VOA · Arts & Culture
Intermediate · B1–B2learner speed3:552024-11-27public domain
The Arts & Culture beat covers music, film, museums, food, and traditions from the United States and around the world. The reports are short, vivid, and full of everyday descriptive language — great for learners who want vocabulary beyond textbooks.
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01Since its start in 2012, Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has become one of the biggest money-raising days of the year for nonprofits in the United States.
02In 2022 and 2023, Giving Tuesday raised $3.1 billion for charity or aid organizations, as estimated by Giving Tuesday.
03This year, Giving Tuesday is on December 3rd.
04The Giving Tuesday hashtag started as a project of the 92nd Street Y in New York City in 2012.
05It became an independent organization in 2020.
06It has grown into a worldwide organization of local groups that support giving in their communities, often on different dates that have local importance, like holidays.
07Now, Giving Tuesday, the nonprofit, also gathers researchers studying everyday giving.
08It also collects data from wide sources, like payment processors, crowdfunding sites, employee giving software, and organizations that offer charitable giving.
09For nonprofits, the point of Giving Tuesday is to raise money and engage their supporters.
10Many nonprofits will organize fundraising campaigns with email and mail appeals that arrive on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
11Nonprofits do not have to be linked in any way with Giving Tuesday, the organization, to run a fundraising campaign.
12Giving Tuesday will still provide them with graphics and advice.
13In that way, it remains a grassroots effort, with groups and donors taking part as they like.
14Giving Tuesday has grown far beyond its early days, when it mainly pushed for giving on social media.
15The day has become a well-known event that seeks to center charitable giving and volunteering in the U.S.
16and around the world.
17For years, Giving Tuesday has been a major focus of fundraising for nonprofits, with many seeking to organize matching donations from major donors.
18It is the beginning of the end-of-year fundraising race, as nonprofits seek to reach their budget targets for the following year.
19Donations on Giving Tuesday in 2022 and 2023 reached $3.1 billion, an increase from $2.7 billion in 2021.
20While that is a lot to raise in a single day, the trend last year was flat and fewer donors were giving.
21The organization says that is a worrying sign.
22I'm Katie Weaver.
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