Get Involved with Giving Tuesday

The holidays are a special time, but the season of giving can also be stressful. For many, the pressure of trying to find the perfect gift for their loved ones can be overwhelming.

There’s another day coming up this holiday season that’s also focused on giving — with no gifts required! It’s called Giving Tuesday, and it falls on December 3.

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that encourages people to do good and give back. It started in 2012 as on online movement by the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in response to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In its first year, Giving Tuesday raised more than $10 million. Last year, Giving Tuesday raised over $400 million online in the United States to benefit a range of causes. To celebrate Giving Tuesday in 2018, people also volunteered in the community, donated food and clothing, and participated in acts of kindness.

#GivingTuesday at Independence

At Independence Blue Cross (Independence), our associates are passionate about volunteering. Through the Blue Crew, our corporate volunteer program, associates and their friends and family demonstrate their commitment to our community each and every day. The #GivingTuesday movement is emblematic of our year-round culture of service, and we are excited to rally our associates to support the cause.

For Giving Tuesday this year, the Blue Crew will be hosting an on-site volunteer project at our company headquarters to give all associates an opportunity to get involved. For this project, the Blue Crew will be partnering with Turning Points for Children, a nonprofit organization that brings social and health services to vulnerable people. Together, volunteers will be wrapping holiday gifts for children in foster care, creating cards, and assembling financial empowerment resource kits for parents.

Whether it’s giving 10 minutes or one hour, every associate will have a chance to make a difference in the lives of others.

Join the #GivingTuesday Movement

With Giving Tuesday quickly approaching, you may be thinking, “How can I get involved?” Here are four ways that you can participate:

1. Donate money or goods to a nonprofit organization or cause you care about. Visit the Giving Tuesday website to find local organizations in your neighborhood.
2. Volunteer your time. Even though Giving Tuesday is primarily an online giving movement, plenty of nonprofit organizations need volunteers. To find organizations in your neighborhood, visit Volunteer Match.
3. Start a charitable giving habit. While Giving Tuesday is only one day, it is a great way to start a habit of charitable giving. Consider signing up for a monthly recurring donation. You don’t have to give a lot to make an impact in your community.
4. Give kindness. Whether it’s making someone smile, helping an elderly neighbor across the street, paying for a stranger’s coffee, or texting someone to tell them how much you appreciate them, every small act of kindness matters and can make a big difference in someone else’s life. Most importantly, it can inspire more kindness and generosity.

Give Today and Every Day

While Giving Tuesday is a great way to get involved, I also encourage you to find ways to spread kindness and generosity all year long. To make a difference in your community, check out resources such as  SERVE Philadelphia and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.