#GivingTuesday signs up 1,000 partners

Rainbow Living has joined more than 1,000 UK charities and businesses as an official partner of #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving at the start of the festive season.

The day, led in the UK by the Charities Aid Foundation, takes place on December 1 and follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday - two of the UK’s biggest shopping days. It is an opportunity for charities, families, businesses, community centres and students to come together to do something good for a cause they care about.

Exeter-based Rainbow Living will be using the day to thank donors and supporters, and hopes to work with a number of local partners to raise funds for the charity’s third Rainbow house.

Ruth Airdrie from Rainbow Living said: "The #GivingTuesday movement gives us a chance to connect with the local community and share and celebrate all the great work we all do, as well as giving us a chance to thank donors and raise awareness. Being part of such a fast growing movement is really exciting".

With six weeks still to go, hitting 1,000 partners guarantees that #GivingTuesday 2015 will be even bigger than last year, when just over 800 organisations signed up as official partners for the UK’s first #GivingTuesday. The day saw a surge in donations, trended on social media and was backed by high profile celebrities and politicians.

Charities and businesses taking part this year include the Stroke Association, GoodGym, Dementia UK, Volunteer Now, WaterAid, NSPCC, Stonewall, RSPCA, Homes for Veterans, RBS, Microsoft and Morrisons.

Kim Roberts, CAF’s #GivingTuesday campaign manager said: “We are astounded at the response to #GivingTuesday this year and delighted that we have hit 1,000 partners already. After two of the most frenetic shopping days of the year, #GivingTuesday is a day when charity can really kick off Christmas.

“People now have an extra reason to be charitable and shout about it. It is a chance for charities to celebrate the great work they do and for people to give back to the causes they care about.”

#GivingTuesday came to the UK for the first time last year, having originated in the USA in 2012. It now takes place in 12 countries across the world. This time last year just 285 organisations were on board for the UK campaign.

Last year charity donations online rose sharply on #GivingTuesday. Just Giving saw a 46% increase in donations compared to the previous year and Visa found that an average of £2500 was donated every minute on #GivingTuesday by UK Visa cardholders – this was a 10% higher than figures for the same day in 2013. Last year the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and a number of celebrities including Helen Mirren, David Tennant, Tom Daley and Rita Ora all publicly supported the campaign.

Last week founder of MoneySavingExpert.com Martin Lewis launched a search for charity heroes to put themselves, colleagues or friends forward to become the face of #GivingTuesday in the UK and help to recognise the millions of people across the UK who do so much to support good causes. Community activists are being encouraged to put themselves forward as the Champion of the campaign, and the winner will be announced at the #GivingTuesday Parliamentary Reception in November, also receiving £250 to give to a charity of their choice.