For the last four months I've been working with non-profit leaders in Inland Valley California as preparation for the annual 24-hour campaign Give BIG San Bernardino County. Last year, the campaign raised nearly $550,000 for local agencies through 2,465 unique donors making 3,533 donors. Give Big will kick off at 12:00 midnight on December 1st through 11:59pm.

The rise in #MobileGiving, has increased the use of 'hashtags' by groups seeking to generate support from like-minded individuals around the globe. Clicking on the hashtags inside Twitter allows you to see Tweets by other individuals and groups using it. To build synergy, Give Big planned its campaign around #GivingTuesday, a national promotion among U.S. charities. Hashtags such as #WhyIGive and #NonProfitLove have also gained popularity.

The largest giving day is just before the New Year on December 28th, when individuals are thinking more about tax write-offs than personal consumption. Thus, an engaged social media manager will continue to promote their Give Big fundraising campaign beyond December 1.

Looking into 2016, hashtags popular in January and February include: #MLKDay, #WorldWetlandsDay, #WorldCancerDay, #1BillionRising, #WorldWhaleDay, #SocialJusticeDay, #WorldSpayDay, #WorldNGODay, and #RareDiseaseDay -- more opportunities to connect with global givers.