“The most wonderful time of the year”? Not so much. For most Americans, the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is more like the loneliest, most stressful time of the year: A 2021 study found that 3 out of 5 Americans feel their mental health negatively affected by the holidays. That’s a lot of people who need someone to just listen to them—and who may not have anyone in their lives to do so. 

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 to counteract the spending of Black Friday and Cyber Monday with philanthropic giving to charities in need of support.