Will donating to charity ever be as popular as shopping during the holiday season?

A partnership of nonprofits hopes so.

Several Northern Virginia nonprofits are among those using their websites and social media to kick off the first ever Giving Tuesday. See the full list of participating Virginia-based nonprofits here.

A follow-up to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, national and local organizations are asking residents to give back on Tuesday. 

The Giving Tuesday website says the effort, coming on the heels of several days devoted to consumerism, is designed "to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations."

The effort includes the Twitter hashtag #GivingTuesday, designed to help spread the word.

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