Author Diana Onken poses with her two daughters.
It’s November, and my two daughters are already excited for the holiday season! Every year, my girls anxiously await our favorite traditions, like baking cookies and enjoying community events, like the Parade of Light. While it is easy to get caught up in all of the excitement, we also make sure to take time to reflect on how lucky we are and give back to others who are not as fortunate.
As the National Campaigns and Digital Director for Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), I know how many children in the United States and around the world struggle to receive a quality education, feel safe and simply have a chance to play, grow and be kids. I see the opportunities that my daughters have and I am so grateful for them. I believe every child deserves those same opportunities.
That’s why I’m so excited about Giving Tuesday – a global day of giving that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Giving Tuesday launched in 2012 as a response to the consumer-based days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday is a way for people to celebrate the season of giving by donating to causes that are important to them. In just 7 years, the tradition has spread to more than 150 countries and resulted in a total of 3.6 million online gifts.
Giving Tuesday is not just limited to one day anymore. Many organizations (including SCAN!) have made it possible to lock in your donation ahead of time. All in all, it’s become a wonderful reminder about what the season is truly about: coming together as a community and helping one another.
SCAN has been celebrating Giving Tuesday for 3 years, and every year we are overwhelmed with the generosity of our supporters. But Giving Tuesday is not only about raising money for the work we do for kids. We also love to highlight our amazing volunteers and Student Ambassadors. They give their time all year long and we’re so grateful for them! I know firsthand how vital and effective their efforts are – from influencing legislation to asking candidates to invest in kids, SCAN activists stay busy!
Fortunately, SCAN’s grassroots presence is growing. We’re expanding into new states, new schools and new communities. We’re adding hundreds of new voices and champions to our online advocacy efforts every year. We are a nationwide force for kids and we have no plans to slow down.
To ensure that we can continue to grow our impact for kids, SCAN is once again asking for your support this Giving Tuesday. Any donation – from $5 to $500 – makes a big difference in our ability to fight for policies that will help kids thrive. It helps us train new volunteers and advocates. It strengthens our movement to protect funding for vital programs that benefit vulnerable children. It allows us to hold elected officials accountable and demand that they prioritize the needs of kids. And throughout 2020, we’ll continue to ask candidates at the local, state and national level to tell us how they will act to ensure children can live, learn and be safe.
As a mother, I am very passionate about making sure that every child – here in the U.S. and around the world – has the chance to reach their full potential. I believe that all children deserve kindness, care and compassion. So this Giving Tuesday, I will put my beliefs into action and support Save the Children Action Network so we can help make those wishes a reality. I hope you will join me.
This year, you can double your impact for kids! All donations during our Giving Tuesday Campaign are being matched by a pair of generous donors up to $15,000.
Lock in your Giving Tuesday donation today!