It appears that nowadays, “Black November” typically begins the day after Halloween and continues well into January with post-holiday sales. When exactly did we transition from Black Friday and Cyber Monday to an entire month of relentless advertising for sales and deals of a lifetime? The season has genuinely become a Frankensteinian amalgamation of holidays and aggressive consumerism.
That is why I want to discuss the ongoing relevance of Giving Tuesday.
This year, more than ever, Giving Tuesday stands out as a poignant reminder of what truly matters to many of us: It is an excellent opportunity to support causes near and dear to our hearts, causes that align with our values. In the case of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, that means supporting our work to protect fundamental freedoms, strengthening our democracy, and fighting for the right to live as ourselves and believe as we choose without governmental interference, as long as we don’t harm others.
Given the current political climate, this year, more so than in the past, Giving Tuesday serves as a powerful reminder that we can collectively join a day of affirmation, recognizing that charitable giving truly makes a difference. Let’s redirect our attention away from personal consumption and invest in Americans United as the vehicle that will fight to preserve our democratic future and preserve our civil rights within the framework of the separation of church and state. There is no more critical time than today to support organizations like Americans United in defending religious freedom and the separation of church and state from governmental overreach.
As you start mulling over the holidays, and everything you need to do, how much to buy for your friends and family, I urge you to consider Americans United as you think about a gift during Giving Tuesday. For almost 80 years, Americans United has been the preeminent organization defending and protecting one fundamental principle that many of us took for granted in this country: the free exercise of religion, and that the government must remain neutral in matters of faith. As we have all seen over the past ten months, we can no longer take this concept for granted. It is under attack day in and day out. It is disheartening to see how many institutions, universities, and businesses are preemptively acquiescing to the current administration. Your support of Americans United has never been more vital or more needed.
As a nonpartisan organization, Americans United is dedicated to upholding the principle of church-state separation apart from politics. While colleges, law firms and large businesses may waver, Americans United remains firm, fighting for this principle so that all of us can live as our authentic selves, choosing to live under the precepts of a given faith or not – without governmental interference.
This Giving Tuesday, your donation to Americans United will not only be a charitable gift, but also a genuine investment in preserving democracy itself. As we close 2025, you will hear more in the coming weeks about our legal victories, about the massive work that our Public Policy team achieves quietly, mainly behind the scenes. You will hear about our grassroots work, and about innovative ways our Communications Department is getting the message out to new and more diverse audiences. Our colleagues in the programmatic division give me hope, and they are the reason behind the work we do in Development.
On Dec. 2, I urge you to take a concrete step to fight the challenges we currently face. They are real and they are growing. This Giving Tuesday, join us in celebrating the spirit of generosity with an act of civil engagement: Your gift will truly fuel the fight to preserve our constitutional principles. As I have heard many grandmothers say, “I can’t believe we are still fighting after all these years.”
May your gift be the spark that ignites a beacon of hope, so that our children and many generations thereafter can enjoy the same protection we once took for granted. Please join me in taking a stance by making a gift to Americans United.
