GivingTuesday 2014 is Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014.
Canada’s second annual GivingTuesday is fast approaching and it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll be participating in this national day of giving. A perfect time to get creative and give back, we have listed our top ideas to get you, your family, and your friends giving charitably this GivingTuesday and all holiday season.
Volunteer
Contact a local non-profit or charitable organization and offer your talents and abilities for the day, or better yet, use GivingTuesday as an opportunity to search local charities in need of regular volunteers that you can support throughout the year. Volunteering is a satisfying way to learn new things, meet new people, and feel great about giving back to your community. As a volunteer, you definitely gain as much as you give. Not sure how to get started? Check out Volunteer Canada’s Volunteer Quiz!
Make a Shopping Pledge
Did you swipe your credit card one too many times on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year? This year, try planning for a day of giving to complement the great deals. In the spirit of holiday shopping, here are some great ways you can use your holiday shopping to give charitably:
- Save it. Track your discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and donate your savings on GivingTuesday to your favourite charity.
- Track it. Track your spending on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or the entire holiday season and choose to donate a percentage of the total amount you spent.
- Match it. Total up your Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending, and match your total expenditure with a donation to your favourite charity.
Make a video and share your giving with the whole world (or the internet, at least)!
A vlog (video blog) is a cool and compelling way to explain the mission of your favourite charity to others, and why the cause matters to you. If you’re more of a doer than a talker, film yourself doing something bold that will grab people’s attention. You don’t have to relive the freezing sensation of icy cold water gushing over your head on a cold December 2nd day like #ALSIceBucketChallenge, but you can get creative and inspire charitable giving in another way.
Not sure how? Watch how these elves paid it forward last year, inspiring millions of others to do the same.
Then, share your video with your social networks and spread the word about GivingTuesday and charitable giving!
Fundraise!
Launch a fundraiser, host a fundraiser, or plan a fundraiser. Using CanadaHelps, it is easy to create your own online fundraiser in minutes and share it online with your family, friends, coworkers, and if you so choose, everyone else on the World Wide Web!
Want to make your fundraiser a bit more exciting? Incorporate a personal challenger! For example, offer to double up your charitable impact and pledge to volunteer an hour of your time for every $10 donated to the charity. The way you choose to fundraise is completely up to you, and fundraising is a very powerful and impactful way to give back.
Want more tips and ideas on fundraising with CanadaHelps? Click Here
Become a Social Ambassador
Many of us tweet and share our thoughts, opinions, and more online every day. On GivingTuesday, use the power of social media to bring awareness to your favourite charities and causes, and spread the word about GivingTuesday. Share your charitable thoughts and ideas using the hashtag #GivingTuesdayCA to keep the charitable conversation on the minds of your whole network.
Take an … #unselfie 
Ditch the #selfie and go for the #unselfie – a photograph of yourself which showcases a charitable act or good deed you’ve performed in an effort to inspire others to do the same – just like the team at Charity Village did last Giving Tuesday. Better yet, capture a #usie – a photograph of you and your family, friends, or coworkers performing a charitable deed together. After all, isn’t charity better when you do it with the ones you love?
Request a Mayoral Proclamation
Head to City Hall to make a charitable difference this GivingTuesday. Contact your Mayor or local City Councillor to learn how your chief magistrate can declare GivingTuesday an official day in your community just like Calgary Mayor, Naheed Nenshi declared last year! Not only can you request GivingTuesday to be officially recognized in your community, you can ask your community leaders to promote charitable giving in your local community. Promoting giving is the perfect way to develop a sense of community and compassion within your neighbourhood, and benefit local charities who oftentimes work on small budgets with few staff.
Challenge Your Favourite Canadian
Tweet to your favourite Canadian sport, television, film, or news personalities and ask them to participate in a GivingTuesday challenge! Try asking for a retweet of your charitable message or a donation to your favourite charity. Who knows? They may just respond and pass on the message to their thousands of followers! Last year at CanadaHelps, we were pleased to see the RTs we got from Canadians – including Margaret Atwood and Justin Trudeau!
Get Others Involved!
However you choose to celebrate GivingTuesday, be sure to involve others in your plans. Involve your friends from school or colleagues from work in a fundraiser, organize a clothing or toy drive at your children’s school or after school program, or bring your family to volunteer at a community event, food bank, or animal shelter. Whichever way you choose to get others involved, charity is always stronger in numbers.
Give the Gift of Giving
Give the gift that keeps on giving with a CanadaHelps Charity Gift Card. Choose a CanadaHelps GivingTuesday gift card (three designs to pick from!), choose a value, add a personal message, and send it to a lucky recipient who will then choose any registered Canadian charity to receive the funds. A Charity Gift Card is a perfect way to inspire others to pay it forward and inspire further charitable giving.
DONATE!
Choose a charity, decide how much to give based on your budget, and make a donation. It’s as simple as that. CanadaHelps makes it easy to donate online to any registered Canadian charity, and you will receive an instant tax receipt!
Whichever way you choose to give back, know you are making an impact in your community, your country, and around the world. Join the global GivingTuesday movement this December 2, 2014 and make a charitable difference.
Have a great charitable idea not listed here? Tweet them to us @canadahelps and include the hashtag #GivingTuesdayCA.
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