Op-Ed: Give Beyond Tuesday to Create Transformative Change

Giving Tuesday – the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and an internationally recognized day to donate to charity – began with a simple idea from 92nd Street Y Director Henry Timms to shift from a season of consumerism to philanthropy. In 2012, he founded #GivingTuesday, which engages more than 10,000 partners in a global day of giving.

In its first year, an estimated $10 million was donated to charity through online Giving Tuesday fundraisers. In 2022 – despite pandemic and economic concerns – those donations hit record highs of $3.1 billion, a 15 percent increase over 2021, with 35 million participating.

Without a doubt, the impact is nothing to sneeze at. Globally, it drives billions of dollars in the span of a month, with a vast amount of that giving coming in the last few days of December.

As the executive director of Tharros Place, a 12-bed residential home to address underlying trauma and cultivate a culture of courage for girls ages 12 to 17, I am genuinely grateful for the spotlight Giving Tuesday shines on local nonprofits.

But we can do better.

To read the full op-ed in Effingham Herald, click here.