Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York Helps "Get Out the Give" As Part of #GivingTuesday

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A Nationwide Movement on November 27, 2012

ALBANY, NY (11/21/2012)(readMedia)-- Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York is part of the inaugural #GivingTuesday, a nationwide movement that harnesses the 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. #GivingTuesday has already inspired over 1,400 organizations and people in all 50 U.S. states and around the world to take collaborative action. Each aims to improve their local communities and give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world. Scheduled for November 27, 2012 – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – and the Day after the famed "Black Friday and "Cyber Monday" shopping days, #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create an opening day for giving.

For their participation, Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York is looking for 100+ (in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts in 2012) sponsors of brand new Girl Scouts who otherwise might not be able to afford to participate. For $78 per girl, the new Girl Scout receives one year of membership, one year of troop dues, her uniform, insignia, a Journey program book and her Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting. That gift can lead a girl on the path to changing the arc of her life. Sponsors can make a tax-deductible gift online, by calling (518) 489-8110 or by emailing give2GirlScouts@gsneny.org.

"The opportunity to participate in a national initiative such as this that highlights the benevolence of the holiday season is exciting as it directly relates to elements of the Girl Scout Promise and Law to '...help people at all times' and '...use resources wisely to make the world a better place,' said Nancy Spadaro Bielawa, Chief Development & Brand Officer of Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York. "The magnitude of this effort will certainly resonate with our Girl Scouts."

#GivingTuesday: The Background: Seeing an opportunity to channel the generous spirit of the holiday season to inspire action around charitable giving, a group of friends, partners and philanthropy experts, led by the 92nd Street Y, came together to find ways to promote and celebrate the great American tradition of giving. Thought leaders in philanthropy, social media and grassroots organizing joined to explore what is working in modern philanthropy and how to expand these innovations throughout the philanthropic sector. The concept gained steam, and by bringing together a group of founding partners-including the United Nations Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever, the Case Foundation, United Way and VentureThree Capital-a nationwide series of discussions helped inform the #GivingTuesday approach and built the movement. New organizations have rapidly joined the movement, offering creative ways people could embrace #GivingTuesday and collaborate in giving efforts to create more meaningful results.

A team of influencers have been advising #GivingTuesday organizers to discuss the innovative ways that people are approaching giving during challenging economic times, along with how Americans can give smarter and use new media to encourage positive change in their communities.

Currently, more than 1,400 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 and GuideStar are serving as Charity Advisors. VolunteerMatch is a volunteer advisor to #GivingTuesday.

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.

About Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York

Girl Scouts is the largest girl-serving organization in the U.S. and is focused on leadership development for girls grades K-12. Celebrating 100 years of building girls of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place, Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York serves 11,000 girls and 5,000 volunteers throughout 15 counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren & Washington. Offices are located in Albany, Halfmoon, Queensbury and Plattsburgh. For more information: GSNENY.ORG or (518) 489-8110.

About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a national day of giving on November 27, 2012. This first-of-its-kind effort harnesses 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. #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 celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays that is dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of 92nd Street Y and supported by a core group of founding partners, are spearheading this effort. Founding partners include United Nations Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever, United Way, The Case Foundation and VentureThree Capital. Leaders in philanthropy, social media, innovative giving, grassroots organizing, marketing and communications are providing counsel and resources to help build this movement.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday

Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTues