Europe gears up for GivingTuesday 2020

GivingTuesday takes place in just under two months’ time, on 1 December this year with national campaigns running in more than 70 countries, many of them in Europe.

Now in its 9^th year, the global movement focuses on giving back, setting out the multitude of ways that people and organisations can help one another, charities and their communities. Suggested actions range from donating money to volunteering or helping a neighbour.

In the Netherlands, participants this year are being asked to share their giving story with a heart selfie on social media, hashtagged with #GivingTuesday & #MyGivingStory and to nominate a number of friends to do the same. The country’s GivingTuesday movement is also promoting an online map on which Dutch participants can log their actions. ASN Bank has become one of its funding partners through the ASN Foundation.

Jordan van Bergen, Global Leader of GivingTuesday The Netherlands, describes the need for generosity as ‘urgent, and explains that this is not only due to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying:

“The need for a global movement to create lasting, systemic change is very real. The Global Generosity Movement #GivingTuesday does exactly this. Let’s embrace a new generosity ritual, one in when we wake up every day asking ourselves, “What good can I do today?”.  

“When we share our generosity, it inspires others to give too. Let’s inspire a different world and share generosity and generosity ideas using hashtag #GivingTuesday.”

Finland’s GivingTuesday campaign, coordinated by VaLa ry, goes under the name TekojenTiistai, with the emphasis on actions rather than solely donations. This year, its main campaign message is ‘A million actions of good’.

Charities and corporates are encouraged to log their planned activities on the TekojenTiistai site and to share them across social media on 1 December, while individuals are encouraged to take part on the day in any way that suits them.

This year in Italy, a competition is being held in advance of the day itself, organised by Giving Tuesday’s organiser in the country the fundraising association AIFR, in partnership with ASSIF. Until the end of November, non-profit organisations, schools, individuals and companies are encouraged to enter their initiative into the GivingTuesday Italia 2020 Contest. Anyone can vote and projects need to collect as many as possible. The 10 most popular projects will be evaluated by a jury of third sector representatives on their creativity and impact, with the winners receiving a cash prize.

And in France, where the campaign is led by the Association Française des Fundraisers and Hopening, over 200 organisations have already signed up to participate in this year’s annual  day to giving.

Find out more at www.givingtuesday.org