Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving. It’s the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. 92nd Street Y and United Nations Foundation created the movement in 2012 to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving. Now, many consider it as the day that kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

You can give to your community by donating your time at a local shelter or at an area non-profit. You can also donate goods to those in need. For financial donations, the movement’s creators set up a website where you can find a list of organizations in your area where you can donate. You can also search the hashtag #GivingTuesday on social media to find countless organizations where you can volunteer at or donate to.

The movement last year raised more than $300 million online plus countless in-kind donations and acts of kindness given in its name, according to the #GivingTuesday website.

Avoid Misconceptions

The Better Business Bureau advises donors to avoid misconceptions on #GivingTuesday.

The BBB says as contributors participate in #GivingTuesday on Nov. 27, 2018, donors should consider the following public misconceptions that were identified in the recently released Give.org Donor Trust Report produced by BBB’s Give.org.

1. Don’t assume that charity size and regional scope signal trustworthiness. 67 percent of survey respondents said they trust local charities more than national and 62 percent trust small organizations more than large ones. In BBB’s Give.org experience, however, charities of all sizes and scope can demonstrate good and bad accountability practices.

2. Don’t assume verifying trust is easy. The Give.org Donor Trust Report shows that younger generations are more likely than older donors to believe that verifying trust is easy and can be accomplished by examining the charity’s appeal alone. Verifying charity trustworthiness is more complex. Donors are encouraged to check out charities at Give.org to verify if they meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability which address charity governance, finances, results reporting and solicitation practices.

3. Don’t rely on stories and passion alone in assessing trust. The survey results also indicate that 46 percent of Generation Z (ages 18 and 19) and 32 percent of Millennials (ages 20-36) tend to attribute trust to those organizations that demonstrate more apparent passion and sincerity in the appeal. In BBB’s Give.org view, such indicators are not a reliable means to verify trust and could lead younger donors vulnerable to questionable solicitations.

4. Don’t focus excessively on financial ratios. While financial ratios are an important part of a charity’s overall picture, excessive focus on low overhead spending can be misguided and potentially harmful to an organization’s capacity for service. Consider a more comprehensive view of a charity’s activities in order to make a wise giving decision.

This Give.org Donor Trust Report involved an online panel survey of 2,100 adults (18 and above) across the United States.

Tips for Evaluating Nonprofits

In advance of Giving Tuesday (Nov. 27, 2018), Foundation Source (foundationsource.com), the nation’s largest provider of comprehensive support services to private foundations, has provided the following eight questions donors should consider before donating to a nonprofit:

1. Does the organization have a clear mission statement?

Look for specificity. Vague and ambiguous intent (“dedicated to making the world a better place”) often leads to vague, ine?ectual action.

2. Are the nonprofit’s values congruent with your own?

Let’s say you’re considering a donation to a nonprofit dedicated to reducing urban violence. A closer look reveals that the nonprofit supports tougher gun control laws. Depending on whether you agree with this stance, the nonprofit may or may not be the right fit.

3. Does the organization meet a vital need?

To make sure that your funds go to where they are most needed, look for clear evidence regarding the demand for the organization’s services. Do its projects fill an important gap, address a critical need, or solve a pressing problem?

4. How sound is the nonprofit’s stated approach?

Do its activities and programs seem likely to advance its mission? Is its “theory of change” based on credible evidence?

5. Is it the only nonprofit addressing this need?

Are the organization’s services and programs unique, or are others doing similar work?

If there are multiple organizations working in the same sphere, what makes this one especially worthy of support? To compare nonprofits with a similar focus, many donors visit “watchdog” rating sites such as Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org).

6. Does the nonprofit provide evidence of its success?

Although nonprofits often struggle to quantify their outcomes, the organization should have more to offer than a few touching anecdotes. If you don’t see publicized results, consider it a warning signal.

7. Who sits on the board?

Ideally, the board is comprised of a mix of people who support the organization through fundraising and expertise around its mission. It’s a red ?ag if members of the board are exclusively fundraising “rainmakers” and influential personalities.

8. Has the organization been tainted by controversy?

Google the nonprofit’s name to see if it has been in the news. A bad reputation in the nonpro?t world, whether or not it’s deserved, can undermine an organization’s e?ectiveness.

“Learn everything you can about how nonprofit organizations approach their work, fund their efforts, and measure their results,” says Page Snow, chief philanthropic officer of Foundation Source. “Information is the key to ensuring your donation isn’t just a gift, but an investment in progress.”

Celebrated globally on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday transcends borders and ideologies, to bring the entire world together in the spirit of generosity and giving. pic.twitter.com/OrEZYudFh1

— #GivingTuesday (@GivingTues) November 30, 2021

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