In the spirit of the season, a group of committed volunteers is building a new Thanksgiving holiday tradition: Giving Day. The spirit behind Giving Day is to encourage Americans to make a giving commitment on Thanksgiving, and on the day after, and follow through with a contribution of money, time or goods to a nonprofit organization of their choice.

        “The message of Giving Day is simple: Give thanks, then give,” says Tod Hill, founder and principal organizer. “It's a way to channel the compassionate response to Sept. 11 into an ongoing commitment to support the community institutions that make our way of life possible.”

        The Giving Day Web site, at www.givingday.org, provides a straightforward, step-by-step approach to celebrating Giving Day. It includes Giving Resources with direct links to directories where people can find a nonprofit with issues of importance to them. The Web site also suggests practical Giving Day strategies for getting the word out, including sample e-mails and downloadable posters to help people spread the word.

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