What Is Giving Season and Why Is It Important?
For many people, the end of the year brings cooler weather and travel to spend time with loved ones. It is a joyful time full of festivities, fun, food, family, and friends. This time of the year is also special because of the giving season. In this article, we’ll explain what the giving season is and why it’s so important.
Giving Season Explained
Giving season—often called “the season of giving”—is a period of time at the end of the year that spans from after Thanksgiving through the end of December. More specifically, the giving season begins on Giving Tuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 as a way to counter the gratuitous consumerism of Black Friday and instead spread generosity by raising funds for significant causes. Since then, it has been a yearly tradition of charitable giving, with a record $2.7 billion raised on Giving Tuesday in 2021.
One of the main reasons that charitable giving is so popular during this time is because it coincides with many major holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years’ Eve/Day, and more. Many of these holidays are a time for us to gather together with the people we care about the most and show how much we appreciate them. It’s also a time to be grateful for what we have and to support those who are less fortunate.
Why Is Giving Season Important?
Giving season is an important time of the year because it presents the opportunity for us to transcend our own preoccupations and extend selfless support to others who are in need. As we celebrate all of the things in our lives, it’s also a good time of the year to reflect on those who struggle and face challenges and do what we can to assist them. One of the main ways to do so is by donating money.
Giving season is particularly important for nonprofit organizations and charities, as it is a crucial time for fundraising. In fact, end-of-the-year giving in November and December accounts for 30% of all charitable giving each year.
While Giving Tuesday is one of the days of giving that gets the most attention, the month of December is also an incredibly important time for donations, as about 12% of giving occurs in the final three days of the year. This time is even more popular for online giving, as December 31 brings in 20% of online year-end fundraising, and the last week of the year brings in 47%. Compare that to the 4% of online fundraising on Giving Tuesday, and you’ll see that fundraising throughout the end of the year is paramount.
Many nonprofits and charities rely on the funds they raise during giving season to carry out their important missions all year round. By getting into the holiday and giving season spirit, you can help these organizations continue their vital work and make a positive impact in the lives of those who need it the most.
At Tiyara, we seek to provide educational opportunities that will make life-changing differences for under-resourced young women and men in India, equipping them to pursue professional and skilled employment. Some of these young women and men have had their lives changed by crime committed by their family members or parents, others’ families are often discriminated against, and some are from indigenous populations.
You can help make a difference by providing technology for our students, other education-related costs, or by putting a deserving young person through college!