Giving Tuesday 2020: What it is and how to get involved

Giving Tuesday: A brief history

Giving Tuesday launched in 2012 as a partnership between the United Nations Foundation and 92nd Street Y in New York — last year, Giving Tuesday took off on its own, separating from its founding organizations. There are currently more than 225 Giving Tuesday communities across the country. So when is Giving Tuesday observed? The day of giving back is observed across 70 counties on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Giving Tuesday was created to promote charitable acts of giving after consumers spent billions of dollars on goods during Black Friday weekend and on Cyber Monday. “All of that money [being spent after Thanksgiving] is coming from the same wallet,” said Asha Curran, the CEO of Giving Tuesday, in an interview with the American Bar Association. “We wanted to appropriate a little bit of that money for the nonprofit world.” Adobe Analytics found online shoppers spent a record $5.1 billion this Black Fridayand are expected to spend approximately $12.7 billion during Cyber Monday.

Related

Last year, corporations like Nike,Microsoft, Facebook and Patagonia all participated in the Giving Tuesday initiative, their support ranging from matching employee donations to nonprofits to directly providing meals to those in need. You can also review your employee package or chat with your HR team to find out if your place of work offers employee charity matching, whether applicable on Giving Tuesday or beyond (it’ll be appreciated by the recipients on Wednesday, too). This year, the list of participating brands is robust, including brands like Banana Republic, West Elm, Penguin Random House, Tupperware and many more.

While it may feel enticing to shop while saving and giving back, Gall noted shoppers should also be vigilant and make smart shopping decisions when participating in Giving Tuesday.

“Not all retailers will have charitable ties to their Giving Tuesday deals: Be on alert for fake charities and scams. Know that where you shop is reputable, and what you purchase will have an impact,” she advised. You can also research an organization via Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit evaluator that has rated more than 160,000 organizations for their actual delivery on charitable missions, among other things.

RelatedHow to get involved with Giving Tuesday?

If you want to connect with any of Giving Tuesday’s local chapters or align with their initiatives, the best place to start is directly on their site, where you’ll find plenty of resources. Sara Skirboll, the shopping and trends expert at RetailMeNot, said there are two main ways to participate in Giving Tuesday:

1. Donate money
2. Donate time

You can directly donate to your favorite charity or give back through your purchases. “Though in-person charitable options will not be as popular this Giving Tuesday, brands are offering virtual ways to give back through online donations and volunteering,” she said. Three of Skirboll’s favorite Giving Tuesday opportunities are from Fossil, Stella & Dot and Glow Recipe, which are donating, respectively, to Team Rubicon, Project Glimmer and various women’s empowerment groups.

You can also take advantage of cashback offers when online shopping on Giving Tuesday. For example, Rakuten has partnered with more than 500 brands — from Tatcha and Alex & Ani to BarkBox, Aveda and The Body Shop — to offer up to 10 percent cash back this year.

RelatedGiving Tuesday 2020 versus past years

“More people will be participating in Giving Tuesday than in previous years since so many are shopping online right now due to Covid-19, and this creates a potentially bigger impact as Giving Tuesday has become a primarily online event,” said Gall.

Shopping expert Trae Bodge, who recently shared Black Friday shopping tips with our friends on TODAY, anticipates Giving Tuesday will be “robust” this year, as it has grown in popularity since its inception eight years ago. Bodge also noted millennials and Gen Z shoppers are “more socially conscious so as they age and have more disposable income, the popularity of GivingTuesday will grow.” She added because people are currently facing financial hardships due to Covid-related job loss, she anticipates “pay what you can” initiatives to grow in popularity, both on Giving Tuesday and beyond. Bodge noted Rafi Nova, a maker of face masks and bags, recently launched its Pay What You Can campaign with face masks with six price-tier increments — starting as low as $1 and up to $10 per mask. This price model was made popular by Everlane, a sustainable clothing line that rarely hosts sales (like its first-ever Black Friday sale, which wraps tonight).

Gall also suggested supporting “values-driven” brands that support various causes such as Warby Parker, The Company Store, TOMS, Draper James, Ivory Ella, Cotopaxi and ASOS. “All of these brands support different charities so you can find confidence in knowing that your purchase went further and helped make a bigger and meaningful impact to the communities around you,” she said.

RelatedGiving Tuesday initiatives

Brands also hold their own Giving Tuesday initiatives separately from the official Giving Tuesday movement. Here are some popular examples.

1. DoorDash Supports Feeding America

Bodge called this the “new food gifting option” and noted DoorDash (and Caviar) both allow you to change your destination address to your recipient’s, and they will receive a gift message alert to know the delivery is on its way. For every food gift ordered, DoorDash will donate one meal to hunger-relief nonprofit Feeding America, capping out at 100,000 meals. The platform is available wherever Doordash is delivered, from New York to LA.

2. Impossible Foods helps fight food insecurity in California

Impossible Foods, maker of the trendy Impossible Burger, is also donating to Feeding America. They will donate veggie burgers to Feeding America food banks across the San Francisco Bay Area when shoppers purchase Impossible bundles directly through the brand during the month of December.

Related3. Colleen Rothchild Beauty Age Renewal Serum

• Rating: 4.8-star average, more than 80 reviews

The Texas-based skin care line is donating 10 percent of proceeds of all products purchased directly through its site on Dec. 1 to GivingDirectly’s Project 100+ initiative, which is donating cash directly to 100,000 low-income US households. Rothschild’s highly-rated serum is chock full of good-for-you skincare ingredients like peptides and collagen for an anti-aging effect. It’s also plant-based if you or a beauty-conscious loved one values that in skincare products, too.

Related

Catch up on the latest from NBC News Shopping guides and recommendations and download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Looking for the perfect gift? Check out the Shop TODAY Holiday Plaza.