Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the last decade, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Now, more than 90 countries get involved with Giving Tuesday, raising billions of pounds, with millions of people getting involved.
With October now upon us, we know many of our members will already be planning their festive campaigns. December, and the lead up to Christmas, is a time when giving and generosity is celebrated perhaps even more than usual.
For some, it can be a time of year that generates significant income – through people making donations in memory of loved ones no longer with us, buying charity Christmas cards to send to their friends and family, and purchasing gifts from online or high street charity shops.
With Giving Tuesday falling on Tuesday 3 December, it really is the perfect time to kick start your Christmas giving campaign. And while it may “only” be October – at eight weeks away, Giving Tuesday really is just round the corner.
This year we are aiming to make Giving Tuesday as accessible as possible with our theme of Give Your Way – we know that not everyone is in a position to donate cash right now, but they may be able to donate items of clothing, books, household goods to their local charity shop, or donate a gift to a Christmas present campaign, or generously donate their time by volunteering with a cause close to their heart.
The smallest ripple can often create the biggest wave, and it is our hope that if someone decides to volunteer for the first time or support a charity on Giving Tuesday, it could lead to a lifelong connection to their chosen charity. We will be using both #GivingTuesday and #GiveYourWay in our social media posts in the lead up to the day.
Giving Tuesday is so unique, because it is owned by each and every charity that chooses to get involved – it is an unbranded campaign, and you are encouraged to personalise your activities, branding and logos to make Giving Tuesday the best it can be for your organisation and cause.
You can find further information and advice in this year’s Giving Tuesday Toolkit. The toolkit contains sample emails, social media posts, press releases, links to graphics, images, gifs and more.
On Thursday 31 October the Chartered Institute of Fundraising will host a Giving Tuesday webinar for our members, where I will be joined by Kait Sheridan, Global Director at Giving Tuesday, Birce Altay, Director of the Europe Hub at Giving Tuesday and Fiona Baxter, Giving Strategy and Programmes Manager at NatWest Bank, which was one of our Giving Tuesday founding partners.
You will be able to hear about the history of Giving Tuesday, the work the Chartered Institute is doing, how you can get involved, and how NatWest could contribute to your generated income for the day. This webinar is open to all members, and you can sign up here. We hope to see you there.