Thankful for Giving Tuesday

By Jason Rosado

It’s better to give than receive, goes the old parable. The authors of Happy Money, Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, proved those who give feel a greater satisfaction with life. This year, instead of retail therapy, let’s try out giving therapy. Today is the best day to start as it’s Giving Tuesday.

As the holiday season continues and the advertisements get louder, you're going to need to decide where to spend your resources: your money, time and attention. If you're anything like me, you're looking to spend with a purpose. Well, it turns out we're not alone. Ninety-three percent of consumers want to know what the brands they're consuming are doing to make the world a better place and 91 percent also want to have a say in the matter.

Giving Tuesday is a day for just that – to make an impact.

Last year, individuals, foundations and businesses gave away tens of millions of dollars. This year, hundreds of thousands of others are dedicating their resources to create change and help others. And now it’s easier than ever for you to join them in supporting the work of nonprofit organizations around the world.

I work every day to make giving money to causes you believe in as easy as spending it on Christmas presents. After years of working on Wall Street helping banks make it seamless for companies to receive payments quickly and easily, I dropped everything to start a company to make giving to worthy causes just as easy and seamless.

The premise of Giving Tuesday is to encourage small acts of kindness. Kindness that I experienced when an anonymous stranger sent me my lost refund check in an envelope with no return address. Often I wish I had more time and money to spare to give to more of the 1.6 million nonprofit organizations supporting worthy missions all over the globe. I know how busy you are – how hard you work, those you support, and the small time you have for yourself. I don’t just get you - I am you. Giving Tuesday is a celebration of what you can give – because no matter what it is it will make a huge difference to someone else.

Today, Giving Tuesday, I ask you to join me and thousands of others to give both big and small. Here are a few ways you can participate:

• Donate to a cause of your choice – all charities are participating on this day




• Give your time – whether volunteering with your favorite local charity or writing about how you will give




• Take a stand for what you believe in by taking an unselfie and posting to social media

And a fourth (and extra bonus way), please join me in helping three charities close to my heart with our Giving Tuesday Givkwik fund – donating is just a button click away.

Whatever you do, it will make a huge difference. You are joining countless others around the world to show just how much change can be made when we give. Follow #GivingTuesday and @givkwik to stay up to date.  Please contribute what you can – whether it's your time, attention, or money.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

Jason is the CEO and founder of Givkwik, an online platform that makes giving as easy as a click of a button. He founded the company after working at two different money center banks on Wall Street, where he learned how to use technology to automate the back-office treasury operations of any sized company. This expertise led him to realize that nonprofits and for-profit businesses could work together to make philanthropy available to anyone.