GIVING TUESDAY: Give Money, Give Time

A new tradition inspiring Czechs to be generous with their time or money

Giving Tuesday is a charity-inspired movement created to promote generosity and good deeds. Even though Giving Tuesday is relatively new to the Czech Republic, thousands of Czechs are participating in the movement by embracing the best in themselves and making the world a better place full of generosity, honesty, and sincerity.

Let's dive into the history of Giving Tuesday, its approach to making the world more human, some enlightening facts about the event, and why it is worth giving a chance this year. 

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Origins of Giving Tuesday 

The history of Giving Tuesday brings us to 2012 when the concept was born on one of the million streets of New York City. To be more precise, this happened at the 92nd Street Y at the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact in New York City, as reported by Giving Tuesday, an independent non-profit organization, on its official webpage. 

Following the traditions of the US culture, Giving Tuesday takes place after a range of national holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. In 2022, Giving Tuesday will take place on November 29, so mark the date on your busy calendar to do a good deed for others who need your support and help during these challenging times!

"Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day encouraging people to do good. Over the past nine years, the idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity," shared Giving Tuesday representatives on their official webpage. 

The idea behind Giving Tuesday is heartfelt, sincere, and, at the same time, enlightening. "Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to teach young people the value of giving and generosity," GivingTuesday representatives concluded, with a slight hint of encouragement to act (donate) now, not later.

Giving Tuesday Comes to the Czech Republic 

It has been four long years since Giving Tuesday lept across the pond and stepped on the land of the Czech Republic in 2016. Thanks to the efforts and genuine aims of the Association for Corporate Social Responsibility, the primary sponsor of Giving Tuesday in the Czech Republic, they made it possible for all enthusiastic volunteers to participate in such a global movement. 

Since 2016, Giving Tuesday has attracted thousands of people to participate in the event. For instance, in 2021, non-profit organizations hit all the records and raised 95 million crowns that were further donated to provide food and clothing for people in need, reported representatives of the Giving Tuesday movement in the Czech Republic. 

"If you would like to support shelters for animals, you can support the challenge O chlup lepší život pro útulkáče by organization, Packa pro útulkáče, z.s., or the challenge Staňte se hrdinou*kou pro zvířata v nouzi! by organization Pet Heroes, z.s. By donating to the challenge Pomozte lidem zemřít tam, kde si to přejí – doma by organization Cesta domů, z.ú., you can support people who wish to die in their own homes,” shared events, in which volunteers could take part in, Tereza Novosadová Ocetková, a spokesperson for GivingTuesday.cz. 

On top of that, several non-profit organizations, together with supportive and genuine volunteers, participate in this event annually. As a vivid example, the most active participants are Lidl, Armáda spásy, Aufori, Albatros Media, Domov sv. Josefa, and Ipsos. 

"Giving Tuesday is being held on November 29 this year, and according to new research conducted for the Association of Social Responsibility by Ipsos, up to two-thirds of Czechs say that if they do not have enough money to donate, they will at least try to get involved in other ways, such as donating items and volunteering," stated Novosadová Ocetková about Czech's readiness to participate in Giving Tuesday.

We could not resist an opportunity to chat with some people who stand behind Giving Tuesday in the Czech Republic, and here is what we found out! 

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Giving Tuesday in Faces and Voices

Armáda spásy (known as The Salvation Army in the English-speaking world), a civic and social organization, aims to provide social, medical, and spiritual care to people in need. Much to our surprise, Armáda spásy has a long history: it was founded in 1865 by William Booth and is active in more than 130 countries in 2022. Quite a remarkable journey!

Armáda spásy began working in the Czech Republic in 1919 with significant aims and ambitious plans. Sadly, its activities were terminated without any rational explanation in 1950 due to the communist regime. Nonetheless, Armáda spásy never gave up hope of resuming operations in the Czech Republic. In 1990, it celebrated its grand rebirth by providing services to meet the needs of millions of people. 

The non-profit has participated in Giving Tuesday for several years. Together with the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, they developed a unique campaign called Nocleženka, a shelter for homeless people, said Sylvie Tučková, fundraiser at Armáda spásy.

