I hate Giving Tuesday

I really, really do.

Even though I’m a career fundraiser, I hate Giving Tuesday. I find it profoundly messed up and sad that we have only one day on the calendar dedicated to generosity and the reminder of the role charity plays in our society. We need a whole day to remind us of the central role that a $440 billion industry plays in the fabric of our daily lives?

Worse, compare Giving Tuesday to Black Friday. Black Friday is one day and combined sales online and in stores total over $28B. By comparison, Giving Tuesday raises about $2.4B. So are we 1/10th as generous as we are consumers?

Wait. Don’t answer that.

But seriously, why do we as fundraisers debase ourselves like this? I mean, there’s no refinance your mortgage day, or go buy a car day, or consume social media with reckless abandon day. There’s no McDonald’s day, no WalMart Day, and no Jump on a Trampoline day.

(Actually that’s false. That Day is Jump Day, held annually on July the 20th)

So why is it that we need a labeled day on the calendar to remind us of the importance of being generous?

Worse, why have so many charities and fundraisers taken the bait? Are we really this insecure?

Uh, don’t answer that either.