Giving Tuesday

Since the 1950s, we’ve called the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday.” After gathering to offer orisons for all the things we value, we kick off the holiday gifting season with a bang. On the surface, Thanksgiving and Black Friday are compatible; giving gifts to loved ones is a wonderful way to give thanks. However, over my lifetime, a sense of bawdiness and immodesty crept into Black Friday. Buying became a competition, almost a zero-sum game. If you could beat the stampede you would emerge with the best toys. The spirit of the day certainly lost the sheen of Thanksgiving over the years.

Further, the concept outgrew a single day. Now, we have Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and, increasingly, Cyber Week.

It’s all a bit much.

In 2012, at the 92nd Street Y in New York, Henry Timms decided to put “giving” back into the season of thankfulness. Born was the concept of Giving Tuesday, which occurs the week after Thanksgiving. The concept aims to be a “global generosity movement” that helps “people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” Now over a decade into the project, the giving levels have become significant. In 2021, for example, Giving Tuesday raised over $2.7 billion in the United States.

Giving does not need to be monetary. Any volunteer or personal work one can offer those in need or communities is priceless.

Still, many fantastic organizations across the globe that provide invaluable benefits to the natural world need your support. Here are a few worthy of your patronage:

The Sierra Club

Founded in 1892 by the Father of the National Parks, the subject of the first article written for this project, and the inspiration for the name of the newsletter – John Muir – the Sierra Club’s mission is “To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.”

This organization is the OG in nature charities. Donate here.

World Wildlife Fund

WWF’s mission is “to find solutions that save the marvelous array of life on our planet by applying the best science available and working closely with local communities.” With a focus on endangered animals, this organization has fought to save critters for over 60 years.

Donate here.

National Park Foundation

The official charity of the National Park Service is near and dear to this project. It’s no secret we love National Parks, nor is it a secret that they do not receive the funding they need. In visits to the parks over the past two decades, we have witnessed infrastructure in dire requirement of improvement and listened to rangers discuss project backlogs that stretch into periods of many years.

As Ken Burns aptly said, the National Parks were America’s best idea. They preserve some of the world’s most gorgeous scenery.

Donate here.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Started in 1925, the ATC aims to conserve the national jewel that is the Appalachian Trail. They manage and upkeep the trail, in cooperation with the National Park Service. One of my lifelong ambitions remains to amble through this trail, so its preservation means a lot to me.

Donate here.

15/10 Foundation

We recently profiled the internet account We Rate Dogs. The project leveraged its popularity into charity work, providing medical work for dogs whose owners cannot afford the procedures. They recently began a foundation to help dogs with issues that would likely keep them from being adopted, called the 15/10 Foundation. It’s a cause worthy of some support.

Donate here.

These organizations are just a starting point. Over time, we will add to the list of places fighting to keep our globe beautiful and to give its critters a good life!