EDITORIAL: Don’t forget Giving Tuesday

Published 7:00 am Monday, December 2, 2024

Tuesday is Giving Tuesday.

Similar in some regards to Shop Small Saturday, Cyber Monday and Black Friday, the day’s aim is to bring attention to nonprofits amid the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping season.

This global generosity movement started in 2012 as a day for doing good.

Holiday and end-of-year giving is important and critical to the services provided by many charitable organizations throughout the year.

Giving Tuesday celebrates and encourages philanthropy throughout the year, culminating in the annual day of giving.

No donation is too small.

In difficult times, nonprofits provide resources and help fill the voids in many support systems that are on the brink. They help children in foster care through agencies such as CASA. They make home ownership a reality for lower income levels through Habitat for Humanity. They help students excel academically through Communities in Schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters. They bring arts and culture to communities through entities such as Allied Arts. They aid in times of crisis through the Red Cross.

They are there to support Baldwin County, to provide resources and to help fill a void. We should be there for them as well by doing our part to give back and support them.

Giving is relatively easy to do. You can give directly to a local organization that you are familiar with, or if you don’t already have a group in mind, you can visit https://www.gagives.org/search to view a list of nearly 50,000 non-profits. You can also search the list by category and even by city. There are several Milledgeville nonprofits included on the list. The information also includes links to the nonprofits’ websites so that you can research their causes.

Nationwide, nonprofits have been affected by a dramatic downturn in giving while being called upon to meet the increasing need for their services. GivingUSA found that 2022 saw some of the sharpest declines in giving since it started recording statistics in 1956, with a 10.5% decrease across the country from 2021 to 2022.

Though this drop followed a pandemic-fueled surge in giving, the need for many nonprofits’ services has climbed back to pandemic-era levels or higher. In addition, federal grants related to the pandemic have ended for many nonprofits.

Nonprofits help fill in the gaps for many families and communities. They promote literacy and learning, support children and senior citizens, provide meals, clothing and shelter for the needy and provide recreation and community activities.

So as we gather this holiday weekend, reflect and give thanks, let’s share with others and practice a spirit of gratitude by giving back. If your wallet is tight this season, take a look at the list of local nonprofits on the Giving Tuesday page. Reach out to them. Ask how you can contribute without giving money. Give of your time and your skills.

We encourage our readers to continue their generosity and do even more to help others if possible.

In so many ways, the true measure of a community is how it cares for those who need its care the most.

Support the charities that are close to your heart, whether a local nonprofit, your church or other organization that you think does the most good.

Whether it is an annual fund or some other charitable donation, we encourage our readers to support families and those in need and participate in #GivingTuesday.