At AMADC, we think Giving Tuesday is a good thing. However, we’re just, oh, ever so curious how it came to be. We reached out to Brendan Hurley, Chief Marketing Officer, Goodwill of Greater Washington and a past president of AMADC to see if he could help us out. Brendan very patiently answered every single question we asked him.
At AMADC, we think Giving Tuesday is a good thing. However, we’re just, oh, ever so curious how it came to be. We reached out to Brendan Hurley, Chief Marketing Officer, Goodwill of Greater Washington and a past president of AMADC to see if he could help us out. Brendan very patiently answered every single question we asked him.
AMADC: What is Giving Tuesday?
Brendan Hurley: #GivingTuesday is a movement to create a day of charitable giving at the beginning of the holiday shopping season in an effort to remind consumers remember to help others. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in NYC and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season. It’s been growing every year since then. Last year, Giving Tuesday raised $380 million. This year, Giving Tuesday is scheduled for December 3rd. While there is no centralized, coordinated organizational effort behind Giving Tuesday, the grassroots movement has been adopted by thousands of charitable groups around the world, and has been quite successful in mobilizing giving campaigns, particularly through the use of social media.
AMADC: How much of a difference does GivingTuesday make to a charity?
BH: That’s a difficult answer to measure. It depends on the charity and how much they raise. However, every gift is important!
AMADC: Is GivingTuesday focused on financial donations only, or any kind of donation?
BH: Primarily on financial gifts, but nothing will be turned away.
AMADC: How can someone support a charitable agency through #GivingTuesday?
BH: Organizations who are participating in Giving Tuesday won’t be shy about letting you know. Visit your favorite charity’s website or social media pages on December 3rd and if you see a Giving Tuesday link or hashtag, chances are, they will be redirecting you to a secure site to make a charitable gift. However, if your charity of choice isn’t actively promoting Giving Tuesday, it doesn’t mean they don’t need your contribution. I’m sure that they will still be happy to accept a financial gift of any size to help advance their mission. Goodwill of Greater Washington will be actively promoting #GivingTuesday over long Thanksgiving weekend leading up to and through December 3rd. 91 cents out of every dollar Goodwill of Greater Washington earns supports mission services.
AMADC: How do I know what charitable organization is authentic and will use my investment wisely?
BH: You can visit well-respected charity evaluators like Guidestar or Charity Navigator who do intensive research on charitable agencies to ensure transparency and mission fulfillment. They will share information about an organization’s finances, structure, mission delivery, percentage of revenue spent on mission services, and provide a rating that will indicate the level of integrity with which the organization operates. Not every charitable agency is rated, but most can be found on one of the two sites.
AMADC: Where can I learn more about #GivingTuesday?
BH: To learn more, just contact your favorite charitable agency or visit https://www.givingtuesday.org/.
AMADC: How can I support Goodwill of Greater Washington’s effort to provide free job training and employment services to people with disabilities and disadvantages?
BH: I’m so glad you asked! Anyone wishing to support Goodwill’s critical mission to help DC area residents become more self-sufficient through the power of work can make a gift here and then share it with others. Goodwill also gladly accepts the donation of household goods which are then resold in our retail stores with the proceeds going to pay for our job training programs and services. Goodwill is a socially sustainable organization that believes in the intersection of environmental, cultural and economic sustainability in order to build a successful and thriving community.
AMADC will hold its end-of-year Holiday Service Project again at Goodwill’s Arlington Donation Center. More info and to register here.
We hope you can join us!