By Emily Hill, Director of Individual Giving

Did you know that Tuesday, December 2, 2014, is #GivingTuesday – a global initiative dedicated to giving back? It’s true! Each year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give back.

We are thrilled to announce that this is the first year that Girl Scouts—North Carolina Coastal Pines is participating in this cool event! We think it’s an exciting opportunity to showcase that here at Girl Scouts, every day is #GivingTuesday.

As a Girl Scout —or loved one of a Girl Scout—you know that everyday our girls are building courage, confidence and character so they can give back and make the world a better place. The principals of #GivingTuesday are found right in our Girl Scout Promise and Law! So when we heard about #GivingTuesday, we jumped at the chance to be a part of this global celebration of a new tradition of generosity! Won’t you join us?

There are so many ways you – and your troop – can get involved:

• Share the giving spirit! Plan a Girl Scout service project for your school or community – and share with others the great way it feels to give back! And when you’re done, upload your #unselfie to Facebook or Twitter and share what you did on #GivingTuesday. Or share how you gave back this year, and we’ll retweet it on December 2^nd.

• Follow! Tweet! Post! We’ll be all over our social platforms that day, sharing the giving spirit of our girls. Join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and get your family, friends, and fellow Girl Scouts in on the action! You can even help Girl Scouts win $10,000 in funding through the #GSKImpact Award! The more retweets we get that day, the more likely we are to win the award, which will support our new program vehicle.

• Invest in girls! Nonprofit organizations like Girl Scouts rely on the generous investment of our community members. Join the individuals, local business, and foundations that believe in our mission of building our girls into strong leaders and citizens by making your tax-deductible donation on December 2. Your gift to Girl Scouts—North Carolina Coastal Pines on #GivingTuesday means our girls can keep giving back all year long. Make your gift by clicking here.

No matter what way you participate on #GivingTuesday, be sure to speak up about it! Tell everyone why you support our #GivingTuesday campaign. Ask your friends to join you in this day of giving. With hundreds of service projects across 41 counties in central and eastern North Carolina, Girl Scouts are making a difference every day in our community. On December 2, help us spread this message.

#GivingTuesday? Not even close! #GirlScoutsGiveEveryday!!!