Giving Tuesday: A Day To Come Together To Give Back

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are good for stimulating the economy, but Manhattan's 92nd Street Y thinks that giving is good for stimulating the soul. The 92nd Street Y, a nonprofit cultural and community center in New York, has brought together a consortium of charities, businesses and individuals and created GivingTuesday as the day that America comes together to give back.

With charitable donations down, the 92nd Street Y wanted to find a way to shine a collective light on charitable organizations while getting people to pause and think about those who are in need and what they can do to make a difference.  

The organizers of GivingTuesday want to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in giving during the holiday season.

Their idea is simple. Find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to join in acts of giving. And don't be shy--they want you to tell everyone about what you are doing and why it matters so that you can inspire others through your generosity. Whether it is time, money or a special skill--share your story.

More than 2,000 organizations in all 50 states have pledged to take part in GivingTuesday and encourage their communities to participate and give whatever they can—money, expertise, time--with the goal of making the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving an annual day of giving.

In addition to securing an anonymous donor with a matching grant of $150,000, the 92nd Street Y has focused their efforts on food and clothing drives, care packages to elderly veterans, holiday cards to U.S. soldiers abroad, gift baskets to domestic violence shelters and much more. The results of these efforts will be announced on GivingTuesday.

So how will you be giving on GivingTuesday? Tell us in the comments and inspire others with your random acts of kindness.