#GivingTuesday 2014 Rallies Thousands of Networks, People and Organizations to Celebrate and Catalyze the Power of Giving

Global supporters and partners today launched a “save the date” marking December 2 as the third annual #GivingTuesday. This unique holiday brings together worldwide partners to celebrate giving.  As part of the global “save the date,” a first tranche of partner announcements kicked off a drumbeat of creative ways that people and organizations getting involved.  Last year #GivingTuesday again proved the power of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities when they give back.  In 2013, statistics showed an increase in online giving and a surge in the number of partners who rallied to make the day a success.  This year, as partners from around the world support the global movement, #GivingTuesday is transforming the way that people think about the giving season with a global call to “get out the give.” Online tools, social media toolkits, webinars and a new interactive website make it easy for people to get involved, share their stories and tips, and highlight a global call to action for partners everywhere.

#GivingTuesday : History in the Making

#GivingTuesday kicked off the holiday giving season with a global day dedicated to charitable giving, following the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The worldwide movement harnesses the power of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities and celebrates the power of giving in all its forms.

Launched by New York’s 92nd Street Y, in partnership with the UN Foundation in 2012, #GivingTuesday first brought together 2,500+ organizations from all 50 U.S. states in its first year, when it was covered by major media and local outlets throughout the U.S.  In 2013 #GivingTuesday continued to gain momentum, with 10,000 partners in the US and 46 countries around the world. According to data from Blackbaud, the volume of online donations has increased 270% since the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in 2011 (before #GivingTuesday began).

More Tools and More Success in 2014

This year, #GivingTuesday expands on its connected learning initiatives, providing additional tools and learning opportunities for partner organizations.

Beginning in July, #GivingTuesday partners can participate in more than a dozen interactive educational webinars hosted by a range of partner organizations, including Blackbaud, Indiegogo, Jewish Community Centers of North America, Salsa Labs, Social Media for NonProfits, and VolunteerMatch.  These webinars continue through the end of the year; they are designed to share best practices and provide partner organizations with tools and information to maximize the impact of their #GivingTuesday initiatives.

Also beginning in July, #GivingTuesday offers a new six-part on-demand video series, #GivingTuesday Summer School, specifically created to help smaller and mid-size nonprofits address challenges like limited resources, visibility, infrastructure and staffing. Experts and thought leaders in branding, digital strategy, fundraising and more help to prepare organizations for #GivingTuesday and offer strategies for conducting successful fundraising campaigns throughout the year.  Each Summer School session features one or more experts who will also be available to answer questions and work directly with #GivingTuesday partners during designated weekly Office Hours.

This year new apps will also make giving easier. Points of Light, one of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to volunteer service, will create a free Facebook app for #GivingTuesday partners to showcase their initiatives.  This app will allow #GivingTuesday partners to promote opportunities to volunteer with their organizations through Facebook.  This app will encourage Facebook followers to pledge their time and will make it easy for them to share their pledges on social media.

#GivingTuesday continues to work closely with expert organizations such as CECP, Charity Navigator, Network for Good, Global Giving, and Guidestar to share best practices and help organizations around the world learn how to better executive campaigns and measure success.
#GivingTuesday Partners and Projects

All around the world partners large and small, for-profit or nonprofit, family foundations and family- owned businesses, are planting the seeds now and getting ready to watch them grow into successful #GivingTuesday campaigns. These organizations are developing innovative strategies to encourage their employees, customers and constituents – as well as the general public – to give back.  Early examples of #GivingTuesday partners initiatives include:

• • Appirio Inc. – This year, Appirio brings its Silver Lining Program, its company-wide day of service, to #GivingTuesday. On December 2, all 1,000 Appirio employees are encouraged to step away from work and spend the entire day serving in their communities around the world.

• • Coty – Coty Inc., a global leader in beauty, joins #GivingTuesday for the first time this year.  As the founding corporate sponsor of the largest bone marrow donor center in the world, DKMS-Delete Blood Cancer, Coty looks forward to a #GivingTuesday initiative to inspire action and raise awareness for the fight against blood cancer.

• • The Financial Times – The Financial Times is partnering with #GivingTuesday throughout its 2014/15 Seasonal Appeal, in which a chosen charity (selected in July) is covered in the FT throughout December to raise money and increase awareness. Appeals focus on emerging and innovative charities for whom the funds raised will make a significant difference.  The FT’s support of #GivingTuesday is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, which invests in causes that advance literacy and education, support journalism, the environment and local communities.

• • Hub Culture – On #GivingTuesday Hub Culture, a collaborative social network with a real-world portfolio powered by a digital currency, Ven, is supporting global partners with a donation of 100% of trading margin proceeds from global exchange trading of Ven in the financial markets. As part of the program, Hub Culture will be reaching out to banks, hedge funds and large companies to encourage maximum trading volumes of Ven on the world’s financial exchanges during #GivingTuesday. In addition, Hub Culture members will be able to donate Ven via HubCulture.com, with the USD exchange value of these donations being donated in full to the UN Foundation as part of #GivingTuesday.

• • JCC Association – JCC Association, the umbrella organization for the continental JCC Movement, is excited to support #GivingTuesday, a program that promotes the values embodied in our Statement of Principles. As we assist those who engage with us in leading inspired and involved lives, we encourage them to participate in #GivingTuesday as an antidote to the consumerism associated with the end of the year. JCCs are frequently the conduit through which people connect to other community involvement and Jewish living. It is our hope that this inspiring program will catch on through JCC participation, and encourage people to give back and contribute in ways that enrich both their communities and their lives.

