Now in its fourth year, Giving Tuesday is chasing the name recognition of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Advocates say the annual day of giving — it falls on Dec. 1 this year — continues to spur more people to take a break from holiday binge-spending and donate to charity.
But the movement still has a ways to go: A recent survey found that just 18 percent of respondents were familiar with Giving Tuesday (which also goes by its hashtag #GivingTuesday), while nearly all knew about Black Friday.
Charities see plenty of opportunity in the push to establish a giving holiday at a time when the public is most likely to be feeling generous. Thirty to 40 percent of all charitable giving takes place during the last five weeks of the year.
Nonprofit organizations have been messaging potential donors for weeks, asking for support on Tuesday.
Locally, the Columbus Foundation is teaming up with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams to offer a free, small ice cream to everyone who spends $20 or more on a donation made through the foundation. The ice cream must be claimed on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Read the full Columbus Dispatch article here.