You can talk to anyone these days and feel that many people are overwhelmed. Turning on the news makes most of us feel paralyzed by the enormity of the chaos in the world and the challenges around us. But there is a solution to feeling powerless and paralyzed – engaging in acts of generosity. Giving, in all its forms, has a remarkable ability to empower individuals and create change. While tackling the problems of the entire world may be difficult to imagine, doing good in your community can change the world for the people around you.
Eleven years ago, a group of people wanting to make a difference asked, “What would a day dedicated to good look like?” The answer they came up with is Giving Tuesday, a day shortly after Thanksgiving when people all around the world choose to do good and reimagine a world where we value one another and our shared humanity. In the years since, Giving Tuesday has grown into a global movement and made an enormous impact. Last year alone, the day brought in a staggering $3.1 billion in donations, with 37 million Americans actively participating either through financial contributions or volunteering their time.
There are so many opportunities for generosity on Giving Tuesday – or any other day for that matter –with nearly 1.5 million 501(c)3 organizations currently operating in the United States. Many call these organizations not-for-profits, but the truth is their value lies in the social profit they provide to our communities by filling in the gaps in the social safety net. They provide groceries, beds, job training, disaster relief, childcare, transportation, and numerous other services that benefit our friends and neighbors, and our country as a whole.
The work of these social profits is undeniably essential to our communities, but they cannot sustain themselves without the support of generous individuals and organizations. Donations, volunteers, and resources are the lifeblood that enables them to continue their critical social-profit work. Find causes that speak to your soul and support them.
While Giving Tuesday is a rallying cry for donations worldwide, we should not limit our giving to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, but instead follow the organizers’ lead and do good as often as we can. At Women Connect4Good, we are pleased to support a number of organizations that do good year round. Each one of them works towards the greater good, creates immeasurable benefits to those they serve, and aligns with our values. As Dr. Nancy says, “These vital groups are our path to changing the world, and they, like so many others in the social profit space, are often understaffed and underfunded.” These organizations need our help, and we invite you to check them out as you plan your ways to do good this season.
National Women’s History Museum – Your support can help them inspire generations by sharing the stories of women who have broken barriers, shattered glass ceilings, and made contributions to our nation’s history and will help them continue their important work to integrate women’s contributions into the fabric of our national narrative through pioneering research, innovative and accessible programming, and free resources for educators and learners of all ages.
Take The Lead – Your support will help women get power, pay, and leadership positions and allow Take The Lead to continue to provide leadership training programs and events that offer women the tools and skills needed to advance.
I Am a Leader – Your support makes a positive impact and supports their mission to increase the prevalence and success of women in the workplace, marketplace, and public service sector.
World Pulse – Your donation helps more women make a bigger impact and powers their online community where women from 227 countries and territories are logging on and leading change for 21.6 million people and counting.
ERA Coalition – Your support goes a long way toward creating a more equal future for women, girls, and gender-expansive people and will help to advance the cause of sex equality in the United States, and adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.
Convoy of Hope – When you shop this year’s Gift Catalog, you give the gift of hope and can feed a hungry child, give a family a chicken, help a community in crisis, or support the Women’s Empowerment initiative, which means you are helping create opportunities for women and girls that will last for generations.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara – Your support means they can continue to focus on the whole girl and address all aspects of a girl’s life – helping them discover and develop leadership skills, learn to value themselves, move past limitations, and discover and develop their strengths to become the next generation of women leaders.
Women Like Us Foundation – Your support can make a difference in the lives of women and families in Kenya that transforms lives and livelihood for generations.
African American Women in Cinema – Your support will create global opportunities for minority women filmmakers and content creators and help connect their talents to resources, relationships and industry training.
EngenderHealth – Your support will allow them to continue to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality by supporting individuals in making free, informed decisions about sexuality and childbearing; collaborate with local communities and organizations, and partner with governments to create environments that support access to care.
Let this GivingTuesday serve as a reminder of our collective potential to enact positive change through generosity. Whether through donations, volunteerism, or advocacy, each act of generosity ripples outward, creating the kind of world we all want to live in, one where empathy and kindness prevail.