In the last week before #GivingTuesday, on December 1, businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, families and individuals around the country are making final preparation for a huge variety of activities that encourage and celebrate giving.
A selection of newly announced campaigns for #GivingTuesday 2015 are below:
• Blackbaud: Blackbaud, the leading provider of software and services for the global philanthropic community whose systems process the majority of donations on #GivingTuesday, will continue its tradition of providing key reporting as a proxy to understand the growth and impact of the movement. Blackbaud will supply critical data feeds throughout the day to power the new real-time #GivingTuesday dashboard. The company is also driving various movement-building and philanthropic activities, and hosted the #GivingTuesday: Connected Learning Webinar series to equip supporters. Drawing on over 30 years working with organizations, businesses and consumers in the charitable space, Blackbaud will supply expert commentary on Dec. 1 from #GivingTuesday Command Central, a joint initiative of 92Y, Blackbaud and Microsoft. The group will also ring the NASDAQ opening bell.
• Goodshop: Extend your #GivingTuesday donations through Goodshop.com. Goodshop delivers discounts on all the brands you love and donates a percentage to causes you support. Goodshop.com is working with thousands of retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Macy’s and more to provide shoppers with great coupons and deals that automatically give back. Turn every gift you buy into a gift that gives back. Find out more at Goodshop.com
• The Guardian: Guardian US is supporting #GivingTuesday by donating all advertising inventory on its site on Dec. 1 to six nonprofit organizations focusing on providing relief for those affected by the global refugee crisis—Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Migrant Offshore Aid Station, Oxfam America and Refugees International. Guardian US will also encourage individual giving from readers through promotional activity on #GivingTuesday.
• Havas Health: Paris-based communications group Havas Health has created a #GivingTuesday initiative with an especially personal perspective—it honors Christophe Foultier, a longtime member of the Havas Health family who lost his life at the Bataclan massacre on Friday, Nov. 13. Now the Havas family is reaching out to Christophe’s family: All proceeds from the campaign will go to Christophe’s wife and two children. A website, All4Chris.com, has been created as a central destination where the Havas community can share memories of Christophe, honor him, and donate to his family.
• MSNBC: As #GivingTuesday’s signature media partner, MSNBC will support the day’s mission by providing viewers with stories about the individuals, groups, charities and organizations participating in the global day of giving. MSNBC will provide updates on the actions and the engagement taking place throughout the day and will host a social campaign asking community members how they plan to give www.msnbc.com/giving-tuesday-what-will-you-give.
• Microsoft: Microsoft has equipped 92Y with the technology to turn vast amounts of data into a vivid, real-time picture of the day’s momentum. The company is supporting #GivingTuesday with technology to help the movement have a greater impact. Additionally, Microsoft will promote giving all day in its stores, where shoppers will be able to see the world’s generosity on the #GivingTuesday dashboard. They can also to connect their favorite charities to the company’s Tech for Good program, which helps nonprofits get the technology they need to support the important work they do in their communities.
• PayPal: For the fourth year, PayPal is a lead supporter in the #GivingTuesday movement working closely with charity partners around the globe to encourage people to give back. The company will make donations count more by offering a 1 percent match to all gifts of $10 or more donated through the PayPal Giving Fund on #GivingTuesday and throughout December. And to make #GivingTuesday 2015 memorable, PayPal is aiming to set a new Guinness World Record title for the Most Money Donated Online for Charity in 24 Hours.
• (RED): On Dec. 1 this year, landmarks across the globe will be lit red to mark World AIDS Day and express their support for (RED) and the #GivingTuesday movement. In the U.S., these include the Wrigley Building in Chicago, One World Trade in New York, Seattle’s Great Ferris Wheel, and several buildings in Detroit: First National Building, the Z Parking Deck, One Campus Martius, One Detroit Center and One Woodward. International landmarks that will be lit red include, in London, Wembley Arch, Trafalgar Square and the London Eye; Dublin’s Convention Centre; Toronto’s CN Tower; and the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City.
• Smile Train: As part of this year’s holiday giving season and to help celebrate #GivingTuesday, Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity, launched its new “Give a Smile, Get a Smile” campaign to help give smiles to children with clefts and, in exchange, help supporters get smiles of their own. In an effort to bring attention to the campaign and to help raise seasonal funds and awareness for the issues faced by children with clefts, American supermodel and Smile Train Goodwill ambassador Christie Brinkley will illuminate the iconic tower lights of the Empire State Building in Smile Train’s red and blue signature colors. New Yorkers are invited to share their photos of the Empire State Building illuminated in Smile Train’s red and blue on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using #EmpireStateBuilding and @SmileTrain to ignite the global conversation about cleft lip and palate, and to encourage people to make donations this holiday season.
• Smithsonian: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will announce a long-term philanthropy initiative, open a display, “Giving in America,” and will accept objects into the collections that represent Americans’ gifts of time, talent, expertise and funding. The donation will take place during the Smithsonian’s first annual philanthropy symposium, “The Power of Giving: Philanthropy’s Impact on American Life” to coincide with #GivingTuesday.
• VolunteerMatch: For the third consecutive #GivingTuesday, Texas Instruments (TI) is partnering with United Way agencies in North Texas to deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound, elderly and disabled people. More than 400 TI volunteers are expected to participate in delivering more than 1,000 meals to people in need who cannot access resources like food banks and grocery stores. While TI is committed to giving back to its communities year-round, this event marks the largest single TI volunteer event of the year, which also helps raise awareness of #GivingTuesday and encourage personal giving for anyone who is not able to volunteer their time.
#GivingTuesday activities are taking place around the world on December 1. Eleven countries and two regions have brought the movement to their countries. The 31 participating countries include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Kenya, Latin America, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom. For more information on #GivingTuesday around the world, click here.
