Giving Tuesday 2021: What is Giving Tuesday?

Let’s face it. Tuesday’s a pretty drab day, if not the drabbest of the week. It’s not as “despised” as the so-called Dreaded Monday, and it’s not as “uplifting” as Wednesday, the so-called Hump Day. However, there’s one Tuesday of the year that’s actually incredibly special—and that’s Giving Tuesday. 

So, What and When is Giving Tuesday, Exactly?

Giving Tuesday, also termed #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (so, this year it’s November 30). It’s a day for everybody in the entire world to set aside to support the causes and communities they believe in. In a way, it coincides with Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and Cyber Monday (the day before Giving Tuesday). While those days promote holiday shopping for friends, relatives, and even oneself, Giving Tuesday asks people to extend their generosity beyond those in their inner circle.

How Did Giving Tuesday Begin?

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as the simple idea of encouraging people to do good, conceived of by Henry Timms of the United Nations Foundation. For its first eight years, Giving Tuesday was housed in the 92nd Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact, which serves as an incubator for ideas until they prove their sustainability. Giving Tuesday did just that. In June 2019 it split off from 92Y to become its own independent 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since its inception, Giving Tuesday has grown to become immensely popular, particularly among nonprofit organizations, even spawning many Giving Tuesday logos. In fact, on Giving Tuesday 2020 alone, a staggering $503 million was raised online to promote the cause.

How Embrace Relief Factors In

As an organization that is constantly striving and succeeding in alleviating human suffering wherever it exists, we hold Giving Tuesday near and dear to our hearts. We think it’s incredibly important that everybody in the world take at least one day (though we certainly advocate more!) to consider supporting those less fortunate. That’s why we’re inviting you to support this Giving Tuesday now by donating or volunteering with Embrace Relief. So, please visit our website and choose from one of our many campaigns. Or, you can donate in our name on Meta (formerly Facebook), which will match every dollar donated up to two million dollars on November 30 (so, if you donate $10, Meta will also donate $10). Then, it will match ten percent up to eight million dollars (if you donate $10, Meta will donate $1)! Have a happy Giving Tuesday!