Giving Tuesday, a day on which people are invited to make charitable contributions to organizations they support and value, usually takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday).
This year, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, a second Giving Tuesday is taking place today, Tuesday, May 5.
This special giving opportunity is hashtagged #GivingTuesdayNow, as a way to remind people that many organizations cant wait until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving for our support.
AsGivingTuesday.orgexplains:
#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 in addition to the regularly scheduled Dec 1, 2020 #GivingTuesday as an emergency response to the unprecedented need resulting from COVID-19.
If your email inbox is anything like mine, youve probably already received plenty of messages from the charities and organizations you support, asking you to consider making an additional contribution for #GivingTuesdayNowbut if youre looking for other ways to donate, GivingTuesday.org has a directory that can help you findorganizations and events within your community.
you might also use the directory to search for specific types of organizations to support, from faith-based charities to struggling small businesses.
If you want to participate in Giving Tuesday but dont feel like you have enough extra cash to make a donation, there are other ways to support your community financially while sticking to your budget.
you’re able to shop online or purchase gift cards from independent retailers, for exampleand if youre looking for an excuse to get curbside takeout from your favorite local restaurant, #GivingTuesdayNow counts.
Heres one final tip: If you want to vet a charitable organization before making a donation,Charity Navigatoris an excellent resource to help you avoid scams and donate your money wisely.
Charity Navigator has even put together a list ofhighly rated nonprofits providing relief to communities affected by COVID-19, if you want to go straight to their top recommendationsotherwise, look for nonprofits that have received 4 out of 4 stars.
