#GivingTuesday

“#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

“Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

“One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. We’ve created a directory to help you find organizations, charities, events and more in your own community.”

If you have favorite charities, give today, through the holiday season and whenever. If you don’t have favorites, and are wondering where to give, you can check out some of the excellent organizations that review charities, such as:

Charity Navigator

Charity Watch

BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Maimonides’ Eight Degrees of Tzedakah

From lowest to highest level:

  1. The person who gives reluctantly and with regret.
  2. The person who gives graciously, but less than one should.
  3. The person gives what one should, but only after being asked.
  4. The person who gives before being asked.
  5. The person who gives without knowing to whom he/she gives, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor.
  6. The person who gives without making his or her identity known.
  7. The person who gives without knowing to whom he/she gives. The recipient does not know from whom he/she receives.
  8. The person who helps another to support him/herself by a gift, loan, or helping that person find employment, thus helping that person to become self-supporting.

Pushke (Yiddish), donation box