The mission of Gordon Fischer Law Firm is to maximize charitable giving in Iowa. To that end I work with nonprofits on legal compliance and training for accepting gifts (especially complex ones) as well as the donors who want to give to their favorite organizations and causes. Small Business Saturday is great for the community and Cyber Monday is fun, but the post-Thanksgiving “day” I look forward to the most is #GivingTuesday.
Created by the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y in New York, along with the United Nations Foundation, in 2012, #GivingTuesday is a celebration for support of philanthropy and giving. Social media has helped grow the event into a global occasion, connecting countries, organizations, and donors around the world.
Giving Tuesday takes place mid holiday season and is a great opportunity to spread awareness of nonprofits midst holiday cheer. Whether you’re prepping your nonprofit’s activities, messaging, and events for #GivingTuesday or are a donor preparing to give (and encourage others to do the same) let’s take a look at some stats from last year (2018) that show the enormous impact #GivingTuesday has.
- Faith-based charities received the largest sector percentage of #GivingTuesday donations made online.
- At $125 million Facebook was the largest payment processing platform.
- $3.6 million of Giving Tuesday donations were made online and 17% of all views of online donation forms were made on a mobile device
- $380 million was given total (which was a 45% increase over 2017)
- More than 150 countries participated
- Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has raised more than $1 billion in the U.S.
All year, not just on #GivingTuesday, GFLF is thrilled to work with nonprofit organizations on elements of operations including, but certainly not limited to;
- Training of nonprofit boards and staff and educating on charitable giving tools and techniques;
- Employment law guidance for nonprofits including advice about hiring and firing, and drafting of policies and procedures;
- Handling compliance issues, like forming a 501(c)(3) and Form 990 reporting; and
- Working with nonprofit and donors on complex gifts.
If your nonprofit is interested in any such services, I offer a free consultation!
#GivingTuesday is a reminder that, against the backdrop of the “busy” of the holiday season, the spirit of giving is thriving. Want to chat about charitable giving? Reach out anytime by email or phone (515-371-6077)
