#GivingTuesday Harnesses Social Media and “Selfies” to Promote Holiday Donations

The term "shop till you drop" is never more fitting than during the holidays. But fast on the heels of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday is a new movement that's gaining traction. The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is getting a new look, drawing the focus away from giving presents and more on giving back - all while harnessing social media to spread the word.

#GivingTuesday, now in its second year, asks consumers to donate to a nonprofit instead of making a purchase, giving another boost to the largest charitable giving time of the year. This effort is pioneering because it was built for social media from inception, going so far as to embed a hashtag into its name. This year, #GivingTuesday added another effective social media component by enlisting participants to post a picture of themselves holding a note to show their support of a specific cause or nonprofit using the hashtag #unselfie.

To read more on Cone's Prove Your Purpose blog, please click here.