"Winter is the hardest time for homeless people. Nocleženka is a voucher worth 100 Kč that allows one homeless person to spend a night in warmth. By purchasing a Night Card, you will be supporting a specific homeless person who will be able to spend the night at Armáda spásy hostel thanks to your donation," explained Armáda spásy representatives.

To purchase the Night Card, follow the link here. 

Lidl, a German retailer and grocery store, is a newbie to Giving Tuesday. In fact, Lidl became a loyal participant only last year, in 2021, even though they have some charities running all year around. In other words, this year (2022) would be the second time Lidl would participate in the event, which is entirely understandable since it is a brand-new notion in the Czech Republic. 

"Giving Tuesday corresponds nicely with "Generous November," when we hold the Heart for Children in all our stores. Every year, our customers prove that they can be really generous. We are looking forward to announcing the final amount of the collection on Giving Tuesday, which is sure to be breathtaking again," described Eliška Froschová Stehlíková, Head of CSR projects Lidl ČR. 

To motivate and encourage its customers, Lidl promoted its charity that has existed for almost eleven years, The Heart for Children: "In the eleven years of its existence, customers and Lidl have contributed a total of CZK 247 million and helped almost 6,000 children and their families," concluded Froschová Stehlíková. 

Some banks promote Giving Tuesday to be a better place on the planet. One of the most vivid examples is Nadace České spořitelny. On the event day, the organization takes part in the Den pro školu program (Day for School).  

"On the Day for School, we encourage people to participate in Giving Tuesday by sharing their experiences as volunteers, students, or teachers. On social media networks, we also publish a Giving Tuesday call and a supportive video," shared Kateřina Bártová, Communications Specialist for Nadace České spořitelny. 

Nadace rozvoje občanské společnosti (Civil Society Development Foundation), on the other hand, has a long history behind its shoulders of participating in Giving Tuesday. "We join other non-profits in promoting generosity towards meaningful projects that strengthen our communities and civil societies, mainly through our communication campaigns," said Taťána Plecháčková, Director of the Civil Society Development Foundation. 

Interestingly, the Civil Society Development Foundation comes up with different ideas and activities for the Giving Tuesday event to support its mission and raise brand awareness around the Czech Republic. "This year, we are promoting our e-shop where people can buy cute merchandise products that financially support disadvantaged children," said Plecháčková. 

As a volunteer, you can participate in this campaign and purchase some of the merchandise. Follow this link to do a good deed and help children in need. 

Ledox, known as a non-profit organization that aims to help elderly people and people with reduced self-sufficiency who struggle with performing daily life activities as well as taking care of themselves, did not hesitate to miss the opportunity to participate in Giving Tuesday with a simple and minimalistic approach. 

"On that day, we launch a fundraising campaign to support our hospice services and offer help to those who could not take care of themselves anymore," stated Eliška Hájková, the Director of Ledox. 

Last but not least participant in Giving Tuesday is Nadace Terezy Maxové dětem (Tereza Maxová Foundation). The foundation's mission is designed uniquely: to enable every child to live a healthy and safe life in a family environment, as described by the non-profit organization on its official website. And there is no doubt that the event of Giving Tuesday is a "must-do" for the foundation. 

"We like to participate in events such as Giving Tuesday. We appreciate that they raise not only money but also public awareness about our work and charity, and give people the opportunity to do something good simply and conveniently," said Terezie Sverdlinova, a director at Nadace Terezy Maxové dětem. 

The foundation also runs several entertaining activities to attract people to participate in Giving Tuesday. One of them is being active on social media channels during this period, as stated by Sverdlinova: "We usually adopt or adapt the visuals used by GivingTuesday.cz, so receiving some visuals ahead of the campaign is definitely appreciated and helps the organizations communicate their participation." 

Giving Tuesday is great for boosting your karma and giving it a couple of extra points. We encourage you to participate in Giving Tuesday this year and help hundreds of volunteers change the world into a sacred place on Earth. Follow this link to participate in Giving Tuesday this year.