#GivingTuesday Gaining Ground
The Power of Digital Civil Society
Consumer spending on holiday shopping this past weekend was down $1.7 billion dollars, according to surveys released today. Despite this, I predict a big increase in the second annual #GivingTuesday on December 3.
Haven’t heard of #GivingTuesday? The aspiration is simple: create a movement to recognize the opening day of the giving season, honor the holiday spirit of generosity, and stimulate giving and volunteering by everyone but especially to engage young people in the act of giving.
Last year #GivingTuesday had more than 2500 corporate partners in the United States. This year the number is beyond 8,000 with organized efforts in more than 10 countries. The White House has endorsed #GivingTuesday. So too have Bill Gates and hundreds of small, local charities.
What’s remarkable is that #GivingTuesday did not exist, even as an idea, in 2011. Within the space of 18 months, without a single full-time paid employee, with only social connections, social media, and the eager spirit of volunteers, #GivingTuesday is blossoming into a global movement.
The effort is a wonderful example of digital civil society at work: a decentralized, networked approach to connecting people that dispenses with a top-down, one institution arrangement. #GivingTuesday urges us to look beyond box store discounting and update for the digital age an old American spirit, dating back to Tocqueville, where average citizens come together for communal purposes.
#GivingTuesday hopes to inspire giving of all sizes to all causes. But for me, I hope that #GivingTuesday can accomplish something even bigger.
First, can #GivingTuesday increase total giving? Total donations in the United States have been constant for the past forty years at roughly two percent of GDP. Last year Americans gave away a little more than $300 billion. Giving during the holiday season is critical for nonprofit organizations, with more than one-third of all giving taking place during the last three months of the year. If #GivingTuesday can increase total giving in the United States by even .1%, that would result in an increase of $300 million for the essential work of nonprofits.
Second, can #GivingTuesday call greater attention to the highly effective nonprofit organizations working on some of the most difficult problems in the world? When people have more information about effective charities, the hope is that they will give with their heads as well as with their hearts. Charity Navigator, Great NonProfits, and Guidestar all provide information to guide donors.
In my opinion, the best of these organizations is GiveWell. GiveWell provides the best evidence to answer a most difficult question: what is the most effective use of charitable money to improve the lives of human beings?
According to GiveWell, which has just released its annual rating of the most effective nonprofits, the following three organizations have the most evidence of effectiveness with the greatest gap in funding.
GiveDirectly
Distributing cash to very poor individuals in Kenya and Uganda
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI)
Treating people for parasite infections in sub-Saharan Africa
Deworm the World Initiative (Evidence Action)
Treating children for parasite infections in developing countries
Tomorrow, on #GivingTuesday, I will be supporting GiveWell’s top rated charities.
Starting on #GivingTuesday, Good Ventures, the philanthropic foundation started by Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz, will match any donation to GiveWell’s top-ranked charity, GiveDirectly, up to $100,000 for any single donor and up to $5 million total. The match is good through the end of January 2014. (For more details on the match, see here.)
