Celebrate "Giving Massachusetts Day"
November 28, 2003

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a gubernatorial proclamation has designated the day after Thankgiving as “Giving Massachusetts Day”. His proclamation “urge[s] all citizens of the Commowealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.”

With this proclamation, Massachusetts becomes the first state in the nation offically to associate charitable giving and the celebration of philanthropy with our national holiday of Thanksgiving. For several years, various philanthropic leaders across the country have called for this natural connection as part of the new national movement to promote philanthropy, and in particular to increase charitable giving nationwide.

That Massachusetts should take this leadership position is historically appropriate. In his proclamation, Governor Romney noted that the nation’s first Thanksgiving, which was in itself a philanthropic occasion, took place in Massachusetts, and that the first official Thanksgiving proclamation “to set apart a day for solemn thanksgiving and praise” was proposed by Sam Adams, a Son of Massachusetts.

Governor Romney also noted that “philanthropy, private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life, is both essential to civic health in self-governing societies, and generally recognized as an appropriate expression of gratitute on the part of donors for the benefits they enjoy in life.”

As Giving Massachusetts Day approaches, take some time to think about what is important to you and how you can give. You should give to a cause that means something to you — an issue that your passion connects to, a community need that tugs at your heartstrings, an organization you know that does good work. Giving Massachusetts Day is a day when people across the Commonwealth will celebrate the power and passion of their philanthropy. You can participate by:

• Making a Giving Massachusetts Day commitment to support your favorite cause with a gift of time or money;
• Expressing your values, compassion and passions with friends and family by discussing issues that matter to you;
• Building a new tradition by encouraging others to celebrate Giving Massachusetts Day.
• Making a Giving Massachusetts Day commitment to support your favorite cause with a gift of time or money. Go to www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org for a list of great Massachusetts non-profits and make a donation directly.
• Celebrating Thanksgiving! Whether it's in quiet, personal conversations, a rousing round-the-table discussion, or an eloquent toast, take a moment to talk about issues that matter to you and your Giving Massachusetts Day commitment — and encourage others to do the same.
• Expressing your values, compassion and passions with friends and family by discussing ways in which to support the causes that matter to you. Have a dinner party to discuss what you can do collectively to make a difference in your community.
• Teaching your children about giving by agreeing on a family gift to a non- profit or through activities that teach giving (www.givingnewengland.org has a youth curriculum as does www.learningtogive.org).
• Planning you’re your legacy by creating your will. Work with your family advisor and check out www.leavealegacy.org for more information.
• Gathering with friends to create a giving circle where you decide on a group gift that leverages your individual donations into one large one. For your free copy of the Giving Circle Starter Kit please visit www.givingnewengland.org.
• Investigating your local community foundation. They can offer you information on local non-profits and ways to get philanthropically involved; to find out where it is visit www.communityfoundationlocator.org/search/index.cfm
• Signing up for a regular volunteer opportunity; if you are in Boston, check out the www.bostoncares.org website.
• Serving on a non-profit board. Bring your knowledge and know how to help guide a local-non-profit. Check out your local United Way for organizations looking for board members.

Giving Massachusetts Day provides everyone — those directly touched by tragedy and those who want so much to help — with a concrete action that makes the world a better place. We can talk with friends and family about the things we care about, the causes we support and what we want for the future. By starting small — gathering with relatives to volunteer or combining charitable gifts with friends at work — each of us can help make a bigger difference.

This holiday season, we have much to be grateful for and, with the downturn in the economy, we also know that giving is more important than ever this year. Help is needed more when times are harder. The best reason to give in a down economy is because that's when it does the most good.

The same slump that makes it harder for some to keep up their charitable giving makes it harder for others to put food on the table and keep hope in their lives. Hard times strain families at every seam. Charitable giving helps keep them from coming apart.