Thoughtful Giving Tuesday Ideas

Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back – pick activities that match your passions and abilities, and watch the magic happen!

For Individuals

1. Donations: Choose a local shelter, food bank, or library that you care about and donate money, clothes, food, or other needed items. (Pro Tip: Use SignUp to collect donations  from others and make a bigger impact!)

2. Employer Matching Gifts: If your employer matches charitable donations, take advantage of this to double your impact.

3. Fundraise: Create a personal fundraising campaign on platforms like GoFundMe or Facebook to support a cause.

4. Random Acts of Kindness: Perform small acts of kindness throughout the day, such as buying coffee for a stranger or leaving a generous tip.

5. Social Media Shoutouts: Use your social media platforms to highlight and promote charities or causes that matter to you.

6. Volunteer Time: Offer your time to local organizations. Many nonprofits need help with various tasks.

For Families

1. Bake Sale: Host a bake sale and donate the proceeds to a charity of your choice.

2. Create Care Packages: Assemble care packages for the homeless or troops overseas.

3. Family Donation Jar: Collect spare change in a jar and decide as a family where to donate it.

4. Toy Drive: Organize a toy drive and donate the collected toys to a local children's hospital or shelter.

5. Volunteer Together: Find family-friendly volunteer opportunities, such as serving meals at a soup kitchen or participating in a park cleanup.

For Schools

1. Awareness Campaigns: Educate students about the importance of giving and how they can get involved.

2. Book Drives: Collect books and donate them to local libraries or schools in need.

3. Classroom Challenges: Organize challenges where classes compete to collect the most canned goods or raise the most money.

4. Charity Fundraisers:   Host events like talent shows, bake sales, or walk-a-thons to raise money for chosen charities.

5. Service Projects: Plan school-wide service projects, such as a clean-up day or a visit to a senior center.

For Businesses

1. Charity Challenge: Create a friendly competition among departments to see who can raise the most money or collect the most donations.

2. Corporate Matching: Offer to match employee donations to encourage more giving.

3. Fundraising Event: Plan a fundraising event, such as a charity auction or benefit concert, and donate the proceeds.

4. Pro Bono Services: Offer your business services for free or at a reduced rate to nonprofits in need.

5. Volunteer Day: Organize a company-wide volunteer day where employees can spend time giving back to the community.

For Nonprofits

1. Email Appeals: Send targeted email campaigns to your supporters, highlighting specific needs and ways to help.

2. Matching Gifts Challenge: Partner with a major donor to offer a matching gifts challenge to double donations.

3. Social Media Campaign: Use hashtags like #GivingTuesday to amplify your message and reach a wider audience.

4. Storytelling Campaign: Share stories of the impact your organization has made to inspire donations.

5. Thank You Videos: Create personalized thank-you videos to show appreciation to your donors and encourage further support.

For Communities

1. Community Clean-Up: Organize a clean-up day to beautify local parks, streets, or community centers.

2. Donation Drives: Set up collection points for food, clothes, or toys at community centers, libraries, or churches.

3. Neighborhood Potluck: Organize a potluck  dinner where everyone brings a dish and contributes a donation to a chosen cause.

4. Public Events: Host events such as concerts, fairs, or sports games to raise awareness and funds for local causes.

5. Support Local Businesses: Encourage community members to shop at local businesses that give back a portion of their proceeds to charity.

No matter how you choose to get involved, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to spread kindness and make a positive impact in your community and beyond. Whether you're donating, volunteering, or simply sharing the message of giving, every action counts!

About the Author

   

Tara McAdams

Digital Marketing Manager, Content Strategist & Creator

Tara leads content strategy at SignUp and creates a variety of resources on a wide range of topics – including lifestyle trends, parent tips, prep for holidays, volunteer management, and event planning. More about Tara →