Charities across the state are hoping Cyber Monday shoppers have something left over for Giving Tuesday, a 6-year-old hashtag-driven charity campaign.

The United Nations and the 92nd Street Y in New York City initiated the movement, playing on the naming conventions of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday -- all consumer-driven days for holiday shopping. The idea is to dedicate another day to charities.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southwest Connecticut, which provides support groups for patients and families, says that Giving Tuesday is a golden opportunity for smaller charities that run on shoestring budgets and are staffed mainly by volunteers.

"More than the donations, it's that we want people to know that we are here," says Karen West, who works with the alliance. "It's an opportunity for us to let people know we exist. There are a lot of people who are struggling with mental health conditions, family members of people who have mental health conditions, and they don't know we exist."

Larger charities, like the Salvation Army, also take part in the unofficial holiday.