With the rush of the Thanksgiving holiday rolling right into Cyber Monday, the past week has flown by and you may be feeling a bit shopped out – I know I am! However, there is an even more compelling reason to muster up more energy to get out there tomorrow and that is Giving Tuesday!

#GivingTuesday has been created as a “global day of giving”and is in its fifth year, according to its website, www.givingtuesday.org. It was founded in 2012 at the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in partnership with the United Nations Foundation.

Now, don’t get me wrong – this is a COMPLETELY created “holiday”, much like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which I would normally not be so willing to advocate for. However, if we are going to have created holidays, then I am all for celebrating and donating to incredible organizations, charities, and events. Plus, being a passionate educator, I am a huge believer in the power of we have to create meaningful change through our social impact. It’s one of the main reasons I started this blog!

So, here’s how you can get involved:

• Go to www.givingtuesday.org to research and find out more

• Decide if you’d like to use your social media prowess to amplify small acts of kindness (um, yes please!)
• Find participating organizations in your local area

• Decide how you’d like to help
  • Volunteer: email an org to offer your time
  • Donate: give $$$ to a organization that is working for change you’d like to see in the world
  • Be: #UNselfie – snap a pic of how you are giving back and post your #UNselfie across all your social media platforms
  • Share: #MyGivingStory – share why you give and support nonprofits with a personal story across relevant social platforms

I’ll be donating time and $$$ to SMART (Start Making A Reader Today), an Oregon program devoted to helping at-risk readers in grades K-3.

How will you celebrate #GivingTuesday? Leave a comment!

Cheers, Amy