This Giving Tuesday, American generosity will be as important as ever in addressing domestic needs and global turmoil. Donors should be mindful of how their gifts can further the causes of peace and prosperity while avoiding support for organizations that foster campaigns of division, hate and terrorism.
Giving Tuesday raises as much as a third of budgets a year for nonprofit organizations and serves as the unofficial kick-off for the giving season. Last year, 37 million Americans gave a record $3.1 billion during the 24-hour span.
Donors and charitable organizations may be inundated with email appeals and social media requests. As always, they should be cautious and exercise good judgment before supporting organizations. Philanthropy Roundtable has a few good tips to determine who and how to give.
Supporting Human Services and International Work
Two areas donors may be inclined to support this year are human services and international work. Inflation, which topped a 40-year-high in June 2022 but has since drifted down, is still a headwind for nonprofits. Organizations continue to battle high prices to deliver goods and services, increased labor costs and increased demand for services. With that in mind, organizations that meet immediate needs are worthy of charitable dollars this holiday season as are nonprofits focused on long-term goals of building self-sufficiency and economic upliftment. Our Opportunity Playbook features dozens of such nonprofits.
Responding to Israel-Hamas Crisis
Donors and philanthropic organizations may also wish to respond to the horrific October 7 terror attack by Hamas against Jewish civilians and the resulting humanitarian crisis in the region. Giving Tuesday presents an opportunity to support aid organizations working to alleviate the immediate needs of those affected. Several organizations to consider supporting:
- Jewish National Fund – The Jewish National Fund is helping evacuate individuals from communities on the Gaza border, providing transportation, emergency housing, hygiene items, bedding and care packages for those in need. The fund is also providing firefighting and protective equipment for those facing rocket fire, as well as mental health treatment for families, including children.
- Church World Service – Church World Service is a faith-based organization that responds to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. It has partnered with other organizations to provide emergency support such as food and medicine and to restore access to basic services for the people affected by the conflict in Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank.
- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – HIAS is a refugee protection organization that has worked in Israel since 1950. Within 24 hours of the brutal attacks, HIAS activated its Emergency Response to provide basic needs, cash assistance and mental health services to those displaced in Israel. It is also providing information to asylum seekers and displaced families.
The Roundtable has also identified other groups providing emergency assistance and long-term resettlement help.
Combating Antisemitism
The Hamas terror attack has also exposed an ugly antisemitic undercurrent in American society today, particularly in academia. Aside from the spike in violent attacks against Jewish people, pro-Hamas protests have exploded across college campuses.
Corporate America, philanthropy and academia made statements about racial equality in 2020 and surged funding for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts over the past several years. Yet, many of the same entities and institutions have been noticeably silent on the Hamas attacks or equivocated in their support for Israel. This is shameful and calls into question the sincerity of social justice pledges.
This also exposes the truth about DEI. Some advocates are not truly committed to justice and equality for all people but to advancing the interests of specific preferred groups, which seems in this case to exclude Jews. After all, true diversity should respect individuals regardless of their religion, ethnicity, perspective or viewpoints.
As I wrote recently, higher education donors can hold colleges and universities accountable by withholding their gifts until administrators commit to ensuring the safety of Jewish students. Instead, donors should consider supporting efforts that fight against the rising tide of antisemitism. For example, the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, founded in 2012 to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all, utilizes research, education and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of antisemitism on campuses, in the workplace and society.
Social media is one of the biggest purveyors of misinformation and lies about the Oct. 7 attacks. Even more worrisome, Osama Bin Laden’s pro-9/11 propaganda just went viral on TikTok. Facts and context are critical to fighting antisemitism, hate and terrorism online. The Tel Aviv Institute provides social media users with factual and compelling content about antisemitism to empower the next generation of Jews to advocate for tolerance and peace in publications, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, TikTok and new media.
Giving Tuesday is a celebrated time to express our generosity through our values. What better way to express true diversity and equality for all than to fight back against the scourge of antisemitism?
The Roundtable has not vetted all of the organizations listed and we simply list them here for your review and consideration.
