I don't know about you, but I am just as tired of hearing people complain about
"the commercialization of the holiday season"
as I am tired of the actual commercialization.
"the commercialization of the holiday season"
as I am tired of the actual commercialization.
So I love the whole concept of Giving Tuesday.
from wikipedia:
Giving Tuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for purposes of hashtag activism, refers to the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a movement to create an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday).
There's just no "down side" to Giving Tuesday. I love the recognition of the value of all kinds of giving - your time, your goods, your voice - not just money. I also love that so many philanthropists and organizations that can offer huge financial contributions, take this opportunity to match the tiny financial donations of ordinary folk like me. When my five dollars suddenly becomes ten, that's pretty sweet.
This Giving Tuesday website provides "near me" opportunities in the US - searchable by town or state, with a filter for category. I tried it for Non-Profits and immediately found 4 in my little town, and 1775* in Massachusetts.
An interesting website I visited yesterday for the first time is a place "for nonprofits to find pro bono help and for skilled volunteers to provide it." I don't have experience with TaprootPlus, but I do have experience offering skills to non-profits in lieu of cash, because these days my time/skills are frankly worth far more than I can afford to donate in cash. It's very satisfying when such an arrangement works out, but it can be hard to set up without a specific project/need already identified by the organization. (Psst: still hoping to hear from you, Snow Leopard Trust!) So if Taproot Plus is a functional clearinghouse for both the nonprofits and the volunteers, that sounds like a need fulfilled, right there. If any of my readers have used this website to either find free help or provide it, please share in the comments or send me an email. I'd love to follow up.
Meanwhile, today I'm going to make my small - but sometimes matched! - donations to groups I've written about before on this blog - APOPO HeroRats, the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation, the Pat Brody Shelter for Cats, and of course, the Snow Leopard Trust.
Meanwhile, today I'm going to make my small - but sometimes matched! - donations to groups I've written about before on this blog - APOPO HeroRats, the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation, the Pat Brody Shelter for Cats, and of course, the Snow Leopard Trust.
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| Pat Brody Shelter - free access outdoor area |
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And now - if you've made it all the way to the end of this post! - here is a little reward.
Some of you may remember a giveaway back in - oh my gosh, I just pulled the original images, and look - it was January 2015!
Well, last year I had stocked up on more of these stars in order to repeat that giveaway in December. But I unexpectedly lost my laptop for most of that month and missed the opportunity.
So let's do it now!
I just checked the Snow Leopard Trust gift shop, and did not find stars amongst their many felted items, which makes these handmade stars not only pretty and cheerful, but possibly rare collectors' items!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post - perhaps sharing your own ideas for Giving Tuesday? or just say hello - and I will draw a winner one week from today. All are welcome, anywhere on the planet and on the International Space Station.
The winner will be announced on the blog and will have 3 days to provide me (by email) with a mailing address.
Good luck!
~~~
* That state-wide number made me smile. There was rather a lot going on in Massachusetts in 1775! It was the start of the American Revolution.
~~~~~
One of your posts from last year got me into donating to Kiva. I enjoy reinvesting my loans. I don't do giving Tuesday specifically, but there are a few places I traditionally give to this time of year (including the shelters where I adopted my most recent guinea pigs). :-)
ReplyDeleteYay Kiva! I've got almost enough paid back to relend, but not quite. Hmmm...maybe I'll just add a little bit and bring the total up. Thanks for making me think of this, Sally!
DeleteAs I get older I seem to appreciate Christmas less and less and I totally blame the commercialization of the whole thing. If I hear one more Black Friday/Cyber Monday ad I think I'll scream. What was once a one day event has seemingly stretched into a couple of weeks. And here, with the current postal strikes happening and the subsequent legislation back to work - and now the unhappy posties and all the doom and gloom on the news about how all our mail is being held up just makes it all the more upsetting. I hate to be a bah humbug, but it's tough not to! I'm so glad that there is such a thing as Giving Tuesday because it puts the emphasis back where it should be. Now I wonder how the retailers will figure a way to benefit from that too.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about the Canadian postal strike! That must be so very frustrating!
DeleteGreat post. Thank you for the near me tip. I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
DeleteI feel the same as Magpie. I love other holidays so much more... because there isn't the "buy, buy, buy" message behind them. For that reason, I love Giving Tuesday too. That's the holiday spirit!
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ReplyDeleteYour sentiments express mine entirely .... and my 'Giving
ReplyDeleteTuesday' of the holiday will be spent at my local shelter exercising and playing with the residents there who so far haven't found their forever homes .....
Oh - and Snow Leopards rock!
Shelter volunteers are holiday angels all year round :)
DeleteNo worries if I'm too late for the giveaway. I just wanted to say I think there are tons of ways we can give. Often its as simple as helping someone who's having trouble at the store load their groceries into their car or even giving a pat on the shoulder to someone who obviously needs a dose of encouragement. I know I could do a better job at giving and wish I didn't let my busy life get in the way of doing it!
ReplyDeleteTipper, I totally agree about the huge value of simple ways of giving and helping, and not just on one special "giving" day. But I can't believe you need to do a "better job" at giving, especially since your unique and wonderful blog gives so much to all your readers, every day!
DeleteI have a very low key season, and always feel as if I ought to be doing more! But there's never any contest for my giving -- local food pantry, who can spend my cash very effectively on their immediate needs. Imagine, in my little town, this year over 50 families in need of help this year.
ReplyDeleteIn order to sidestep that recurring "ought to be doing more" feeling, I decided many years ago that I would donate at least the same fixed percentage of my income each year. I've managed to stick to it, though I admit it became harder with lean years. Always feels right though.
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