The idea that charities are fighting each other for a share of a finite amount of money is “a myth”, Henry Timms, founder of Giving Tuesday said last night.
He was speaking last night at the event's UK launch yesterday and encouraged charities to consider ways of collaborating on the day.
"Giving Tuesday isn't about one cause," he said. "It's about all the causes. One of the great myths, which all of you have helped to puncture with Giving Tuesday, is the idea that the charity world is some kind of Hunger Games where we're all fighting against each other for the same precious resources."
European Giving Tuesday leaders will meet today to talk strategy, he added.
He said: “I think this year’s going to a very big year for Giving Tuesday.”
The Charities Aid Foundation co-ordinates Giving Tuesday activity in the UK. Last year it it said that YouGov polling indicates that 26 per cent of the UK public who are aware of the movement are likely to do something for charity in the future.
Giving Tuesday 2019 is in its sixth year and falls on 3 December on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the US and following Cyber Monday and Black Friday.
Last year over 2,600 UK charities and for-profit companies took part.
Sarah Fleming, senior commercial manager at Paypal, said last night that last year on Giving Tuesday Paypal processed $98m worldwide, out of $9.5bn processed in total in the year. This was a 51 per cent increase in charitable donations year-on-year, across 180 markets and from one million customers.
'We raised six times more than our target'
The Giving Tuesday movement last year helped a small charity for newborn babies beat its fundraising targets six times over, according to its chief executive also speaking at the annual event's launch yesterday.
Jon Arnold, chief executive at Tiny Tickers, a charity that supports babies with possible heart problems, said the charity had planned to raise £750 to fund one pulse oximetry machine, but succeeded in buying six machines.
The 2018 Giving Tuesday was the first time Tiny Tickers had taken part in the event.
Arnold advised other small charities planning to be involved in Giving Tuesday this year to start their strategies early, and provided eight fundraising tips:
- Link to an established campaign
- Have a tangible target
- Provide multiple ways to donate
- Use emotive case studies
- Focus the whole team on the campaign for the whole day
- Use chief executive input to make it personal
- Provide organic updates and responses including through social media
- Have fun with it
Involving corporates
Arnold said this year on Giving Tuesday the charity is hoping to attract match funding from brands for its activity.
Corinna May, digital fundraiser at Sightsavers, also speaking at the launch yesterday, said its 2018 campaign used match funding from a major donor, which was extended after the initial amount was exhausted by 11am on the day.
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