Now in its tenth year, Giving Tuesday is a global campaign that encourages individuals and businesses alike to act to support good causes.
This year’s event is set to take place on November 30th, so now is the perfect time to start planning how Giving Tuesday can play a part in your Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday began in the USA in 2012 and takes place each year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. That means it comes right after the unbridled consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are now as much a part of British life as they are American.
The first UK Giving Tuesday took place in 2014, and since then it has grown and grown. Last year was the campaign’s most successful ever, with $2.47 billion raised in the US and £20.2 million in the UK.
This year’s theme is “BounceBack for #GivingTuesday”, as the movement looks to help get charities, voluntary organisations and the people they serve back on their feet after more than 18 hard months of Covid-19.
Businesses and charities alike are encouraged to become official partners of the campaign – and more than 3,900 have done so already.
How to integrate Giving Tuesday into your CSR and Social Value Strategies
With events happening in more than 60 countries worldwide, and over 360 million impressions on Twitter #GivingTuesday last year, Giving Tuesday is a fantastic opportunity to highlight corporate volunteering, charity, CSR and Social Value achievements and initiatives.
It’s a chance to let the world know what your business is doing and to thank your employees for their efforts in a context of global celebration.
Indeed, Giving Tuesday’s ethos dovetails precisely with the spirit that drives CSR. It advocates “radical generosity”:
“Generosity not as a benevolence that the haves show to the have-nots but rather an expression of mutuality, solidarity, and reciprocity.”
To make the most of this opportunity:
- Sign up as a Giving Tuesday partner
It’s free, your logo will be backlinked from their website and you’ll be sent materials and campaign updates as the big day approaches.
Take a look at partner stories on their site for inspiration, like this one from Natwest.
- Partner with causes that reflect your values and what you have to offer
Assess where you want to make a difference and what your people can contribute – whether it’s money, time, expertise or even just publicity.
- Here’s a blog we wrote a little while ago on how to align your corporate responsibility strategy to issues and themes.
- And here’s a link to Giving Tuesday’s amazing diagram, pictured below.
- Communicate internally, to boost employee engagement
Your employees are your best advocates, so make sure they are bought into spreading the word. As the world begins to get back to normal after Covid-19, Giving Tuesday 2021 is a chance to reinforce the employee engagement agenda of your CSR programme by celebrating and thanking them for their efforts.
- Plan your media outreach to raise public awareness
Giving Tuesday UK has made it easy for you to tap into the movement’s massive reach – #GivingTuesday trended on Twitter all day last year and is likely to do so again – with plenty of resources, including:
- Model press releases
- Social media post templates
- Hashtags to use
- Ideas for activities
This has been an exceptional year, with many organisations going above and beyond to help their communities and good causes under very trying circumstances. Giving Tuesday is an ideal opportunity to celebrate everything your business and your staff have done since the start of the crisis. But remember: keep the focus on the impact, the cause, and your employees. The story is not about you!
- Numbers speak louder than words
If there’s one thing any PR person will tell you, it’s that numbers make a bigger impression than words. So quantify your activities for maximum impact:
- # of pounds raised or value of services given
- # of hours donated
- # of people helped
- Etc
This is also the language that shareholders and directors will want to hear when you report back on your accomplishments as part of your annual report process. So turning those stories into figures is a double win!
If collecting and interpreting the data from your CSR and volunteering activities is proving a challenge, drop us a line to find out how Thrive can help.
Tools to help your Giving Tuesday succeed
Giving Tuesday UK has made lots of materials available, but if you’re looking for more inspiration check out some of the American resources we’ve selected for you – along with some other helpful tools and organisations.
- Resources for business from Giving Tuesday
- Social media 2021 assets
- Giving Tuesday resources from the USA
- Classy’s Giving Tuesday resource centre (for non-profits, but relevant to businesses)
- CAF (UK Giving Tuesday campaign co-ordinator) business resources
- LM3 – Online resource for calculating your impact in a geographical area
- Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability – professional organisation for CSR
We’d love to hear what you’ve got in store for Giving Tuesday this year, so if you’ve got something special planned please follow Thrive on LinkedIn and tell us about it!
