We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but have you heard about Giving Tuesday? This year, a new tradition will hopefully take hold. One that involves giving to causes that help others and spreading the word to help encourage others as well. Giving Tuesday is a simple idea. All you need to do is find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to join in acts of giving. Then tell everyone you can about what you are doing and why it matters.

What cause you choose to support is up to you. Whether you choose to donate money, time or goods and services, every little bit helps! There are so many great organizations that help veterans, natural disaster victims, animals and other important causes, but do take time to research and make sure that you know where your money is going and how it will be used. One resource I like is Charity Navigator. Over the past 10 years, Charity Navigator’s free charity ratings have enabled millions of donors to access unbiased information before making a donation. You can search for a charity by name, or by topic if you’d like to discover a new cause or see what causes others are supporting. They’ve got an entire category devoted to Animal Welfare and Rights, too!

So, although we are in peak shopping season, I just wanted to take a sec and make sure you knew about this special new day! Be sure to help spread the word using the hashtag #GivingTuesday and follow @GivingTues on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.