What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that is celebrated worldwide every year. People from different countries unite by being generous and taking time to address social and environmental issues.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, what difference can a day make when it comes to changing the world – then the answer is that it can have a massive impact and pave the way for positive change, if we all rise up together.

COVER PHOTO: Daniel Jesus Vignoli (2019)

In a hurry?

Click on the link below to go directly to the section you're most interested in:

What is Giving Tuesday?
When is Giving Tuesday?
Why should I support Giving Tuesday?
How can I make a difference this Giving Tuesday?

1. What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a day for people to support Australian not-for-profit (NFP) organisations and local charities. The NFP sector in Australia is wide and varied, and tackles some of society’s biggest issues. These include eye health, general health, education, social services, aged care, natural disaster relief, preservation of Indigenous history and culture, and environmental issues – to name a few.

According to the GivingTuesday website in Australia, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to give back to social enterprises, NFPs and NGOs that are making a difference in people’s lives. For one day each year, individuals, communities and businesses come together to give their time, money, goods and services, and to lend their voices to worthy causes.

Source: GivingTuesday

2. When is Giving Tuesday?

This year, Giving Tuesday will be observed on 30 November 2021. GivingTuesday was launched in the United States of America in 2012, with one simple mission: to encourage people to do good.

Since then, the event has evolved and expanded globally, with acts of generosity being recorded on that day in almost every country or territory worldwide. Over 60 countries have dedicated and ongoing activities planned yearly for the day, including Australia.

3. Why should I support Giving Tuesday?

We can and should take a stand on important issues such as equal eyecare for all, education for every child, Closing the Gap, clean water and food for every family, gender and equity, economic opportunities to eradicate poverty, sustainable development, and addressing climate change.

As the late Professor Fred Hollows used to say that “having a care and concern for others is the highest of human qualities”. And Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to show kindness and compassion for those who need it the most.
In recent times, the world has felt like a scary place. Often, it feels like all the news has been bad news, and unprecedented events like bushfires and a global pandemic have caused widespread loss and destruction.

It’s important in times like these for us to not give into fear and anxiety. As well as practising self-care, finding ways to give back to those hit the hardest is a great way of keeping your spirits up. Finding a cause that matches your personal values will help you connect with like-minded individuals, and empower you to help others.

Plus, giving to others and taking part in charity is a mood booster. The popularity of movements like Random Acts of Kindness and the Kindness Pandemic (which took off in 2020 due to the effects of coronavirus) shows our capacity to care.

“Caring about other people is what being a human is all about, and I have great faith in the humanitarian nature of the average Australian.”
- Fred Hollows

Photo credit: The Fred Hollows Foundation (1970s)

4. How can I make a difference this Giving Tuesday?

There’s lots of information available on how you can get involved for individuals and businesses. If you’re not sure how to choose a charity to support, GivingTuesday.org has some great tips on where to start.

HOW DO I CHOOSE A CHARITY TO SUPPORT

If you are interested in supporting The Fred Hollows Foundation and ending avoidable blindness, here are three easy ways you can help. By supporting us, you’ll enable us to restore sight, train healthcare workers and equip hospitals in remote parts of the world, as well as empower local communities. You’ll also be helping us advocate for eye health in over 25 countries, including Australia.

Join Fred’s team

Join Fred’s team and become a monthly donor. By giving a small donation every month, you will help us carry on Fred’s vision and prevent millions of people going blind due to preventable or treatable causes.

Your regular contributions will allow us to plan ahead and provide support to people living with avoidable blindness in almost every continent on the planet.

Monthly donors are truly special people, because they provide us with the most reliable source of income. This means we can worry less about raising funds and focus more on delivering long-term projects to make eye care services more affordable and available to people living in under-resourced parts of the world. And it’s easy for donors because once the donation is set up it’s all done for you.

Photographer: Michael Amendolia (1991)

Take part in workplace giving

Encourage your employer to implement Workplace giving at your work, if there isn’t one in place already.

A workplace giving program allows employees to donate to the charity of their choice, directly from their paycheck through their employer.

The great thing about workplace giving is that your teammates, colleagues and managers will also be exposed to a worthy cause that is close to your heart, meaning more people will join the good fight to end avoidable blindness.

Set up a fundraising page

You can set up a fundraising page on our website and create your own fundraising event to raise money for The Foundation.

Whether you want to challenge yourself to run 50kms, ask for donations instead of a birthday present or do a special Giving Tuesday appeal, you can encourage your friends, family, co-workers, and everyone else in your circle to support you by donating.

Be sure to share a link to the page on your social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so that more people have a chance to see your post and join the movement. Don’t forget to use the #GivingTuesday and #FredHollows hashtags.

Interested in learning more?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Latika Mani - The Fred Hollows Foundation

Latika is a digital content writer for The Fred Hollows Foundation with over 15 years of professional writing and message amplification experience. Latika shares Fred’s view that “having a care and concern for others is the highest of human qualities” – and is committed to sharing ideas and information that connects readers with their social conscience.