Turning good intentions into action is the driving force behind Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to encouraging people to support and engage with nonprofit programs.

Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 by dozens of participating nonprofits, including United Way. Held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it’s an alternative to holiday shopping days Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year’s observance is Dec. 1.

At United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, we see Giving Tuesday as a day to educate as well as give. People want to know that their generosity is changing lives in meaningful, measurable ways, so we recently unveiled a scorecard with examples of regional impact like these:

• Early grade reading proficiency for students in area United Way programs has improved 61 percent.
• More than 400 people have seen barriers to employment removed through United Way driven partnerships.
• Thousands of hungry adults and children received a total of 4.2 million pounds of food through United Way supported assistance programs.

Beyond highlighting our impact, United Way is encouraging people to get directly involved. Here are some ways you can do that:

• Make a donation. According to Charity Navigator, about 29 percent of giving to nonprofits occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Information on how to support United Way is available at www.changethestory.org/give. 
• Volunteer for a service project. Local agencies such as Volunteer Kalamazoo (www.volunteerkalamazoo.org) and HandsOn Battle Creek (www.handsonbc.org) connect people with service projects year-round. 
• Use social media to educate others. Individuals can donate a tweet on Twitter or a post on Facebook with a link to their nonprofit organization of choice. 
• Post photos of good deeds on social media. Individuals can post photos showing how they observed Giving Tuesdaywhile holding a sheet of paper with “#GivingTuesday” written on it. Tagging photos with United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region will help create a visual collection of good deeds.
• Share a story. For example, the United Way’s website, www.changethestory.org, is built upon tales of how community partners impact people’s lives.

Ultimately, Giving Tuesday is about giving people hope, opportunity and a future. We invite the entire regional community to become aware, get involved and make a positive impact—on Giving Tuesday and every day.