Giving Tuesday: Generosity that NEEDS to Happen.

Santa Monica has officially joined over 115 community initiatives in 100 countries participating in the largest social movement in the world. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities, and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

Occurring this year on November 28, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the US) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support. It was built by a broad coalition of partners, including individuals, families, nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, small businesses, and corporations.

92Y − a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around its core values of community service and giving back. They conceptualized #GivingTuesday as a new way of linking individuals and causes to strengthen communities and encourage giving. In 2016, the fifth year of #GivingTuesday, millions of people in 98 countries came together to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $177 million was raised online to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness.

"We have been incredibly inspired by the generosity in time, efforts and ideas that have brought our concept for a worldwide movement into reality," said Henry Timms, founder of #GivingTuesday and executive director of 92Y. "As we embark on another year of #GivingTuesday, we are encouraged by the early response from partners eager to continue making an impact in this global conversation."

Compassionate Santa Monica chose it as a project of their philanthropy sector. On Monday, November 20, Mayor Ted Winterer presented a proclamation to make an official city. "Giving Tuesday isn't just about giving donations it's also about making a commitment to get involved and to give your time and talents to community-serving organizations," he said.

Author, commentator and TED Prize Winner, Karen Armstrong wrote: "Since the Charter for Compassion was launched in 2009, we've understood more deeply that every resilient, innovative community, institution or partnership in the world is stitched together with the thread of compassion. In our dangerously polarized world, compassion is the only route to a safe, just, peaceful and viable world." With that message Compassionate Santa Monica plans to launch its end of year campaign, essential to realizing the transformative potential of the initial programming and advocacy.

Coincidentally, Human Services Administrator Margaret Willis will be presenting the Annual Homeless Report with recommendations at the November 28 City Council meeting during Giving Tuesday. Her report includes undertaking a selection process with pre-qualified City vendors and the County of Los Angeles to identify and incubate flexible multidisciplinary teams to provide outreach and engagement services to homeless individuals in City public spaces.

After moving remarks of The 38th Annual St. Monica Thanksgiving Dinner and Clothing Boutique, from Monsignor Lloyd Torgeson at St. Monica's Thanksgiving mass, mention of the upcoming City Council discussion was briefly addressed. City Manager Rick Cole received news of a plan of 52 weeks of giving from Giving Tuesday Santa Monica,"We need to volunteer, donate and advocate" he said. This is generosity that needs to happen, giving that needs to happen in deeds beyond words. Homelessness is the moral crisis of our time, Giving Tuesday Santa Monica is about much more than one day a year; they strive to tell the story of a generous community all year round. An engaged citizenry movement to walk the talk every week of the year.

For more details about GivingTuesday Santa Monica, visit the Facebook & Instagram pages @GivingTuesdaySaMo, follow @Samogives on Twitter and the #SaMoGives hashtag on social media.