It’s GivingTuesday — a day to show your support for the many nonprofits that make our lives better in Tampa Bay and beyond.

Founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, GivingTuesday was initiated as a counter to the consumerist bent of the other big shopping “days” on Friday (Black) and Monday (Cyber). In 2019, the movement spun out into its own organization, adding an additional day of giving in May of this year in response to the devastating impact of the pandemic.

Now, as we enter the ninth month of this crisis, the needs of nonprofits are greater than ever. The GivingTuesday website includes a map to community initiatives throughout the world including Hello Tampa, a consortium of 13 local nonprofits. Some are well-known, like the Heart Gallery of Tampa, dedicated to finding forever families for foster children; some are less familiar but equally worthy of support, like Live for 24, a foundation created in memory of a star student athlete at the University of Tampa that provides clinics, scholarships and experiences to deserving youth. Donate through Hello Tampa starting today and all of these organizations will benefit.

And be sure to check out the Facebook pages of your favorite non-profits to learn about their GivingTuesday initiatives, because Facebook is pledging to match $7 million in qualifying donations made today on their site.