The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation has joined #GivingTuesday for the second year in a row, a unique effort to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the charitable giving season.
Coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday and the start of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities and give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support.
Taking place Dec. 2, 2014 – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national movement around the holidays dedicated to giving.
The Education Foundation leads the annual fundraising effort to fund critical programs at all 16 schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. SMMEF works collaboratively with school and PTA leaders, families, community members, and business leaders to raise $4 million annually.
#GivingTuesday is a great way for the Education Foundation to promote charitable giving in the community.
“We are honored to take part in this national movement focused on giving,” said Linda Greenberg Gross, SMMEF Executive Director. “All of our students deserve access to the arts, highly-trained classroom assistants and enrichment programs. All of our teachers benefit from ongoing professional development to positively impact student achievement. Donations to SMMEF will ensure these programs happen.”
Seeing an opportunity to channel the generous spirit of the holiday season to inspire action around charitable giving, a group of people, led by the 92nd Street Y (92Y), came together to find ways to promote and celebrate the great American tradition of giving.
Thought leaders in philanthropy, social media and grassroots organizations joined with 92Y to explore what is working in modern philanthropy and how to expand these innovations throughout the philanthropic sector.
The concept gained steam, and with the help of the United Nations Foundation and other founding partners, more than 10,000 organizations have joined the movement and are providing creative ways people can embrace #GivingTuesday and collaborate in their giving efforts to create more meaningful results.
“#GivingTuesday is a counter narrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism,” said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. “The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world.”
Those who want to participate in SMMEF’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.smmef.org/donate.
