The third annual #GivingTuesday will be celebrated on December 2, and celebrities and partners are rallying behind the growing movement of social giving.
Supporters include actors/activists Edward Norton and Hugh Jackman, actor-mompreneur Jessica Alba, fashion mogul Kenneth Cole and Golden State Warriors’ basketball star Stephen Curry, each of whom offered comments on their participation in this global celebration of giving back:
Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company will be fundraising for FoodCorps in support of healthier foods in elementary schools nationwide.
“Part of creating a safer, healthier future for our children includes fostering a lasting, healthy relationship with food,” said Alba. “With so many of our holiday traditions centering on food and cooking, it felt like a perfect time to make a commitment to nutrition education with FoodCorps. We hope everyone will join us in sharing fun, healthy recipes that can not only improve their family’s health but also improve the lives of thousands of kids nationwide.”
“For more than 30 years our brand has addressed not only what our customers look like on the outside, but who they are on the inside,” said Kenneth Cole, “and not just what they stand in but what they stand for. This year for #GivingTuesday we are asking fans to take action to end homelessness as a reminder this holiday season that there are too many people who would love to be in your shoes.”
On #GivingTuesday, Kenneth Cole is asking people to read and sign the petition asking the federal government to continue funding the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program, as part of the company’s larger Look Good, for Good program, which supports projects of the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti, HELP USA and the Sundance Institute.
Hugh Jackman, whose Laughing Man Worldwide donates 100 percent of its profits to Projects for All, said, “The holidays are, first and foremost, about goodwill and compassion. That’s why #GivingTuesday is a great way to not just remember that but live it as well.”
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who leads a season-long Three for Three Challenge to support the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, plans to Gift a Net in honor of each of his teammates, sending lifesaving nets to families in sub-Saharan Africa.
“#GivingTuesday reminds us that we can all have an impact on the world,” said Curry. “I cannot help but think about the parents I met in Tanzania who just want to protect their children from malaria. A $10 bed net makes all the difference.”
Other celebrities who have pledged to join or support the movement include:
• Jon Bon Jovi Soul Food Foundation
• Katherine McNamara, Girl Up’s SchoolCycle Campaign
• Maria Shriver's A Woman’s Nation Foundation
• Queen Latifah and the Queen Latifah Show (queenlatifah.com)
• Trey Songz’s Angels With Heart Foundation
• Jo Frost, Global Advocate, Shot@Life campaign
Partners continue to join the global movement of giving and generosity, and are expected to announce #GivingTuesday plans up through December 2. Some of the latest companies, organizations and interests to declare their support include:
• This year, After-School All-Stars is raising support for afterschool programs and camps that make a difference for its kids all year long with #UNselfies to be shared on #GivingTuesday and throughout the holiday season. The organization is also teaming up with corporate partners such as Fox Sports in Ohio, San Diego, and Florida and Westime Watches to promote #GivingTuesday and a general year-end appeal through in-game media promotion, phone-a-thons and social media support.
• Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. has been a #GivingTuesday partner since 2012. This year for #GivingTuesday the foundation is launching a fundraising campaign and sharing seven stories that reflect the impact of its work in Asia and Africa: a small child learning far from school; community groups pooling their savings; microfinance lending in Cote d’Ivoire and more. These stories are supplemented by #HowISeeChange stories that colleagues in Asia and Africa have shared to inspire #GivingTuesday donors to share how they, too, see change.
• Powered by data from Gallup’s World View World Poll and commissioned by the Charitable Aid Foundation (CAF) America, the World Giving Index report is being released ahead of the annual “Giving Tuesday” – a celebration of worldwide philanthropy held every year after Thanksgiving in order to help the movement to analyze data ahead of and after December 2, 2014. The World Giving Index is the largest study ever conducted of charitable behavior around the globe and ranks nations on three variables: charitable giving, volunteering and willingness to help others. The United States is the only country ranked in the top ten across all three variables. Scores were calculated from Gallup data collected across 135 countries representing 95 percent of the world’s population as well as International Monetary Fund data on GDP.
• Camp Kesem, a nonprofit organization supporting children through and beyond a parent’s cancer, will launch its #HelpCampKesem photo campaign at 62 collegiate chapters nationwide. On December 2, Camp Kesem’s passionate college students will operate on-campus photo booths, inviting fellow students to take and share photos using the #GivingTuesday and #HelpCampKesem hashtags to inspire their peers to give back and help extend Camp Kesem services to more children nationwide.
• Clear Channel Outdoor strives to be a responsible member of the communities it serves by taking a proactive role in making those neighborhoods better places to live. Leading up to December 2, 2014, Clear Channel Outdoor will amplify the #GivingTuesday message on its digital billboards in Times Square, and across its digital out-of-home media network. This in turn will help create a greater awareness for giving back to charities and ultimately influence a powerful societal change by inspiring citizens to make a difference within their own communities.
• CVS Health will recognize its colleagues’ spirit of volunteerism and support the inspirational community-based work being done by nonprofits nationwide on #GivingTuesday. As part of its campaign, CVS Health is inviting colleagues to nominate a charity in their local communities for which they volunteer for a grant from the CVS Health Foundation. In response to the overwhelming success of last year’s #GivingTuesday campaign, this year the foundation is more than doubling its commitment and will award a total of $100,000 to 50 organizations nationwide.
• Dress for Success and Fergie Footwear have teamed up once again to turn #GivingTuesday into #GivingShoesDay, when women are encouraged to donate their professional women’s shoes to their closest Dress for Success affiliate to help get the disadvantaged women of their communities back to work. The top 10 individual shoe donors throughout the world will receive a complimentary pair of limited holiday-edition Raegan heels from Fergie Footwear, and the brand will also donate a gift of new shoes to the three Dress for Success affiliates that collect the most total shoe donations, meaning that when a woman donates her shoes, she’s doing double good.
