'Giving Tuesday' prompts generosity on heels of shopping frenzies
Campaign steers people via social media to make donations to charities
Some Calgary charities are hoping to benefit from a global movement called "Giving Tuesday."
The online campaign is meant to put the focus on generosity in the wake of the frenzied shopping of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Dixie Baum, spokeswoman for the Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary, said there was a slight increase in donations on Giving Tuesday last year.
"We hope as awareness builds that will become greater,” she said.
“People always know that there are great causes out there, but if there's a specific time of the year where you know for that week there's a lot of media attention, and there's a lot of opportunities to talk about the great causes that are out there, then I think that's really positive for all of us.”
Potential donors are directed via social media to the website GivingTuesday.ca to choose a charity. People can then search for charities by name and location — and give on the spot.
“After the sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a time to celebrate and encourage activities that support charities and non-profits,” the website for the campaign says.
“Whether it’s making a donation, volunteering time, helping a neighbour or spreading the word, Giving Tuesday is a movement for everyone who wants to give something back.”
Derek Fraser, who speaks for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, said charities trying to use Twitter or Facebook to grab a donor's attention need to be smart about it.
“If your message is clear, concise, simple and easy to understand, because really, with social media, you have a blink of an eye to get your message across."