Now in its fifth year, #GivingTuesday is becoming as much of an institution as its surrounding seasonal shopping events – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – intended to kick off the charitable season, recognizing that many brands and consumers alike look to the end of the year for their giving efforts.

Founded by 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, #GivingTuesday rallies, organizes and amplifies the philanthropic efforts of over 30, 000 organizations worldwide. The intent? To encourage and amplify small acts of kindness from giving donations, time or resources by harnessing the power of social media and people’s innate generosity to create real positive change in their communities. From small, local businesses to large multi-nationals such as Google, H&M and The Guardian, companies are developing creative executions and expressions for how their brands get involved and make an impact.

Why are we seeing leading brands participate in this movement? Here are just a few reasons:

Image: GivingTuesday.org.