This quote from Margaret Mead sums up Giving Tuesday for me; knowing the power that comes from a small group of committed people.
Now imagine that small group became millions of people - that is exactly what Giving Tuesday aims to do – inspire, encourage, support and celebrate people coming together to make amazing things happen.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that celebrates giving in all its forms, be it volunteering, donating, sharing, organising or campaigning.
It’s a perfect opportunity for funders to talk about why they give, share the impact their giving has through their beneficiaries or engage their employees.
What started in America in 2012 as a counterpoint to the well-known shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday falls after Thanksgiving, so this year it’s on December 3rd.
It harnesses the power of social media to inspire millions of people across the world to celebrate the charities and communities that mean so much to us all.
Charities Aid Foundation and Giving Tuesday
When Giving Tuesday began in 2012, the Charities Aid Foundation watched with growing interest as it grew in the US and we began to ask if it could take hold on this side of the Atlantic.
In 2014 CAF decided to give the campaign its full backing in the UK and became an official global partner.
With CAF’s support, this day dedicated to giving now has thousands of partners across the charities and businesses and enjoys support from celebrities and decision makers alike.
CAF’s mission is to transform lives and communities around the world – a perfect fit with Giving Tuesday’s goal of celebrating and encouraging giving; helping charities and those who support them to give their time, money or their voice to the causes they care about.
Giving Tuesday in 2019
Giving Tuesday now runs in over 60 countries and is an incredible opportunity for charities to engage with current and new donors and for funders to maximise their giving and reinforce the importance of the works that charities do, day in, day out, all over the world.
Getting involved
Funders can choose from a range of activities for getting involved in Giving Tuesday.
They can engage on social media by promoting the work that charity partners do, the impact they have and any special requests for Giving Tuesday. It’s easy to do, just share or send a post from your own social media accounts using the hashtag #GivingTuesday and tagging both the charity you are promoting and @givingtuesdayUK so we can share too.
Giving Tuesday trends on Twitter every year and the campaign is mentioned hundreds of times in the national and local media and is used by celebrities and influencers to promote their favourite causes.
As millions of people get involved in the Giving Tuesday buzz each year, are you keen to join the conversation?
You and your team can get involved by volunteering your time, sharing your skills or offering to fund capacity building that will help charities engage with Giving Tuesday and improve their campaigning.
You can give a donation as part of Giving Tuesday, which holds the world record for the most money donated online in 24 hours. Last year over £7.8 million was donated online in the UK on the day. Data from our American partners also reassures us that donations on Giving Tuesday do not take away from the amounts given at other times of the year – it’s simply a day when people give that little bit more.
If you really want to increase support of a chosen charity, why not offer match-funding for their Giving Tuesday fundraising? This will amplify your funding and give that extra push to supporters who see double the impact of their own donation. London Funders’ member The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge is a fantastic way to get involved.
Giving Tuesday is unique
One of the best things about Giving Tuesday is that it has no owner, it belongs to all of the organisations who chip in and get involved. It’s free to join and always will be. At CAF, we provide logos and branding for you to use and make your own! We also have helpful resources and guides to help with things such as match-funding or making the most of social media.
In short – it’s all about celebrating generosity; an opportunity to shout from the rooftops about what charities do and how they changing lives each and every day. I hope you’ll join us in making this world of difference.
