Six more European countries sign up for Giving Tuesday

With little over two months to go until Giving Tuesday (27 November 2018), this year’s activities are expected to achieve record global impact, with more than 40 countries running global campaigns to inspire the public to donate, volunteer or campaign for a charity they care about.

In Europe, the global giving day is rapidly expanding into new territories, with Bulgaria, Finland, France, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine taking part for the first time in 2018.

Yaële Aferiat, director of the Association Française des Fundraiser, believes the collective nature of the campaign and the reach this gives it has been integral to achieving so much buy-in from charities across Europe.

“Giving Tuesday’s major strength is that everyone can find a way to participate, regardless of the size or budget of their organisation,” she said.

“The fact too that it is a global campaign based on positive and collective energy makes it very powerful, and provides motivation and support that mobilises both organisations and individuals to take part. This is so important for the sector at the moment, particularly in France where the funding environment has become so tough and we are seeking to build a culture of generosity and philanthropy.”

As its reach widens, Giving Tuesday is making its mark. In Spain last year, over €600,000 was raised for more than 300 social projects, while Switzerland saw more than 100 million Swiss francs donated. #GivingTuesday became a trending topic on social media across the world.

According to Swissfundraising’s Roger Tinner, there is also an opportunity for Giving Tuesday to create a general trend towards greater collaboration across the sector. He says:

“I am convinced that the worldwide growth in commitment towards Giving Tuesday has the potential to create a global giving and helping trend. NGOs can learn from each other, talk about shared activities and therefore raise public awareness for the act of giving. That’s why Swissfundraising has been part of the Giving Tuesday community for the past three years to support the movement.”

Overall, figures from GivingTuesday.org show that people from over 150 countries took part last year, raising over 300 million US dollars for good causes, with national Giving Tuesday movements in 42 of those.