National charitable day counters consumer burnout

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – ‘Tis the season to buy, buy and then buy some more. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday to all the sales that will bombard you right through Boxing Day, consumer fatigue can be common as we head into the holidays, but one group is taking advantage of the backlash.

Charities are reaping the benefits of GivingTuesday, which came to Canada in 2013 and has been growing ever since.

The day is meant as an antidote for consumerism by bringing together charities, companies and individuals to share commitments, rally for favourite causes, volunteer and think about others. “It started as a response to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days and it’s an opportunity for people to think about the those who don’t have as much in their lives as the rest of us and give back in a highly consumerized time of year,” says Chief Marketing Officer for the charity PLAN International Canada Jeff Cornett.

“Many of us are out buying gifts and understand it’s also important to give back. We know that 67 per cent of Canadians think it is a very Canadian thing to give back at this time of year to the families and communities that don’t have the same things we have,” he tells NEWS 1130.

Statistics show that GivingTuesday is growing faster in Canada than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

While sales numbers for the annual shopping holidays jumped 37 per cent and 65 per cent respectively from 2012 to 2015, the value of donations on GivingTuesday grew by 302 per cent over the same time period, according to figures released by CanadaHelps.

“While the total amount of money spent shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday still far exceeds the value of donations made on GivingTuesday, it’s very encouraging to see that Canadians are embracing the spirit of giving, and continuing to make GivingTuesday a time to turn to our attention to the community and support our organizations of choice,” says Lys Hugessen, president of the GIV3 Foundation, which introduced the global day of giving to Canada in 2013 in partnership with CanadaHelps.

Thousands of partner organizations and millions of Canadians are expected to take part in GivingTuesday this year by giving in whatever way is meaningful for them — volunteering their skills, giving blood, holding clothing drives, helping at a local food bank, talking with their kids about philanthropy, or spreading the word on social media.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today