This year’s Giving Tuesday might feel far away, but plans are being drawn up as we speak.
You may have participated in Giving Tuesday in the past and you probably are thinking about a good cause you have donated to in the last year. You may even have already added the date to your charity activity calender.
When people talk about “Giving” there’s an understandable focus on monetary donations, but the ways to Give are, in reality, far more diverse than that and there are so many ways to Give without spending a penny. From donating items to charity raffles to volunteering to support charitable services, every year people amaze us with how they choose to support charities in the UK and all over the world.
The pandemic has changed every facet of our lives and has, more than ever, emphasised the diversity of what charitable giving can be. Giving Tuesday partners at the Charities Aid Foundation have conducted in-depth research on trends in charitable giving in the pandemic, and whilst some aspects were borne out of necessity during lockdown, there’s every indication that the effects will continue even as life returns to a level of normality.
In their research, perhaps the most visible trend in Giving that CAF found was the rise of mutual aid groups. That’s a fancy way of referring to those local groups that were set up to help deliver essential goods like food and medicine to vulnerable individuals and they surged in popularity during the first lockdown. It was a great example of how diverse Giving could be – some people delivered shopping for those unable to leave the house, some paid for shopping for people who couldn’t afford it and some people used the shopping as a way of handling loneliness.
This sense of localised solidarity wasn’t just limited to people sharing a neighbourhood WhatsApp group. Local businesses donated goods, capacity and staff to help manage the new circumstances. In return, there was a renewed focus on supporting local businesses as people flocked to make sure their local pubs, restaurants and cafe’s were not abandoned due to the lockdown.
This blurred line between charitable support and conventional commercial activity was a largely unprecedented development seen during the pandemic, but it has its roots in the recent trend for “ethical shopping”. It remains to be seen how this changes as the pandemic recedes, but businesses with a strong ethical reputation could well benefit as people look to support businesses that reflect their values.
If you’d like to find out more about Giving Tuesday and explore how we at StC Payroll Giving can support your events with our range of promotional services then phone or email to arrange a call with one of our award winning Account Managers.