#givingtuesday reminds us it’s better to give than to receive

Do we really need another charity giving campaign? We’ve just had the hyped-up shopping binges of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and now today we have a new online campaign to encourage people to give their time and money to good causes under the #givingtuesday banner. When told about the #givingtuesday campaign yesterday, a colleague of mine (who shall remain nameless) wasn’t exactly enthusiastic. His comments were along the lines of: “What’s that? Sounds rubbish. It’s like a charity guilt-trip to make us feel bad about buying stuff at Christmas.” Perhaps not the best response from someone working in the third sector, but it does show that not only does #givingtuesday still have a bit to go in terms of wider public awareness, it also has a bit of a PR mountain to climb at this time of year when we get dozens of different charity appeal letters through our doors and donor fatigue is high. But it’s not about making people feel guilty about spending money on their loved ones. Unless of course you were one of the people trampling fellow shoppers to the ground on Black Friday. It’s about encouraging people to take a step back from the materialistic frenzy that we’ve somehow been convinced is an essential part of Christmas, and giving something back – and not necessarily money. It’s all about showing support for charities in all sorts of ways, including voicing support and volunteering.

Donations from the public rose by a huge £270m in the last three years

But donations from individuals and their support of charities’ work have never been so important. Last month SCVO research found that donations from the public rose by a huge £270m in the last three years, despite wages rising more slowly than inflation and the cost of food and heating our homes spiraling ever upward. This generosity has allowed charities to keep on doing their valuable work at a time when demand for their services has never been higher. For charities #givingtuesday is a great way to set aside competing with one another for donors and get behind a joint campaign to raise awareness and vital funds. Most importantly, the aim is to create a feel-good buzz around giving, and make it fun for people to support a good cause.