Over the past few years, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has come to be known as “Giving Tuesday.” It’s meant to be a day when people give money to their favorite causes.Currently in its fourth year, Giving Tuesday is meant to kick off the end of year charitable season. It follows the post-Thanksgiving shopping blitz of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The term Giving Tuesday is often seen with a hashtag in front of it since it’s largely a social media effort. The 92nd Street Y is credited with starting Giving Tuesday, which involves more than 30,000 partners in 68 countries according to a website dedicated to the day. There is an estimated 470 percent increase in online donations on Giving Tuesday.
Locally, groups like Berkshire County Arc, which serves more than 600 people with developmental disabilities or brain injuries in western Massachusetts, see a modest bump in fundraising this time of year, according to president Ken Singer.
“People are very generous around the holidays, but there are a lot of agencies that are asking and everyone has their own needs,” Singer said. “But we had a very successful campaign last year. We raised over $30,000 so I would think that had something to do with it.”
Singer says the group’s ongoing annual campaign aims to raise about $30,000 for a handicap accessible van. Five percent of the nonprofit’s $31 million budget comes from client or private funding while the overwhelming majority is government dollars. About $660,000 comes from other sources. On Giving Tuesday, Berkshire County Arc plans to use Twitter and Facebook to drive people to its website, where they can donate.
“I don’t think that it’s that well known,” Singer said. “There is a certain group of people who are into social media who do know it, but I’d like to see it get more publicity because I think it’s really wonderful that during the holidays people donate to organizations that meet the needs of what they’re interested in and what they like to support.”
The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge took part in its first Giving Tuesday last year by partnering with Price Chopper, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. For each donation made to the museum, the grocery chain donated one nonperishable food item.
“We got the word out initially through Giving Tuesday through Facebook and Twitter,” said the museum’s chief advancement officer Michelle Clarkin. “This carried on through December and we ended up being able to donate 274 items.”
This year the museum is funneling its Giving Tuesday donations to its community outreach programs like a mural project being worked on by at-risk youth in Pittsfield.
“We like to have Giving Tuesday support specific programs because we think it’s more meaningful for folks who are involved in those efforts,” said Clarkin.
Clarkin says one third of the Norman Rockwell Museum’s $5 million budget comes from donations. She says they are steady throughout the year, but do see a significant increase during the holiday season. About 40 percent of the $10 million the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation raises each year comes after Thanksgiving, according to President Jennifer Dowley.
“December 1st marks the beginning of the giving season,” Dowley said. “A lot of people begin to think about their communities and how they can give back. It certainly coincides with tax time. So I think the combination of things works in favor of inspiring people to be generous the nonprofit community. Giving Tuesday is a perfect way to call attention to that, shine a light on the giving and the hope that nonprofits bring to our communities.”
A report released earlier this year by a Williams College professor found that nearly 375 nonprofits account for $2.4 billion in economic activity among a total of $5.6 billion in Berkshire County. The total number of nonprofits in the county jumped from 346 to 373 between 2010 and 2012. Earlier this year, the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce launched the Berkshire Nonprofit Solutions to help organizations share services and resources or even merge. Chamber President Jonathan Butler says funding is available for viable plans.
“There is much better synergy within the nonprofit community now than there was five years ago and certainly 10 years ago,” Butler said. “That doesn’t mean that they’re not all doing the same level of work they’ve always done I just think there’s better communication amongst the nonprofits with everything from best practices to helping one another advocate for causes that impact all different nonprofit organizations.”
