Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving that is entering its seventh year.
The event celebrates giving and philanthropy “fueled by the power of social media and collaboration,” according to givingtuesday.org.
The movement aims to be the unofficial start of the giving season, which many people already associate with the holidays.
On the website, 17 Jefferson City-based organizations are listed, ranging from Vitae Foundation to NAMI Missouri to the Council for Drug Free Youth.
There are many organizations worthy of your giving, and our newspaper will highlight more of these during December.
As a society, we’re very generous, and our generosity is increasing. According to Giving USA, charitable giving topped $400 billion for the first time in 2017.
Where did the donations come from? You might be surprised. Corporations gave 5 percent, while giving by bequest was 9 percent. Giving by foundations was 16 percent. However, the biggest of the four sources measured by the organization was giving by individuals, which accounted for 70 percent.
“Americans’ record-breaking charitable giving in 2017 demonstrates that even in divisive times our commitment to philanthropy is solid,” said Aggie Sweeney, CFRE, chair of Giving USA Foundation and senior counsel at Campbell & Company.
The biggest beneficiary of giving was to religious organizations/churches, which received more than $127 billion in 2017.
#Giving Tuesday was started in response to the commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Although Giving Tuesday is after those on the calendar, let’s not prioritize it any lower.
There are many organizations within our community that do great work helping those who are less fortunate. Consider committing a donation of money or time to them.
News Tribune