Giving Tuesday 2020: Ways To Give Back In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As the holiday shopping season commences, you may already be planning what gifts to get for family and friends this season. Following the holiday shopping kickoff is another tradition: Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday, which falls on Dec. 1 this year, is an annual initiative encouraging a global day of generosity. It started in 2012 to promote good deeds during the holiday season. Last year, approximately $1.97 billion in donations were provided during 24 hours in the U.S.

This year, help is needed more than ever for causes helping people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to GivingTuesday, which promotes the global day of giving, people are motivated to give in 2020 and are giving more in response to their specific community needs and causes they care about. On May 5, GivingTuesday held a #GivingTuesdayNow campaign as an emergency response to COVID-19. This initiative generated a response in 145 counties and $503 million raised in the U.S. alone.

There are plenty of nonprofits and causes to support in Alexandria, from national organizations based in the city, to organizations helping Alexandrians. You can find suggestions of organizations to support from Great Nonprofits, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and Volunteer Alexandria.

Your support doesn't have to be monetary. GivingTuesday has other suggestions, such as volunteering, using your voice to advocate for causes, giving goods, giving kindness, or offering your talents to a nonprofit. You can check volunteer opportunities from Volunteer Alexandria online.

Keeping your dining and shopping local can also help Alexandria nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. On Dec. 1, participating stores and restaurants will donate a percentage of their sales to five local charities: Alexandria Tutoring Consortium, ALIVE, Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation, and Neighborhood Health. For every meal or purchase, these nonprofits will get a percentage of that purchase. Participating restaurants are Mia's Italian Kitchen, Sonoma Cellar, The Majestic, Vola's Dockside Grill and Theismann's Restaurant. Participating retailers are The Hour, ALX and Company, 529 Kids Consign, Mint Condition, Mint Collective, The UPS Store at 107 S. West Street, Ten Thousand Villages, Red Barn Mercantile, Penny Post, and The Spice and Tea Exchange.

If you can't donate on Giving Tuesday, check back in spring 2021 with Spring2Action, an Alexandria-specific day of giving. In 2020, Spring2Action donors raised $2.45 million for 156 local nonprofits.