• • Microsoft – As a founding partner of #GivingTuesday and through the campaign, Microsoft YouthSpark has raised nearly $1 million over two years for youth-serving nonprofits from around the world. This year Microsoft will help even more youth by matching donations made through YouthSpark on GlobalGiving, a micro-giving site that enables people to help create education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people.

• • PayPal – PayPal launched the Stamp Out Checks…for GOOD campaign on #GivingTuesday 2013 – encouraging people to make digital donations (instead of writing checks) December 3 – 31 at StampOutChecks.com. PayPal and eBay Inc. are offering a 1% match on every donation received on #GivingTuesday, and throughout the holiday season, while also ensuring that 100% of each donation made through the PayPal giving site reaches the donor’s selected organization. To participate in the campaign, organizations can sign up at PayPal Giving Fund.

• • Salvation Army – The Salvation Army is one of the nation’s oldest and largest social services providers, assisting over 30 million people each year. Its iconic Red Kettle Campaign is in its 124th year, and the season marks the most crucial fundraising period of the year. After a successful #GivingTuesday 2013, The Salvation Army plans to continue to use #GivingTuesday as a pivotal partner in rallying contributions.

#GivingTuesday: The Global and the Local

Last year, with the help of United Nations Development Programme, Pvblic Foundation and other multinational organizations, the #GivingTuesday movement reached countries around the world.  This year, as more countries join in this day of giving, local heroes are embracing new ways to connect with causes.  This year new global #GivingTuesday movements have already launched in:

• • United Kingdom – #GivingTuesdayUK will be led by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), working closely with Blackbaud Europe, the Cabinet Office, and a wide range of charities, companies and participants.

• Brazil – 300,000 non-profits will have the opportunity to take part on the first national version of the Dia de Doar, the local version of #GivingTuesday. Dia de Doar is under the leadership of a group of organizations under an umbrella movement called “For the Culture of Giving”. The Brazilian website for #GivingTuesday will be released in the beginning of August.

These countries will join Australia, Canada, Israel, Latin America, and Singapore, which led their own movements in 2013.

Within the U.S., local causes and municipalities are helping to institutionalize how the movement is reaching their local constituencies.  These civic entities include Oklahoma, which has launched GiveTogetherOK.com (#GTOK); The Northern New Jersey #GivingTuesday 2014 Coalition; The Rollins College Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center in the Orlando area; and  #GivingTuesdayCFL throughout Central Florida.  These cities and states join the ranks of last year’s impressive regional #GivingTuesday movements, including BMoreGivesMore in Baltimore, #GivingTuesdayBucks (Bucks County, PA), #GivingTuesdayPHL (Philadelphia).

The Coordinated Coalitions behind the Movements Success – What will it all mean in 2014?

Social Media Ambassadors: An important element of the movement’s progress has been the dedicated group of #GivingTuesday Social Media Ambassadors (SMA’s). This group of over 3500 grassroots advocates passionately dedicated themselves to the movement by leading global volunteer efforts and collectively creating 1.2 million Facebook likes and 500,000 Tweets (approx. 700 per minute) in just one day.  This year SMA’s continue to power the movement by running volunteer initiatives, taking to social media, telling their stories, and participating in educational webinars leading up to and during the big day.

Communications Corps: Last year, #GivingTuesday launched the first year of its “Communications Corps” – a coalition of communicators, marketers, public relations professionals and digital media experts that came together to support the movement. The collective creative power of the #GivingTuesday “Communications Corps”, resulted in over 1.2 billion media impressions and numerous awards, including a Bronze International Cannes Lions Award, a Sabre, a Bulldog CSR, an AICP Next, and a PR Week Global award. This year, commitments from leading public relations firms and organizations including Edelman, Fenton, Fleishman Hillard, Havas PR, turner4D, Weber Shandwick will debut more creative ways to engage with communities everywhere and leverage the storytelling power of the #GivingTuesday movement. The collective power of the #GivingTuesday “Communications Corps” will create an even greater impact through a huge variety of public relations media and communications channels.  Announcements will be made as more leaders in public relations sign up to the “Communications Corps”.

Media Partnerships: This year #GivingTuesday is also excited to announce a media partnership with Univision and Fusion. Univision and Fusion join #GivingTuesday through their various media platforms as part of the Company’s legacy of service and giving back.  As the leading media company serving Hispanic America, Univision will use its extensive reach to invite the Hispanic community across the country to participate. Fusion is a news, pop culture and satire TV and digital network that engages and champions a young, diverse, and inclusive America. Giving back is a key focus of Fusion’s millennial audience.

For more information, including background, partner information, tools, and updates, please visit www.givingtuesday.org. 

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About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday, December 2, 2014, follows the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, kicking off the holiday giving season with a global day dedicated to charitable giving, harnessing the power of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities.  Now in its third year, #GivingTuesday is a worldwide movement that celebrates the power of giving in all its forms.  This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.  #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a global moment that is dedicated to giving around the world.  #GivingTuesday was founded by 92nd Street Y and is spearheaded in tandem with the support of the United Nations Foundation.
A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation and supported by a core group of founding partners, originally spearheaded this effort. The founding partners in 2012 included Blackbaud, CECP, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Groupon, Kiva, Microsoft, Pvblic Foundation, (RED), and Unilever, United Nations Development Programme, among many others.

Website: www.givingtuesday.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday
Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTues