Bookish Causes for #GivingTuesday

I have no affiliation with Giving Tuesday; this is not a sponsored post. I just think it's a good idea, a rallying point for non-profits during the holiday season, and a reminder to all of us that even a little bit can go a long way towards helping those in need.

We've had Gray Thursday*, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now, it's #GivingTuesday. From the day's official website:

WHAT IS #GIVINGTUESDAY? 

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. 

It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.

If you're interested in spreading a love of literacy, books, and reading this #GivingTuesday, a few options to consider:

Find a local literacy organization

Where I live, that's the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council. There are often literacy organizations at the city, county or state level. It may take a little Googling (start with "literacy council" and your town's name), but think of the gift of reading and how powerful that can be for a person. 

Pick a national organization

There are dozens upon dozens of organizations out there working to promote literacy and bring books to people and children in need. Three big ones that tend to pop up time and again in the bookish world, all of which are great candidates for today's giving:

Reach Out and Read: Reach Out and Read prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. More information about what they do can be found here, and online donations can be made here.

First Book: First Book provides access to new books to children in need. They have an interesting model, fighting to overcome illiteracy and foster a love of reading. Learn more about what they do here, and make an online donation here (bonus: donations made now through December 31st will be tripled by a matching donor!).

Girls Write Now: The Girls Write Now mission is to provide guidance, support, and opportunities for at-risk and underserved girls from New York City’s public high schools to develop their creative, independent voices, explore careers in professional writing, and learn how to make healthy school, career and life choices. They do this by pairing students with NYC-area writers and authors. Pretty cool stuff. Learn more about the organization here, and make a donation here.

Spread the word

If you make a #GivingTuesday donation, help spread the word about the day and the cause you picked online! Use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to spread the love. The Giving Tuesday website also has more ideas and a toolkit for sharing information about the day.

If donating isn't in your budget, you can still help by spreading the word about #GivingTuesday and a cause you care about. Individuals are more likely to give to a cause or organization they already care about or know a friend cares about. There are lots of ways to help that don't involve a single penny.

What are you doing to celebrate #GivingTuesday?

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*Didn't you hear that's what they're calling Thanksgiving now? Not sure what was wrong with calling it "Thanksgiving," but hey, there's a reason I'm not a local news anchor.