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SAVE THE DATE! GivingTuesday is November 29th 2016

Every year we write a post about GivingTuesday. We will continue to write about this wonderful initiative until every man, woman, child and business is participating to the best of their abilities, in their own way, in their own town!

GivingTuesday has become increasingly popular across 71 countries in just a few years and continues a steady but slow growth in Quebec.

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GivingTuesday donations on CanadaHelps.org have increased 302% since 2012 before GivingTuesday was introduced. Other online processors (Blackbaud, Frontstream, Classy, Mobile Giving Foundation Canada) also report significant donation lifts.  [Source: 2015 Giving Tuesday Highlights]

However, many people outside the non-profit world still do not know about the movement and those who know it may not fully know how to maximise it.

This article is dedicated to those who want to do good, do better and be great.

If you’re not familiar with GivingTuesday, it’s a global day of giving that began in 2012. Just as Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the holiday shopping season, GivingTuesday is the opening day of the giving season.

Charitable donations are just one way that people get involved for GivingTuesday; volunteering and other forms of giving are an important part of the annual event with individuals, families, and work colleagues getting behind numerous creative initiatives.

Leading by example

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Phil has been volunteering for GivingTuesday for several years now, including donating an entire year of services to the Missing Children’s Network, as well as time spent volunteering at Chez Doris and the Miriam Home for people with intellectual deficiencies.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see what we get up to this year!

If you would like to be featured in our follow up article, email us to tell us about how you will be celebrating GivingTuesday this year. We’d love to hear from you!

How to get involved

1] Do Good

Through GivingTuesday, individuals and families can get behind their favourite cause and do even more good by getting friends and loved ones involved.

You can give to the charity of your choice, find somewhere to volunteer, fundraise for a charity you care about, or make the GT pledge and share it to your social media channels to encourage others to do the same!

2] Do Better

If you’re a charity looking to boost donations (who isn’t?!) just sign up as a partner and use Giving Tuesday to increase donations, get more volunteers, raise awareness and highlight just how YOU make a difference.

Simply create your GivingTuesday profile and activate the Donate Now button on your profile to link directly to your donate page. Don’t worry, if you don’t have online donations set up for your organization, you can connect through your charitable registration number and use the built-in donation form (powered by CanadaHelps). You can also add a featured image and video to appear above your profile so be sure to have something catchy!

3] Be Great

Here’s the part that’s not always easy for organizations: develop a headline and activity (or event) that you have planned for Giving Tuesday. This is the hook that will draw people in an get them excited about supporting your cause.

Dans La Rue organized “The 500 Socks Challenge” for GivingTuesday. Check out their story here.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) also launched GivingTuesday and supported the global movement with a campaign to recognize the support and impact of all kinds of donors. The UBC campaign reached their community, brought in new donors and raised more than $10,000 on GivingTuesday. Their PDF case study is available for download here.

Feed Nova Scotia had phenomenal success on GivingTuesday, far exceeding expectations. Using a matching donation from Sobey’s and a couple of adorable twins to promote the matching idea, they received 20 times more donations compared to a typical day in December, raising a total of more than $100,000 on GivingTuesday. Read more here.

Be seen, be heard

Campaigns wouldn’t be the same without a strong PR presence. GivingTuesday global partner Havas PR has created an incredible resource – a detailed, step-by-step guide to maximize engagement with the public, press and influencers with your GivingTuesday campaign.

Check out this complete guide to everything you need to know to make the most of GivingTuesday.

Companies

kf-unselfie-2015There are lots of ways that small businesses, corporations and brands can get involved. GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to do more for the causes you support and engage employees and your community. It’s as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register as a GivingTuesday Partner
  2. Plan an Activity
  3. Connect with your community

The ToolKit for Business (PDF) is a great way to get started, with tips, ideas and more to maximize your involvement.

Opportunities abound

Need inspiration?

You can always reach out to our team if you’re looking for creative, strategic support but GivingTuesday.ca also offers lots of toolkits, guides, webinars and other resources to help you make the most of GivingTuesday. Click here to access the Tools for Charities.

Here are a few great ideas to get you started:

  • Drive incremental donations using a matching gift
  • Partner with a local business
  • Recruit new volunteers or engage current volunteers
  • Ask your supporters to share #UNSELFIE images on social media
  • Recognize donors, volunteers, staff and supporters

Not ready to venture out on your own? Join a Civic Movement or Group. Civic groups rally across Canada and engaged their communities in creative and inspiring ways, find out what’s happening in your area!


Doing good has never been so easy! We hope you’ll take some of the tips in this article and go forth and do some good! Don’t forget, if you would like to be featured in our follow up article, email us to tell us about how you will be celebrating GivingTuesday this year. We’d love to hear from you!