Mark your calendar. December 3 is #GivingTuesday, a special day to take part in initiatives that are near and dear to your heart by donating or getting involved. For 14 years it has been the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States.
This global generosity movement unleashes the power of individuals and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It was initiated in 2012 by Henry Timms in New York City, who co-founded the organization with a billion-dollar contribution from Ted Turner. The goal was to aid the world in solving some its most critical and underfunded programs.
In 2019 GivingTuesday split from its founding organization under the direction of Asha Curran, to partner with many countries and communities across the world, bringing that same generosity movement into local communities. The idea is to not only recognize what philanthropists do, but also to inspire humanity to get involved with taking part in solving community needs.
GivingTuesday is an opportunity to demonstrate how we can lift others to another level. Everyone is aware of our community’s needs, and Giving Tuesday is a time to help a neighbor, share a smile, perform acts of kindness, volunteer at your place of passion, or, whenever possible, give a donation.
Johnson County Community Foundation (JCCF) at 398 South Main Street in Franklin is a local organization helping lead the way. “Philanthropy means giving your time, talent or treasure,” says Kim Kasting, president and CEO. At JCCF, we also include testimony. We value sharing personal experiences. You can support your favorite organizations in more ways than just donating money – by volunteering your time, offering your expertise, or sharing meaningful stories about the causes you care about with friends and family. All of these actions make a difference, especially since many organizations operate with limited resources.”
“Several community organizations participate in #GivingTuesday,” Kasting adds. “Check out your favorite organizations during this holiday season and see how you can give time, talent or treasure.”
Here are 10 organizations in Johnson County that continue to operate because of donations.
- Johnson County Community Foundation: Connecting people who care with causes that matter.
- UpLift Johnson County: See a need, seek to fill it.
- United Way of Johnson County: To organize caring people to identify and meet human needs in our community.
- Interchurch Food Pantry of Johnson County: Works to alleviate hunger in Johnson County.
- Great Harvest Food Pantry: To create access to good, healthy food, and to support one in times of need.
- Boys & Girls Club of Johnson County: To inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.
- KIC-IT: Providing a network of support and empowerment to youths aged 16 to 25, to break the cycle of homelessness and promote independence.
- Senior Services of Johnson County: To provide free, essential services that will enhance the quality of life for older adults.
- Assist Indiana: Provide advocacy, specialized services, interventions and support to trauma survivors.
- Humane Society of Johnson County: Enhancing the companion animal-human bond through adoption, education and advocacy programs.
#GivingTuesday began in 2012 with a billion-dollar contribution, and within 10 years the movement tripled its contributions and now generates over $3 billion annually. That doesn’t account for the people who volunteer, or those who perform acts of kindness.
That’s what a movement, powered by social media and partnerships with organizations, can do.
