From #GivingTuesday to #GivingYouthDay: Coming Together for Meaningful Impact

What do Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday have in common? They are time-sensitive marketing moments that surge in popularity during and after the Thanksgiving holiday. For businesses and nonprofits, they help fuel seasonal surges in consumer spending and charitable giving.

These three days have become major trends in recent years and have increasingly shifted to become global social movements, thanks in large part to savvy promotion that taps into the cultural pulse and highlights competition, scarcity, and urgency. As someone who works in the philanthropic sector, I have noticed that these are the same tactics that are used in white dominant culture— tactics that are contradictory to care-based philanthropy. Whether intentional or not, Giving Tuesday creates a sense of urgency driven by deadlines and competing priorities that often overlook equity and long-term sustainability.

So what exactly is Giving Tuesday? At its core, it’s a dedicated day of giving that is meant to “unleash the power of radical generosity around the world.” Individuals and companies are encouraged to donate to causes they care about. While it speaks to a virtuous vision, once we dig deeper, we begin to unpack the unintended consequences of this day.

The idea that a single day of donations can create meaningful, collective change is unrealistic and can make the process feel pressurized and transactional, especially when the aim of many nonprofits is to encourage thoughtful engagement and long-term support. This can also foster a feeling of scarcity, pushing people to give out of FOMO (fear of missing out) rather than a genuine desire to contribute. On top of that, Giving Tuesday by design, encourages competition amongst non-profits as an all-consuming event, overshadowing collaboration between organizations that is needed for more impactful outcomes.

When giving is framed as a commercialized event within a 24-hour window, it feels more like a marketing tactic than an expression of empathy or compassion. A single day of giving doesn’t foster the long-term relationships between donors and organizations that are essential to sustaining meaningful support. Our work relies on building these connections over time and the notion that true acts of kindness, gratitude, and purpose are inspired by a spirit of abundance, rather than by external pressures or fleeting trends. At Sadie Nash Leadership Project (SNLP), we are reimagining #GivingTuesday to align with our mission and values—and we are calling it #GivingYouthDay. As a nonprofit organization that centers the experiences and leadership of young women and gender-expansive youth of color, we believe in harnessing their brilliance, commitment, and perspective to build a healthier, safer, and more just society for all.

Our #GivingYouthDay initiative was born out of a response to the competitive, deadline-driven nature of Giving Tuesday. Instead of getting caught up in a one-day race, we’re choosing to cultivate collaboration over competition. By launching #GivingYouthDay in partnership with other youth organizations, we’re sparking a new kind of generosity—one rooted in collaboration, community care, and the transformative power of young people.

Collaboration is essential for youth-focused nonprofits like ours, which often operate with limited resources. By joining forces, we can pool our expertise and networks, amplifying our collective impact. This shared effort allows us to expand our reach, ensuring that youth across different communities have access to critical services, programs, and opportunities. We can also identify areas of overlap, reduce duplication, and build a more coordinated response to the needs of our communities.

#GivingYouthDay amplifies our collective voice, uniting a coalition of organizations with a common vision. By coming together, we’re not just increasing our visibility—we’re increasing our ability to influence policymakers, funders, and the broader communities we strive to reach. This collaboration offers young people the opportunity to engage in collective action, and shows them that working together isn’t just effective—it’s a powerful way to drive meaningful change and strengthen community leadership.

Will I participate in Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Giving Tuesday next year? It’s possible. But what if we reimagined these days as opportunities to shift the focus from competition to connection? What if, instead of a race to shop or donate, we embraced a culture of giving that reflects our deepest values—one that strengthens communities, fosters collaboration, and amplifies the voices of those who need it most? Through initiatives like #GivingYouthDay, we can take a step in that direction where we recognize that generosity is not bound by time limits, but fueled by shared commitment and vision.