how cool to feel connected to this industry as we all, in our own ways, come together to encourage authentic giving. That is how we move forward.
To support The Smile Project, an entirely volunteer run nonprofit organization, donate today.
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