by Patheresa Wells

Originally published on Nov. 30, 2021, “The Radical Generosity of GivingTuesday” encapsulates the essence of what GivingTuesday stands for — a global movement of generosity and communal support. As we celebrate this special day, we’re revisiting this insightful piece that explores the concept of “radical generosity,” an idea that challenges us to view the suffering of others as intolerable as our own​

Have you ever been in line for coffee and when you pull up to the window to pay, you find that a stranger paid? It’s such a simple act of kindness, yet that is where the joy comes from, how easy it is to give. GivingTuesday centers on this idea of “radical generosity” — defined by the GivingTuesday organization as “[t]he concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering.” 

The idea for the day was created at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City in 2012. Despite its humble beginnings, the day has grown into a collaborative global initiative involving millions of people who give each year. GivingTuesday is now its own nonprofit that rallies us to share in the spirit of giving routinely. According to The GivingTuesday, 2020 Impact Report, nearly 16 million Americans donated a total of $503 million. Worldwide, the donations went to over 75 countries. And the money isn’t all big gifts, donations from small donors increased by 10% in 2020.