#GivingTuesday Inspires Season of Giving
The #GivingTuesday campaign for non-profits will begin popping up all over Facebook and Instagram feeds tomorrow. But what does it mean?
#GivingTuesday is a 24-hour period of giving meant to catalyze generosity and help transform communities nationwide. It was created in 2012 when two organizations, the 92ndStreet YMCA in New York and the United Nations Foundation, intended to allocate one day per year to celebrate giving. Since then, the movement has grown immensely, raising more than $1 billion online for organizations in America alone.
Over its 7-year run, the #GivingTuesday movement became an important part of the holiday season. Following Thanksgiving and widely known shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the global day of giving is meant to inspire a season of philanthropy.
Here at the St. Louis Community Foundation (STLCF), we believe in inspiring charitable giving that will preserve an equitable and vibrant region in St. Louis – which the #GivingTuesday campaign does just that. With the charitable giving they receive from the day; non-profits can better serve our region with their philanthropic missions.
Neosha Franklin, Marketing and Communications Manager at STLCF, believes that the STLCF has another significant connection with #GivingTuesday. GiveSTL Day, according to Franklin, is very similar to the #GivingTuesday movement. The goal for both is to raise the most money during a day-long period, which is achieved partially through digital marketing. Social media plays a great role in this, reminding followers throughout the week to donate on the day of the event.
“Giving Tuesday campaigns are vital to nonprofit fundraising and inspiring people to continue giving back to their community throughout the holiday season. Through the work of digital marketing, nonprofits can encourage giving on the national and local level that will help their region flourish,” Franklin explained.
“Non-profits in St. Louis would benefit immensely from a successful Giving Tuesday campaign, just as they do from GiveSTL Day, which is scheduled for May 7, 2020,” she said. “To better endow our region for the future, we should first start by supporting the organizations that are making a difference now.”
This year, there are 1,683 non-profits, schools, religious organizations, and small businesses from Missouri participating in the #GivingTuesday movement. Of those 1,683, there are 435 organizations near the St. Louis area. Many of these organizations are depending on donations from this huge day of giving to fund them year-round.
To find out which organizations to support near you, click here.
To find out more about how your nonprofit can participate in the St. Louis region’s Give STL Day, signed up for the STLCF newsletter here for the latest news and information.