The Thanksgiving Spirit

Why do we Americans continue to enthusiastically celebrate Thanksgiving year-after-year, risking our lives deep-frying turkey, enduring awkward conversations with Cousin Eddie, watching the NFL's worst teams play meaningless games, and tapping the deepest resources of our digestive system only to be incapacitated and affixed to the couch watching the Lions lose (again) in a manner akin to being awake during surgery? Sure, many of us get the day off as well as the following day that celebrates Capitalism, followed by the day that celebrates the smaller enterprises that fuel Capitalism, followed by the day that celebrates cyber Capitalism. Those from another planet might rightfully suspect that America's true religion is retail therapy.

But there is one day that follows this gluttony of consumerism known as Giving Tuesday (more info here), which would seemingly get the short end of the stick given that it is AFTER everyone has emptied their bank accounts and maxed out their credit cards after elbowing Karen in the face at Wal-Mart to get the latest Beanie Baby, Tickle-Me-Elmo or whatever toy the kids are into these days. Giving Tuesday, however, has exploded since its inception in 2012. Its' first year saw $10M of donations whereas last year saw $400M of donations, a number that is only expected to increase this year.

I think it is fitting of the duality and complexity that is the human experience that self-centered observances lie adjacent to a selfless one. Humans are neither entirely good nor entirely evil and we collectively strive toward the former through acts such as those embodied by Giving Tuesday. It is in the striving that we discover the purpose, meaning and connection that enriches our lives and the lives of those we impact here on Earth. Being a Dark Horse CPA means advocating for the Dark Horse small business but it also means advocating for the Dark Horse people and causes that make the world a better place.

As a company, the striving that we are embarking on is the creation of a Charitable Fund via a Donor Advised Fund. This Fund will enable our Dark Horse CPAs to support the charities and causes that they are passionate about through a Company-level donation matching program. It will also allow them to share these causes with you, the client, to help create positive impact in the world while saving you money on taxes. Last, we will be providing discounts to clients who opt to donate through our Fund. There will be more details on this Fund in a subsequent blog post. Until then, if you have any questions, just ask one of our team members.

This Thanksgiving, we have many things to be grateful for, not the least of which is the opportunity to exercise our agency in leaving the world a better place than we found it. This, my friends, is the Thanksgiving Spirit.

About Dark Horse CPAs

Dark Horse CPAs provides integrated tax, accounting, and CFO services to small businesses and individuals across the U.S. The firm was founded to save small businesses (and their owners) from subpar accounting and tax services and subpar client experiences. These small businesses are Dark Horses among their larger and more well-known competition. Being a Dark Horse CPA means advocating for small businesses by bringing them the tax strategies and accounting insights previously reserved for big business. Get a quote today.