Will donating to charity ever be as popular as shopping during the holiday season?
A partnership of nonprofits hopes so.
For some people, the holiday shopping marathon began on Thanksgiving day, with some national chains opening their doors just hours after the traditional turkey dinner. Then comes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday—which has morphed into Cyber Week.
Now, there's a new campaign asking you to open your wallet to help others.
The Giving Tuesday website says the effort, coming on the heels of days devoted to consumerism, is designed "to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations."
Several Maryland-based nonprofits are among those using their websites and social media networks to kick off the inaugural effort. Some of the nonprofits in Anne Arundel County include Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, North County High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, Opportunity Builders Inc., Severna Park Community Center, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region and the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County.
The effort includes the Twitter hashtag #GivingTuesday, designed to help spread the word.
What do you think? Can a social media push get people giving more of their money and time to charities during the holiday season?
