Giving Tuesday started out as an antidote to the crass commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. When the holiday started in 2012, its goal was to continue the spirit of Thanksgiving, and encourage people to think about what they could give to others, rather than what they could buy for themselves. Since then, the idea has grown and expanded into an entire philanthropic organization, and Asha Curran is currently steering the ship. Having spent most of her career in education, nonprofits, and philanthropy, Curran leveraged her experience to turn Giving Tuesday into a global force for good. Rather than espouse a single cause or charity, the organization encourages everyday people to donate their time or money to a cause that they find meaningful. Giving Tuesday even counts small, everyday acts of kindness as a win.
Under Curran’s leadership, Giving Tuesday has continued to raise massive amounts of money for charity, including $3.1 billion for its 10-year anniversary in 2022 alone. She’s also launched the Giving Tuesday Data Commons: a $26 million project, which tracks philanthropic efforts all around the world. While the Data Commons project is still in its infancy, Curran believes that the project will foster collaboration, innovation and, above all else, generosity.
