Black Friday, Cyber Monday – we’re all familiar with these benchmarks of the holiday shopping season. But holiday shopping, after all, is about giving gifts. So some folks at 92nd Street Y started thinking about giving in a wider sense, and dreamed up #GivingTuesday – a day to celebrate giving and encourage more, better and smarter giving during the holiday season. It might have just remained a good idea, but when 92Y started talking to friends and leaders at other institutions, it quickly became clear that setting aside a day for giving could become a powerful reality.  

That’s why a group of 27 partners, including (RED), American Red Cross, Blackbaud, charity: water, Crowdrise, DonorsChoose, Groupon, Mashable, Microsoft, Skype, the UN Foundation and more (full list of partners here) have just launched the #GivingTuesday movement. On Tuesday, November 27, people everywhere, including retailers, charities, online organizations, community centers, individuals, families and more, will come together with one common purpose – to help others and celebrate the great American spirit of contribution.

You can join the #GivingTuesday movement by committing to give back to your favorite charity on Nov. 27, or participate in one of the many #GivingTuesday partner initiatives – visit the #GivingTuesday website and Facebook page to see how. Follow @GivingTues on Twitter and use the #GivingTuesday hashtag to spread the word and share your ideas with all of us.