United Way and #GivingTuesday

On Dec. 3, United Way of Elgin will join thousands of partners around the world to celebrate #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday, which succeeds the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping holidays, focuses on the collective power of a unique blend of partners—charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. By harnessing the power of social media, #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world.

The focus of #GivingTuesday in Elgin is to improve children's literacy within our community. On #GivingTuesday, you can visit United Way of Elgin's website and make a one-time gift of $30 to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Imagination Library sends one free book to registered children each month until their fifth birthday. The program is open to all children who live in Elgin, South Elgin, Burlington, Hampshire, and Pingree Grove. Your $30 #GivingTuesday gift will provide a child with one new book every month in 2014. For more information on the Imagination Library program or about how United Way of Elgin is making a difference through education, visit our website at www.uwelgin.org.

Currently, more than 1,000 corporate and nonprofit organizations have committed to participate in the initiative. #GivingTuesday is endorsed by Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy, Giving Institute, Giving USA Foundation and InterAction. Charity Navigator, Givewell and GuideStar are serving as Charity Advisors. VolunteerMatch is a volunteer advisor to #GivingTuesday.

Those who are interested in joining United Way of Elgin on #GivingTuesday can follow us on Twitter (@UnitedWayElgin) or like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/unitedwayelgin).

For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow #GivingTuesday (https://twitter.com/GivingTues) and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.