Today is GivingTuesday: National Day of Giving to Great Causes

There’s a new spending day on the rise in Canada: GivingTuesday. Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this one supports great causes! Today, dig into your wallets for this national day of giving to charities and non-profits.

“We have two days that are good for the economy. Now we have a day that is good for the community too.”

Canadians have always been among the most generous contributors, both individually and as a society. From Statistics Canada’s 2012 Charitable Giving By Canadians study: “In 2010, 84% of Canadians aged 15 and over, or just under 24 million people, reported making at least one financial donation to a charitable or non-profit organization.”

What Is GivingTuesday?

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GivingTuesday is a global day of giving. After the sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday is a time to celebrate and encourage activities that support charities and non-profits. Whether it’s making a donation, volunteering time, helping a neighbour or spreading the word, GivingTuesday is a movement for everyone who wants to give something back.

The online donations are handled through CanadaHelps, a registered charity dedicated to increasing charitable giving across Canada. For donors, it’s an easy way of paying via credit card, Interac or Paypal online; CanadaHelps takes a small processing fee (3.9 to 4.9%) before passing it on to the charity.

Online Matching Dollars

As always, there are a few great matching campaigns that double or triple your donation. Some require you to pay through a certain method, while others benefit a certain charity.

• Interac Online (participating banks & credit unions only) – match up to $25 per donation, to a maximum total of $10,000
• PayPal 1% Donation Match
• MS Society of Canada Matching Gift Challenge
• Donate to Covenant House – triple your donation
• Compassionate Eye Foundation – every $1 donated to the Peer Literacy Program matched with $2

It doesn’t take long to setup an account online and you get your tax-receipt right away, which definitely helps during the tax season.

This GivingTuesday, think about the bigger picture. It’s a great way to maximize your dollars to a deserving charity or non-profit of your choice!

Feature image: Giving Tuesday via Shutterstock / Milleflore Images