#GivingTuesday

We are well into November, and while the leaves aren’t turning red and gold here in Ghana we are aware that American Thanksgiving is right around the corner. With Thanksgiving comes the launch of the holiday season in the U.S. and globally. First comes Thanksgiving, then Black Friday, then Cyber Monday, but what about #GivingTuesday?

For those of you that have never heard of #GivingTuesday, it is celebrated on the first Tuesday following American Thanksgiving and is the kick off for the charitable season. #GivingTuesday began in 2012 by 92nd Street Y in NYC and the United Nations as a response to the massive consumption and commercialization of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While it initially was a movement created in the United States, it has turned into a global movement to create a day for people to give back. #GivingTuesday is fueled by the power of social media and the generosity of people around the globe. The day brings together a community of individuals, NGOs, businesses and corporations to recognize the importance of giving back, whether that be through finances, volunteering their time or bringing awareness to a specific cause. #GivingTuesday shows us that any action of giving, whether big or small, can create meaningful and lasting change.

#GivingTuesday and EXPO.

You may be wondering, what does #GivingTuesday have to do with Exponential Education? As a NGO we are promoting #GivingTuesday and encouraging our friends, families, donors and followers to join in on the spirit of giving. We have launched our #GivingTuesday campaign in collaboration with our Annual Fundraising Appeal, to help us provide even more tutoring services and community development programs to youth in Ghana. With #GivingTuesday being exactly two weeks away, we are challenging our global community to help us raise our goal of $15 000 this giving season.

#GivingTuesdsay and YOU.

Everyone has the opportunity to help spread the word about #GivingTuesday, and indulge in the giving spirit. Here is a list of three things you can do this #GivingTuesday that will make the Turkey you ate on Thursday taste that much yummier.

1. Donate: Donate to our cause in the spirit of #GivingTuesday. By donating even $25 you are making a difference in the lives of youth in Ghana. Allowing them to have access to quality education, improving their livelihoods and in turn creating a better future for not only the youth, but Ghana as a whole.

2. Promote: #GivingTuesday is not all about financial dollars, it is also about getting the word out. Make a post on social media about Expo and the work that we do, or about youth education in general. Think about how education has shaped you, and how drastically different your life could be with or without education. Talk to a friend about how every young person on the globe deserves to have access to education that can shape them into the person they want to be.

3. Take Action: Have you ever wanted to run a fundraiser yourself? Maybe you need a reason or one little push to make you run that half marathon. Do you love to knit scarves, but do not have enough necks to wear them all? Have you thought about selling those scarves and donating the profits? There are so many ways that we can get involved in taking action to promote a cause, so use #GivingTuesday as an excuse to take action for Expo (or any cause you feel passionate about) and help to fight it.

Now that you all know a bit more about #GivingTuesday, what it is and why it exists, I challenge you to do one thing this holiday season that gives back. Feel free to learn more about #GivingTuesday on their website and visit our donation page to help our #GivingTuesday campaign.