Giving Tuesday triumphs despite social distancing
Giving Tuesday brought in £14,000 a minute for good causes in the UK, defying the challenges of social distancing to deliver a bumper fundraising day for charities across the country.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which runs the campaign in the UK, has revealed figures from Visa showing that £20.2 million was donated via their payment platforms in the UK on 1 December. This amounts to £14,000 a minute – and is a 42% rise in donations made through Visa compared to Giving Tuesday in 2019.
The Big Give Christmas Challenge also launched on Giving Tuesday and raised more than £7 million on the day representing a 43% increase on last year, with the number of donations up 80%.
Work for Good, a growing start-up fundraising platform, reported that UK small and micro businesses raised over £100,000 for charity on 1 December, proof they say of a growing sense of community and a trend in giving by businesses.
Organisations including Oxfam, The National Trust and Save the Rhino took part in the campaign. Cancer Research encouraged people to share a picture of their Christmas tree and donate five pounds, The British Library asked people to adopt a book and Alzheimer’s Research UK had donations matched by Iceland stores.
CAF’s Gráinne Mathews, Giving Tuesday lead in the UK, said:
“At the Charities Aid Foundation, we are proud to lead Giving Tuesday and so happy to see that it has gone from strength to strength despite taking place with lockdowns in effect across the UK.
“In a year when charities have faced a steep increase in demand for their services and more than half have suffered a drop in donations, Giving Tuesday was a desperately needed opportunity, not only to raise vital funds but to talk about their important work.”
The event was also supported by clothing brand Whistles which donated 10% of profits on the day to TrekStock and Refuge. Retailer, The White Company donated £1 from every item sold to The Princes Trust, Refuge and Place2be and luxury fashion brand L.K. Bennett donated 10% of sales to Women to Women.
Giving Tuesday once again trended on UK Twitter and received support from The Duchess of Cornwall, Stephen Fry, Sir Patrick Stewart, Gabby Logan and Mesut Ozil.
