#GivingTuesday Is Way Better Than Black Friday or Cyber Monday
Long ago — certainly longer than most of us can remember — the days around Thanksgiving were about family and friends, a season of gratitude. Of course, ‘Black Friday’ and its siren song of big savings always loomed ominously in the background, but it feels like the intense charge towards holiday shopping has reached new highs in recent years. Today, Black Friday sales start on Wednesday or Thursday and extend far into the weekend, as consumers recover from early morning mad dashes to the store and prepare for the mad tapping and clicking of Cyber Monday.
So what happened to the spirit of giving thanks in what should be a season of gratitude and appreciation? Well, it got a modern makeover.
Enter #GivingTuesday.
Started in 2012 to kick-off the charitable season, #GivingTuesday is celebrated on the heels of the holiday sales sprint, landing right between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a respite from the retail sales storm, with a focus not on taking for ourselves, but rather on giving back to our communities and the causes that we care most about.
So here are my top reasons why #GivingTuesday beats out Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
1. No waking up early. Want to make a difference? Make a gift at 8am or 8pm, nobody’s going to hold it against you. Get a full night’s rest, so that you don’t get fatigued halfway through typing your credit card information.
2. No lines. When I click-thru to my favorite organizations on Tuesday, I won’t have to wait to give and neither will you. Log-on. Make a gift. Done.
3. More than just a shiny, new toy high. Finding a great nonprofit or community organization to support means that you’re giving something meaningful to someone else, whether that’s a hot meal, clean clothes, access to medical care, or a chance at a college degree. For too many, hot ticket items like these come at a premium and your support gives them the benefit of affordable access. And making a donation in someone else’s name this holiday is always in style.
4. Employers don’t match presents, but many match charitable gifts.When was the last time your employer gave you a matching TV? Or let you buy a fancy new MacBook from them at the bargain price you scored one from Best Buy? Never. But many employers will provide matching gifts when you make a donation — which can really buoy the impact of your own philanthropy. Find out if your job offers that benefit and if it doesn’t, ask that it be considered for next year or if they would make a one-time donation to a local cause.
Bonus: Nobody will be starting a Change.org petition to prevent you from donating. We may all have different opinions about where charitable dollars should be spent and our own pet projects to support, but everybody is glad that you gave. Thanks for that. Keep up the good work.
So this year, after you’ve dropped the last drumstick, eaten that last bit of pie, and woken up from a tryptophan-induced snooze, spend a few minutes looking up some organizations that you care about for this #GivingTuesday. Or — even easier — consider supporting one of my favorite organizations.
