What is Giving Tuesday?

Perhaps you have heard the term “Giving Tuesday” but are unsure of how to join the movement. Are you aware of how to engage with the day personally but not sure how to participate on a corporate level?

The global day of generosity can be an opportunity to not only do good in your community but also do good in your organization by engaging and connecting your employees to a common cause.

How did Giving Tuesday start?

Giving Tuesday was started to “build a world where generosity is part of everyday life”. Established in 2012 by Henry Timms, executive director of a NY-based community organization, it began as the antithesis of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and, now, marks the beginning of the holiday giving season.

In Timms’ words: "We had this idea. You know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Could you add a day that reversed the trend, that, after all this consumerism, …people would give back [and] engage with the world?" Henry Timms

Timms’ hope was that people, the world over, could make it part of their own holiday tradition. In his vision, people would sit with their kids at the table and talk about: “What are the charities we care about? What are the causes our family stands for? Why is philanthropy important to us?”

But Giving Tuesday does not have to stop at home. Your organization can also make an impact.

When is Giving Tuesday this year?

Giving Tuesday is November 29, 2022.

What is the impact of Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday reported record-breaking giving by millions of people worldwide during the annual Giving Tuesday celebration in 2021.

• 35 million adults in the U.S. participated, a 6% increase over 2020
• $2.7 billion in donations in the U.S., a 9% increase over 2020
• 80 countries and hundreds of cities participated in 2021, more than ever before
• 30% of participants donated goods and 28% of participants volunteered on Giving Tuesday
• Coalition campaigns in the U.S. tapped into the community spirit of Giving Tuesday to host conversations on important issues like supporting domestic violence survivors , combating loneliness in teens , advancing equity in philanthropy

How can I participate in Giving Tuesday?

Many companies have joined the movement by launching giving and volunteering programs. These connect employees to millions of vetted nonprofits and volunteer opportunities; allowing employees to learn about and select charities that serve the causes they care about.

You may already offer employee giving and volunteering programs and Giving Tuesday is a great time to amplify those programs. Consider adding an employer matching program to make your employees’ donations go further. A dollars-for-doers program can encourage employees to give their time as well.

Efforts like these can help your company build a culture of doing good that connects employees with your mission and each other.

How do I launch Giving Tuesday within my organization?

Building an engaging Giving Tuesday campaign, starts with a plan. Determine what resources you will need to efficiently support your employees in their giving.  They may desire the freedom to individually donate or perhaps prefer the company to donate as an organization. Or they may wish to volunteer their time .

Evaluate what tools you will need for the campaign. A giving and volunteering platform, like WizeHive, can help your organization manage your campaign through:

• More efficient giving methods
  • Allow your employees to give any nonprofit organization
  • Enable automatic employer matching
• Less administrative burden
  • Securely vetted nonprofit allows employees to give confidently
  • Donation disbursement means no extra data entry
• Easy tracking and reporting on the effectiveness of your campaign
  • Track donations amount and volunteer hours
  • Report the full impact of your campaign on your community.

Finally, put your plan in action with your tech partner. Get involved, do the work, engage your employees and, together, you can make a difference and create change within your community.

What comes after Giving Tuesday?

While Giving Tuesday is one opportunity to connect your employees to your overall CSR goals, engaging them doesn’t stop here. Use this day to launch your year long employee giving and volunteering programs, and commit to building a culture of engaged employees doing good in their communities.

Ready to start your campaign?

WizeHive can help you build your plan and launch a fully enabled campaign in less than a week. Download our free Giving Tuesday toolkit here and find out how our giving and volunteering platform can help you do more good this giving season.