Australia Joins Giving Tuesday Worldwide
17 September 2013 at 10:55 am
Australian technology Not for Profit, Connecting Up has launched a GivingTuesday Australia website calling on the community and business sectors to join the international giving day campaign set for December 3.
Partnering with the US Not for Profit, 92nd Street Y, which began the GivingTuesday movement last year, Connecting Up is calling on Australian Not for Profit organisations and businesses to start making plans for their own GivingTuesday initiatives and to register on the Australian website (http://www.givingtuesday.org.au) as a partner.
As well, Not for Profit organisations are encouraged to run their own initiative that revolves around the theme of “giving back” to celebrate the day.
Organisations will then share their activity via their social media channels using the #GivingTuesday hashtag and ask their supporters to do likewise. Businesses can also participate by supporting a Not for Profit or charity organisations, demonstrating their corporate social responsibility activities.
“GivingTuesday is a great opportunity for the community sector to tap into a global movement and a unified message that underlies every Not for Profit organisation,” Connecting Up CEO, Anne Gawen.
“Bringing the sector together for a single day will also be a powerful way to show the broader Australian public how much of an impact we have in the lives of those who support us and are served by us.
“Running on the first Tuesday of December, #GivingTuesday will be used to drive conversations on social media about how Australians can give differently during the holiday season.
“This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners— charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.
“GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a global moment that is dedicated to giving around the world.”
Participants will be able to post to the GivingTuesday Australia Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesdayAUS) to show how they are celebrating the day and use the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter and other social networks to join the conversations on those platforms.
In the US thought leaders in philanthropy, social media and grassroots organisations joined with 92nd Street Y to explore what is working in modern philanthropy and how to expand these innovations throughout the philanthropic sector.
The concept gained steam, and by bringing together a group of founding partners — including the United Nations Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VentureThree Capital— a nationwide series of discussions followed about how to make GivingTuesday a success.
“92nd Street Y is, at its heart, a community centre – we’ve been bringing people together for almost 140 years,” 92Y Executive Director Sol Adler said.
“GivingTuesday allows us to create a new kind of community – across geographical borders – around the idea of ‘doing good’.”
To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving go to www.Givingtuesday.org.au (Australia) – www.givingtuesday.org (US)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesdayAUS (Australia) – www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday (US)
