#GivingTuesday

What is #GivingTuesday?

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. #GivingTuesday is November 27 this year!

When we first heard of #GivingTuesday, we weren't really sure how we felt about it. Even with such amazing results, the idea of the day still left an unpleasant taste in our mouths. Why? Because of the positioning of the day. As Christians we believe that giving should be a top priority. God has been so generous with us. He gave us his most precious gift, his Son. And if we are modeling our life after Him, then giving should be a natural result. Because of this mindset we would much rather see the day of giving precede the days of spending (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday).

However, we want to be involved in this movement every year! This Social Media Generation is being challenged to see past their screens to the very real needs in this world. Men and women all over the world are getting excited about the GOOD they can DO, instead of the goods they can buy. While we cannot change the date to be before the big spending days, we can encourage our donors, and even our society, to place a bigger emphasis on giving than spending. By becoming vocal about our ministries, our very life purposes, we have the ability to help open the eyes of people who can so easily get side-tracked by the glitz and glamour of discounted flat screen TV’s and doorbuster deals at their local retail stores.  

How do we do this?
In order to make an impact on our communities, we have to talk about #GivingTuesday now. We can make people aware of the needs of our ministries by posting #GivingTuesday reminders in October and November. We can amp up our donors by coming up with a financial goal for the day, and letting them know in advance. Does your ministry need a new roof? Do you have a family in your church that needs to be rallied around while they stare a financial crisis in the face? Does one of your staff members need help paying for a college degree? Do the students in your ministry need help affording uniforms so they can attend their local school? Make that your goal! Dedicate all the funds you raise on #GivingTuesday to go to that goal! People love to see what their dollar is going towards!

Start announcing the need in your newsletters and on your social media platforms. Send out emails to your donors informing them of your involvement with #GivingTuesday. Start planting the idea that giving is better than receiving right now, give the idea time to grow, provide the encouragement needed for the idea to take deep roots in the minds of your supporters. We can make an impact on how our society views giving by making it a big deal. Giving IS a big deal! Let's start paying attention to the things that are good and right, and maybe, just maybe, this way of thinking will catch on!

​As we are up to necks in ministry and business and returning emails it is easy to forget that our cause is not the only worthy cause out there! We want to challenge and encourage YOU to be a giver! We have all received generously. We have a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. We have received, so we should freely give. Is there a cause that has held your attention for years, but you've never actually given to? It's time to be the donor! It's time to take a step of faith and support another ministry! This is the perfect opportunity for you to set an example in your ministry. If you hope and pray that people will continue to support your cause we hope that you will do the same.

What to do:
Register your ministry with #GivingTuesday! Will you get in on one of the biggest giving days of the year to further your cause? This will drastically improve your chances for raising funds on #GivingTuesday! Learn more at www.givingtuesday.org.

Once you've registered with #GivingTuesday, download their Toolkit and start letting your donors know immediately. They have social media post ideas, email ideas, and they have logos and graphics you can use! The #GivingTuesday website has so many tools available to you, they want you to be as successful as possible!
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​Let us shout it to the rooftops for you!
If you decide to register your ministry at givingtuesday.org let us know! We will make several announcements throughout October and November to let our followers know which of our ministry partners are participating in #GivingTuesday this year. Tell us what your goal is for the day, and what special project you are raising funds for, and we will get the word out on your behalf! We can create a special project page for you on givetransform.org for your #GivingTuesday project. Then you can share the special giving webpage with your supporters with the full details of your goal for the day.