Move over, Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Giving Tuesday looks to gain momentum

We’ve got a grand tradition in the U.S. when it comes to shopping. As I mentioned in my blog post last week, Black Friday has become the biggest shopping event of the year. (By the way, our Black Friday adoption events in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City went exceedingly well. We smashed our goal of 100 adoptions, with more than 200 pets finding their way into loving homes by the end of the weekend!)

As online shopping grew in popularity some years ago, a very crafty ad executive thought of coining the term “Cyber Monday,” the day when online retailers pull out all the stops, offering rock-bottom deals on everything from clothes to electronics. Now, a much newer, kinder tradition is trying to take root the day after Cyber Monday. It’s called Giving Tuesday.

The 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation started Giving Tuesday in 2012. It’s come a long way in just two years; more than 7,000 nonprofits participated last year, with many more expected to join in on this year’s event. It’s really a simple, yet ingenious idea to get the country thinking philanthropically while holiday spending is at its height. Nonprofits, foundations and other charitable causes often see the highest levels of fundraising in the month of December, so it also works as a way to kick off the giving season. Best Friends is thrilled to participate and offer you, our members, a deal we think rivals anything offered on Cyber Monday and Black Friday combined.

Thanks to some very generous members, we have $2 million pledged for matching gifts. That means every gift in the month of December, up to $2 million, will be matched. So your $100 gift becomes $200, your $250 gift becomes $500 and so on. Your tax-deductible donation will go toward ending the killing of dogs and cats in shelters across the country. If you have ever considered a donation to the animals served by Best Friends, there is no better time than now.

Click here to donate to Best Friends now, and have your donation matched.

Giving Tuesday isn’t just about the donation; it’s about telling the world why you care about the causes you support. And to celebrate this occasion, make sure to share why you support Best Friends. Post a picture on social media with the hashtag #BFGivingTuesday and we’ll add you to our “family wall.” So if you have not already done so, make sure you’re connected to us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Happy holidays to all of you, from the Best Friends family, and thank you for all your support today on Giving Tuesday, and every day of the year.

Together, we will Save Them All.