Tuesday November 29th marks the fifth #GivingTuesday. Since it’s inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

For me, it’s a time when I step back from the everyday hecticness life throws my way and I refocus on my holiday and end-of-year giving. #GivingTuesday highlights organizations in my town, as well as organizations and advocacy groups I’m passionate about.

What is #GivingTuesday?

Created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impactat the 92nd Street Y—a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving back—#GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. A team of influencers and founding partners joined forces, collaborating across sectors, offering expertise and working tirelessly, to launch #GivingTuesday and have continued to shape, grow and strengthen the movement.

The Big Ideas behind #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners— nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.

As a global movement, #GivingTuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.

1. Heifer International

Heifer Internationalis a charity organization working to end hunger and poverty around the world by providing livestock and training to struggling communities.is a charity organization working to end hunger and poverty around the world by providing livestock and training to struggling communities.

Food insecurity is a big issue throughout the the world and is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. In a recent profile on Arkansas, Heifer USA shared that while the Natural State is rich with natural resources, it has long struggled with poverty, as one in four Arkansans struggle with hunger. Many families don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and unemployment rates in the region are above the national average.

I will be sharing about Heifer throughout the day on GivingTuesday with the crew from the Mission List using #GiveHeifer and #GoatSquadGoals on my social media channels!

2. SHARE Charlotte

I have participated in giving with SHARE Charlotte since its start in 2014. I’ve donated to organizations I found through them, but have also taken time to write about their campaign to support the myriad of nonprofits that serve my local community

While large nonprofits are important on a mass scale, small ones in local communitys work day in and day out, getting to know the people they serve. They know what is needed at a hyperlocal leval and can reach out to larger national orgs to access a larger pool of resources.

In 2014, 64 SHARE Charlotte nonprofits raised nearly $600k. In 2015, together with 40+ sponsors and community partners, nearly $4.2 million was raised for 108 local nonprofits. This year, the goal is to raise $8 million dollars for #GivingTuesdayCLT.

3. UNC Children’s Hospital

UNC Children’s Hospitalis the place to turn to when your child needs compassionate and exemplary health care.  A top-tier academic medical center, UNC Children’s upholds a four-tiered mission to “CARE,”aligning clinical care, advocacy, research, and education to deliver world-class family-centered care—always regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Their physicians work hand-in-hand with community hospitals and pediatricians all across the state, providing specialty care to more than 70,000 children from all 100 counties in North Carolina each year.

I recently toured their facilities  and was overwhelmed, not only by the group running this hospital, but the thought put into UNC Children’s to prevent overwhelm for the families who are in need of their services.

Find them on #GivingTuesday using #TarHeal to raise much needed funds that help provide services for the children and families who utilize this state of the art facility.

4. The Family Dinner Project

The Family Dinner Project is a growing movement of food, fun and conversation about things that matter. I first wrote about them several years ago and have kept an eye on what they’re doing and their mission.

Family mealtime is important to my family. It is a priority for us to sit down together around the table for our evening meal and talk about our day. When our son was younger, it was a great opportunity to discuss the day and answer the millions of questions he would come up with. As he’s grown older, we discuss much more worldly, serious topics — school, peer pressure, world news, ethical thinking and

“Recent studies link regular family meals with the kinds of behaviors that parents want for their children: higher grade-point averages, resilience and self-esteem. Additionally, family meals are linked to lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and depression.”

Through the Family Dinner Project allows families to come together to share their experiences and insights to help each other realize the benefits of family dinners. It has helped us with things like conflict resolution regarding scheduling and family values.

The Family Dinner Project is a nonprofit organization currently operating from the offices of Project Zero at Harvard University.

Want to participate with TFDP? Check out their #GivingTuesday printable Giving Pledge: http://thefamilydinnerproject.org/giving-tuesday/print-activities/giving-pledge/

5. We Need Diverse Books

We Need Diverse Booksis a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature. They are committed to the ideal that embracing diversity will lead to acceptance, empathy, and ultimately equality. It is a tumultuous time in the United States and it’s even more important now that we explore diversity and learn about other cultures and lives. Knowledge is a powerful and is key to facing fear and helping our fellow man.

Diversity is important to my family. My husband is Korean. When our son was younger having We Need Diverse Books as a resource would have been so helpful. As the mother of an inquisitive child, having books so my son could see parents who looked like us might have helped when he asked “Why is Daddy’s skin different than Mommy’s?”

Recognizing and learning about diversity is key to my own personal growth. Not only as a wife and mother, but as a friend and ally.

7. The Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.

Fighting Hate, Teaching Tolerance, Seeking Justice.

As a young child I was taught that we are all equal. To quote my late Grandfather “we all bleed the same.” I believe in supporting an organization that will make sure that every every person walking this planet has someone who will stand up for them.

Other amazing organizations I support:

1. Artisan Business Network

Artisan Business Network(ABN) has helped change lives by creating sustainable jobs in Haiti immediately following the 2010 earthquake. ABN works with over 600 artists throughout the country to connect them to US retailers in order to provide sustainable jobs and fair wages for trade not aid products. ABN has worked to build many relationships with US retailers to ensure placement of Haitian handcrafts online and through retail stores. Macy’s was the first retailer to make a purchase from ABN and their Heart of Haiti linehas been the biggest source of orders for the past 6 years.

Find them on social media here:

https://www.facebook.com/ArtisanBusinessNetwork/

https://www.instagram.com/abnhaiti