For those of you who, like me, have never heard of Giving Tuesday, you just missed it. As a response to the consumerism that is the focus of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a group of organizations got together and declared that the next day was going to be all about giving back. The organizers encouraged businesses, communities and individuals to contribute either time or money to any organization or cause that they like and helped by providing a website with suggestions and guidance.
The idea is to bring back the true meaning of the holiday season, whether that means being thankful for the bounty we have or bringing some light into the lives of people who need it.
The idea of Black Friday is that Thanksgiving is over and it’s now time for people to start thinking about Christmas shopping. But (in theory at least) most of the holiday shopping is for gifts for others or items to help you host family and friends comfortably. If you’re already focused on all that warm-and-fuzzy stuff and have resisted the temptation to take advantage of the sales for your own desires, then you probably don’t need Giving Tuesday to remind you of the meaning of the holiday season. And if you are beating people over the head with a remote control in order to get a slightly cheaper big-screen TV for yourself, then giving to charity the next day might not do the trick but you might need the reminder more than anyone.
So don’t just dash off a check to the first organization that approaches you. If we’re going to take advantage of Giving Tuesday as an antidote to some of the dangerous influences of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then we have to take our giving just as seriously as we take our consuming. Even though Giving Tuesday is over, spend some time as a family (whether that’s with kids, a significant-other or a few close friends) talking about what charities are the best fit for you.
Often we just give to the biggest names out there, but it can be nicely to donate to something that you feel personally invested in. It’s the charity equivalent of a thoughtful handmade gift over an expensive but impersonal one. Think of an organization that once helped you or a loved one, or finally look into organizations that you pass everyday on your way to work, or find out if there is a professional organization for members of your field that donates their services. If you were buying a gift, once you had some ideas you would do some price comparisons online and again this is a similar process. Once you’ve come up with some ideas, do research on a site like CharityNavigator.com. This site can help you make sure that your donation is being used ethically and efficiently.
Non-profits and charities will be happy to get your help whether or not Giving Tuesday (and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, etc) actually helped to calm down some of the consumerism that can take over all of us at times. But those of us here at Consumer-Rankings like to think of ourselves as having a special set of skills. And Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to make sure that we’re using those skills for good. After all, with great power comes great responsibility.
