Giving Tuesday — a day of generosity

We have Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and, now, Giving Tuesday — a day to celebrate generosity.

Dec. 2 will mark the third year Giving Tuesday — known by the hashtag #GivingTuesday — will be observed across the country and around the globe. The relatively new movement is gaining ground toward becoming an annual tradition, organizers say.

On Giving Tuesday, families, clubs, community centers, students and others will join in by giving to charities, religions, hospitals and schools in an effort to make the world a better place.

Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, a New York City-based cultural and community center, that invited people everywhere to give.

The idea is for individuals to unite with families, friends, church groups, business groups and other organizations to donate to a project or institution and start a new tradition of generosity, organizers say. It's aimed at transforming giving into a group effort.

The Family Dinner Project provides these pointers for family giving: Talk together about causes your family cares about; choose what you can do as a family and individuals and create a verbal or written pledge to complete the goal; ask your kids to divide their allowance into three jars — "spend," "save" and "give." Consider creating a family "give" jar.

Oganizers ask participants to tweet their charitable plans and donations at #GivingTuesday.

Last year, online giving was up 90 percent for 3,800 nonprofits on #GivingTuesday compared with 2012, according to the Community Foundation of Utah. And $19.2 million in online donations was processed compared to $10.1 million in 2012.

There is, of course, no shortage of nonprofit organizations that need help.

The Community Foundation of Utah is partnering with Scratch to create an easy way for donors to participate in #GivingTuesday. Its "Pick 2, Give 2" is a campaign that will allow donors to select two charities they wish to support by donating $2 a month.

The campaign also will assist donors in identifying charities they can donate to on #GivingTuesday.

"Giving Tuesday seems to have legs," said the Community Foundation's Blair Hodson. "It's going to be something in the next few years when everyone has heard of it."

The foundation's "Pick 2, Give 2" program includes 460 nonprofit organizations in Utah.

"It's a great idea for anyone who wants to support organizations they love," Hodson said. "When they hear about two organizations they have supported, they will get a good feeling."

Among other charities, the American Cancer Society this year is asking Utahns to help fund patients' stays at the soon-to-be Salt Lake City Hope Lodge by making a donation for #GivingTuesday at www.givehopeahome.org. For $38, donors can fund one night for a patient and caregiver at the lodge. The average length of a patient's stay at an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge is 21 days.

Groups or individual donors can use the Charity Navigator at www.charitynavigator.org for ideas for giving. Another website, Utah Charity Guide at www.charity-charities.org, may be helpful to identify worthy recipients.

csmart@sltrib.com