#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving that takes place on May 5, 2020. It is organized by the global GivingTuesday movement. “Giving Tuesday” refers to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States, and is positioned as a counter to Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping. This day of giving instead of getting is “a movement to create an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season.”
While the usual GivingTuesday event will still occur on December 1, 2020, the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign is a philanthropic initiative to raise much-needed funding for communities and non-profits during this time of crisis.
According to the #GivingTuesdayNow press release, on the last GivingTuesday (December 3, 2019), the global giving day generated $2 billion in giving in just the United States. Several other philanthropic initiatives have made early commitments to match money raised for charities on May 5, including GoFundMe, Nonprofit Hub, and local community foundations.
You can participate in #GivingTuesdayNow by donating funds to your favorite cause, showing gratitude to healthcare and other essential workers, or using social media to share your support. We’ve gathered a list of bookish charities to consider supporting below:
The Children’s Literacy Agency
A nonprofit working with pre-k through 5th grade teachers to improve early literacy instruction so that children become powerful readers, writers, and thinkers.
Reach Out and Read
Their mission is integrating reading out loud into pediatric care.
Reading Partners
A national nonprofit that mobilizes communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by 4th grade.
Room to Read
A nonprofit which seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
Pajama Program
A nonprofit organization that promotes and supports a comforting bedtime reading routine for all children to help them thrive.
Book Aid International
An international nonprofit whose mission is to provide books, resources and training to support an environment in which reading for pleasure, study and lifelong learning can flourish.
Literacy for Incarcerated Teens
The only non-profit organization of its kind working to end illiteracy among New York’s incarcerated young people by inspiring them to read.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
A book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income.
First Book
A non profit that “aims to remove barriers to quality education for all kids by making everything from new, high-quality books and educational resources to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more – affordable to its member network of more than 450,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need.”
The Book Industry Foundation
A nonprofit foundation with the purpose of helping bookstore employees in need, and providing career development and assistance for independent booksellers.
In addition, your public library is likely continuing to provide educational and entertaining resources to people in your community, and could definitely use your help.
If you’re supporting a bookish cause on #GivingTuesdayNow, please let us know at @BookRiot!