• The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) is doing whatever it takes to reach moms, babies and their families who need lifesaving HIV care and treatment the most. The organization is fundraising to gain more resources to ensure families, no matter where they live, have access to these lifesaving tools. This #GivingTuesday, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar, bringing us two times closer to making an AIDS-free generation a reality!
• Ellevate is a global professional women’s network dedicated to the success and economic engagement of women. Ellevate’s community is made up of tens of thousands of successful, motivated and passionate professional women who believe that investing in themselves and in other women is good business. Ellevate will use its social media and digital presence to encourage its community to support #GivingTuesday by giving back. On December 2, Ellevate’s President, Ally McDonald, will host a live webinar on the topic of Effective Giving.
• The Family Dinner Project’s mission is to inspire families to enjoy food, fun and conversation together. It need not be fancy; the point, in fact, is to return to a simpler and more meaningful way of being. The Family Dinner Project will formally kick off #familydinnerforward on #GivingTuesday December 2, an initiative to inspire families to give—within the family to one another and/or to those outside the family. To participate, simply snap a dinner/giving-related photo and share it via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #familydinnerforward.
• Fazoli’s: Quick-service Italian restaurant Fazoli’s wants you to join the #GivingTuesday movement this year and help Feed the Children while feeding your family! Join them for $5.99 All You Can Eat Spaghetti on December 2nd at participating Fazoli’s restaurants and $1 from your meal goes to Feed the Children. Follow Fazoli’s on social media for more ways to give back and do good for those in need!
• Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company is teaming up with FoodCorps to bring nutrition education and healthier foods to elementary schools nationwide. In honor of #GivingTuesday and to kick off the holiday season, The Honest Company will provide 4,000 children with cooking and gardening lessons and support to get healthier foods into their school cafeterias. Throughout December, the Honest Company will share healthy, kid-friendly recipes from FoodCorps on social media, and for every share, re-pin and like received, it will donate $2, providing another month of nutrition education to a child served by FoodCorps. The Honest Company has also challenged FoodCorps to raise $25,000 for #GivingTuesday, offering to match with an additional $25,000.
• In partnership with #GivingTuesday, Jefferson Awards Foundation (JAF) will launch its first-ever #1for70 campaign. Starting on #GivingTuesday, JAF guarantees that for every $15,000 raised through the end of the year, the foundation will accomplish more than $1 million of youth-led community impact. JAF engages the nation in millions of hours of public service, and trains, activates and celebrates the achievements of Americans ages 5-105.
• On #GivingTuesday, the kids at Jeremy’s Heroes will be giving joy to housebound elderly residents in their community. The kids are hard at work writing letters and drawing pictures that will be included with the residents’ meal deliveries this holiday season. Jeremy’s Heroes, named for 9/11 hero Jeremy Grack, teaches the importance of teamwork, leadership and discipline both on and off the athletic field.
• The Jimmy Fund solely supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's lifesaving mission to conquer cancer in adults and children. As part of #GivingTuesday, the Jimmy Fund will share inspiring patient stories and will ask its supporters for financial contributions to further research patient-care initiatives and, ultimately, create a world without cancer. The fund raised nearly $200,000 in 2013 connected to #GivingTuesday and hopes to raise even more in 2014.
• National Geographic will focus its #GivingTuesday efforts on helping to save lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards and other big cats, many of which are facing extinction in the wild. Through the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative, a comprehensive program supporting on-the-ground conservation projects, education and a global public awareness campaign, we can help restore big cat populations and habitats, ensuring long term survival for these majestic animals. More information is available at causeanuproar.org.
• On #GivingTuesday Ronald McDonald House Charities is launching a national campaign that asks people to help families stay together, close to their hospitalized child by donating $25 to Ronald McDonald House Charities and talking about their support using the social media hashtag #forRMHC. A mother’s kiss. A child’s smile. By donating a gift from December 2 to December 31, supporters make everyday-family moments possible at Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms around the world. Gifts of togetherness help strengthen families during difficult times.
• StumbleUpon, 5by and its employees are thrilled to support #GivingTuesday this December 2. As a partner for this year’s movement, StumbleUpon and 5by will leverage its platforms, apps, official blog and social media outlets in order to draw attention to the important role this day plays in allowing people, brands and organizations to uniquely support any charity or cause in any fashion they choose.
• Studio Design is extremely excited to support #GivingTuesday this year. Studio Design helps anyone show support for a cause by allowing them to remix the cause’s design with their own photos. For #GivingTuesday, studio design will leverage new design techniques to help make the #UNselfie photo become something that is easily sharable via various social networks.
• 2014 has seen an unprecedented number of crises around the world, affecting more than 50 million people. Men, women and children have fled their homes due to violence and war that arrived on their doorsteps. This year for #GivingTuesday, USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is partnering with CrowdRise and celebrity supporter Kat Graham to raise money for Refugees as the cold months approach and needs skyrocket for more blankets, tents and warm foods.
• TOMS – in response to the growing number of refugees around the world, TOMS is partnering with #GivingTuesday this year to raise funds for USA for UNHCR and our work together. For every $75 purchase or more on #GivingTuesday, $5 will go toward the life-saving work of the UN Refugee Agency. And don’t forget – TOMS matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes for a child in need, every day of the year. One for One.
For a complete list of #GivingTuesday partners, click here.
