Thoughtful Giving Tuesday Ideas To Kick Off The Holidays

The post-Thanksgiving slump is inevitable — it's an overwhelming feeling of after-turkey sluggishness and buyer's remorse. And while many focus on the deals on deals that flood our inboxes Monday morning on Cyber Monday, what we should be drawing attention to is Giving Tuesday.

Since 2012, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving marks an occasion to give back and donate to charities that are helping over 150 countries across all facets of philanthropy and advocacy — from higher education to AIDS relief. Following a landmark year in 2018 when #GivingTuesday raised approximately $400 million, it's more vital than ever to participate in a day that champions volunteering.

According to Jessica Schneider, director of strategy and collaboration at the 92nd Street Y, the new holiday has emerged as a truly global day of giving. "The hope is that it really emboldens everyone to feel like they're part of the philanthropic community," Schneider said in an interview with Mashable. Started in 2012 by the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y, Giving Tuesday has raised over $1 billion in donations over the past seven years and boasts almost 70,000 participating non-profits. Now, the organization hopes to continue the momentum of charitable acts in the post-binge shopping haze.

Here are some of the places you can donate to and get involved with this #GivingTuesday.

Donating to local Planned Parenthood locations is a great way to support reproductive rights for your own neighbors, and you can even donate through some of your favorite brands. But when it comes to women's healthcare, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund is fighting to protect those rights on a national scale, since abortion rights are under attack nationwide. You can set up an annual membership with the Action Fund, or provide a one-time donation on its website.

Famous musician John Legend and legendary Trump troll Chrissy Teigen are keen on donating to the ACLU for any opportunity — even the president's birthday. Why? The ACLU is blazing the way in helping support everyone from detained immigrants to trans people turned away from bathrooms. With thousands of cases currently hoping to safeguard the rights of individuals across the country, donations to the ACLU will help fight for individual freedom on a national scale. You can send in monthly or one-time donations on its site, or even gift someone an ACLU membership.

There's never been a more vital time to support healthcare — especially reproductive rights. As various states continue to try and ban abortion altogether, nonprofit groups like the Center for Reproductive Rights are seeking to increase protections for women around the world. Donations to the CRR help fund everything reproductive-healthcare related, from prenatal care to safe and legal contraception, as well as work to influence major policy-makers to help create meaningful change. You can donate on its website on a one-time or more frequent basis.

Founded in 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America is the country's oldest organization seeking to end "the abuse and neglect of our nation's children." With supporting chapters in 50 states, the nonprofit has created over 350 local prevention strategies including home visitation services and crisis nurseries across the country. It also has a massive volunteer network, and donations to this organization extend beyond just financial ones — you can also donate your time and resources to help prevent child abuse on a local level.

The Wildlife Conservation Society has been around for a long, long time — and it's still leading the charge when it comes to preservation on a global scale. Founded in New York in 1895, WCS looks after 500 field conservation projects spanning across 65 countries. Its historic protection of species in wild places that are rapidly developing has evolved into a 2020 action strategy. With a growing human footprint, it's more important than ever to take action toward preserving wildlife, and the WCS will help by matching gift donations toward its goal.

The mission behind Girls Inc. is a relatively simple one: inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Through direct service to girls in 350 cities across the U.S. and Canada, Girls Inc. helps to develop, support, and mentor girls aged 6 to 18, promoting leadership opportunities from a young age. The nonprofit offers different ways to take action, including helping with fundraising goals, donating, or becoming a social media ambassador.

The Trevor Project has long been a leading voice in saving the lives of young LGBTQ+ people in this country. With a 24/7 crisis hotline accessible by phone, chat, or text, The Trevor Project brings safe spaces to queer people who are unable to access them. Although its focus is on crisis intervention and suicide prevention, the nonprofit organization has also served to educate communities both nationally and internationally. You can donate to the Trevor Project directly, and even ask your employer to match those donations.

For the last 27 years, The Innocence Project has worked to exonerate wrongfully convicted people. In a larger effort, they hope to create reform within the criminal justice system and prevent future injustices like this from happening. With networks across the country, the non-profit legal group helped pass 17 wrongful conviction reforms in 14 states. Now, they continue efforts to raise money for DNA testing by matching donations.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has a straight forward but extremely powerful mission: to cure breast cancer. Beyond just spreading awareness around breast cancer, BCRF is a leading force in this arena's research development, helping increase the cure and survival rate for breast cancer in both men and women in recent years. And, the non-profit partners with a number of Pink brands whose proceeds give back to the organization. On Giving Tuesday, they aren't just matching donations, but matching them twice over on their website.