New York, NY – Sept. 13, 2012 – A movement to create a national day of giving – called #GivingTuesday, on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, launched today. This first of its kind effort plans to harness harness the collective power partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday will look to inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world.

The Genesis of #GivingTuesday

A group of friends and partners, led by New York’s 92nd Street Y, came together to find ways to promote and celebrate the great American tradition of giving. Thought leaders in philanthropy, social media and grassroots organizing joined together to explore what is working in modern philanthropy and how to expand these innovations throughout the philanthropic sector. The concept gained steam, and by bringing together a group of founding partners – including DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VENTURE3Philanthropy – a nationwide series of discussions about how to make #GivingTuesday a success is already underway.

“Communities like ours are about opening doors and bringing people together,” said Sol Adler, 92Y Executive Director. “#GivingTuesday allows us to create a new kind of community – across geographical borders – around the idea of ‘doing good.’”