Unofficial Holiday #GivingTuesday Inspires Philanthropy

#BlackFriday and #CyberMonday have been very successful that these became anticipated non-official holidays celebrated to mark the start of the Christmas season. Now, to usher in the start of the giving season, netizens have gone on to boost the spirit of philanthropy with #GivingTuesday. #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday were created by companies and retailers to improve sales and brand recognition. Economists and financial experts also look thoroughly at these figures to determine the economic health of the United States. The most recent unofficial holiday borne out of the success of the first two is ?Giving Tuesday?, introduced by the 92nd Street Y. The new 2012 holiday encourages people to be more generous considering the abundance enjoyed from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. Major organizations, such as the Gates Foundation (@gatesfoundation) and Clinton Foundation (@ClintonTweet), support the 92nd Street Y with a lot of effort focusing on social media to increase awareness. The hashtag #GivingTuesday was created to invite more people to start donating and sharing their blessings to those who have less in life. Participants are also asked to share photos that show how they shared via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Other programs and groups are using #GivingTuesday to invite more people to help and give. People can get updates and tips on how they can donate and be part of the activities by viewing the hashtag on the micro-blogging site. Here are the hashtag's most prolific users and top the top other hashtags used with it.

Other companies partnering with #GivingTuesday include Covenant House New Jersey (@CovenantHouse), The Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey and Big Brothers Big Sisters in the counties of New Jersey. The United Nations Foundation (@UNfoundation) will also be participating and is one of the key organizers of the drive. The Mann Center (@MannCenter) will also be acquiring funds to have sponsors give bus seats for children. ?Giving Tuesday? will be officially declared in Philadelphia by Mayor Michael Nutter soon. Here's what people are saying with the hashtag.

#GivingTuesday is a more thoughtful and relevant approach in anticipation of the Christmas season. It creates an emotional connection among people and hopefully it will become a tradition in the years to come.