There are three highly anticipated days following Thanksgiving Day in the United States: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and GivingTuesday. Chances are, you’ve likely participated in at least one of these… or all three (we’re not here to judge you, Black Friday shoppers).
We want to highlight the day that aims to shed a little more light in this world, while supporting the common good through the generosity of time, resources, donations, and more.
This day is known as GivingTuesday.
What is GivingTuesday?
You may have seen #GivingTuesday all over social media in years past. What started as an attempt to “make generosity go viral” in 2012, has become one of the biggest and most impactful giving movements to date. The event was founded by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, and is now its own organization.
As stated by the GivingTuesday organization, “the goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day, and touches every person on the planet.”
GivingTuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and is a day that is completely devoted to supporting charities, giving to the causes you care about the most, and showing support for your local community.
So, what’s next?
Make GivingTuesday a Part of Your Financial Planning
BE Wealth is passionate about helping individuals throughout every phase of their financial journey. This goes for saving and giving. Just as we help people identify their short and long term saving objectives, we also want to encourage others to find opportunities to give back.
One practical step you can take is to make GivingTuesday a part of your financial planning. As you start to budget for holiday giving, you can add a line item for a charitable organization you’d like to make a donation to. Getting it down on paper, or into your budgeting app, is a great way to prioritize your giving, while staying within the budget you were planning this holiday season.
Keep in mind: you don’t have to be wealthy to give. Even small amounts can go a long way!
GivingTuesday is just one day, but as part of the overarching goal, it’s about adjusting your perspective to start thinking more through the lens of generosity.
Ways to give back:
Give to a charity. Non-profit organizations work hard to help make a difference in their communities, and are always looking for more people to rally behind the cause. You can be a part of making a difference by donating to a local, U.S., or even global non-profit organization. You can find a list of participating non-profits to get involved with here.
Give your time. Many have the preconceived notion that in order to “give back,” this requires some sort of monetary donation. But, that’s not always the case. You can be generous with your time. Start by looking into volunteering at a non-profit or another organization in your community that you are passionate about. You never know the type of impact you may have on someone else by giving your time…or better yet, the type of impact it can have on you.
Give to a donation drive. During the Holiday season, there are plenty of organizations who hold donation drives as a way to give to local families in need. Rather than simply donating items or resources, you may even consider organizing your own donation drive to give to a non-profit of your choice. This is a great opportunity to get friends and family involved as well!
There are several ways you can participate in GivingTuesday, but we wanted to highlight just a few ways to help you get started. Remember, you never know the lives you could be changing or the difference you could be making by choosing to give back this holiday season.
BE Generous, BE Wealth
There’s always so much joy and excitement around the holiday season, and our team at BE Wealth loves bringing that joy to others in the ways we choose to give back. Many of our employees are board members of local organizations and are committed to building a better community through active participation and support.
As a group, we also partake in annual fundraisers like Project Salina and the United Way campaign. And this year, we hosted our first ever BE Wealth Charity Golf Tournament benefiting local charities and non-profits in our community. We hope to make this fundraiser an annual event.
100% of all ticket sales went back to the following charities:
- The First Tee of Salina
- Salina Child Care Association
- Emergency Aid / Food Bank
- Salina Area Technical College Foundation
- Salina Regional Health Foundation
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
At BE Wealth, it’s not about what others can do for us, but more about what we can do for others. This is the common thread we try to bring to every aspect of what we do as a team.
“Our philosophy is to give generously and consistently to the communities we serve and to which we owe so much of our success – in business and in life.”
If you’re local to the Kansas City area, and are looking for ways to participate in GivingTuesday, you can find more information provided by Nonprofit Connect.