6 Ways to “Be the Good” this GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is the single biggest day of giving in the world. That said, the goal of Giving Tuesday is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond December 3rd.

In a year filled with divisive headlines, political movements and natural disasters – we want to focus on the good that’s happening in the world and the good news makers this #GivingTuesday. At Salesforce.org, we see good everywhere, and we see the people and technology behind it. This #GivingTuesday, be the good. Just give. Time. Money. Or a small act of kindness.

Whether you work at a nonprofit, company or simply just want to give back — here are six things you can do this #GivingTuesday to “be the good”:

1. Map your impact to the Sustainable Goals (SDGs)

The SDGs are the world’s to-do list for people and the planet by 2030. Launched at the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 and adopted by 193 countries, the 17 global goals measure our collective progress against the world’s most pressing challenges. They are an urgent call for action for public, private, and social sectors to come together in global partnership.

The SDGs show us where we need to focus and where you can focus your giving back efforts this #GivingTuesday. For example, regarding SDG #1: No Poverty – there are 1.1 billion people estimated to be experiencing homelessness by the UN. For SDG #10: Reduce Inequality – there are 26M refugees today and that number is rising. For SDG #13: Climate Action – our carbon footprint is the highest it has been in 3 million years. Charity Navigator and Global Giving are great giving guide resources to find organizations that map back to the goals.

2. Get your company involved in giving back

Employees are bringing their heart and soul to work these days. In fact, 60 percent of employees today want to work for a company with a culture that supports giving. If you’re inspired by Greta Thunberg and the youth climate movement, there’s a way to create movements in the workplace, organize fundraising campaigns and volunteering activities, and stay up-to-date on related causes. Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud is a platform that makes rallying employees in the workplace to volunteer and donate easier. Companies of all sizes, including Kellogg Company and Deloitte, are using Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud to connect employees to causes and make an impact in their communities.

3. Eat more veggies

This way to “be the good” is a win-win: you can get a head start on your New Year’s health goals, AND help the planet at the same time. Even if you don’t want to give up meat entirely, eating vegetarian for a day or “vegan before 6 pm” can help us make progress towards SDG #13: Climate Action.

Why? According to New York Times bestseller Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, “The most conservative estimates suggest that raising livestock accounts for nearly 15 percent of global greenhouse gases emitted each year; the most comprehensive assessments of direct and indirect emissions say more than 50 percent. If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.” As part of our commitment to sustainability, Salesforce has gone beefless at Dreamforce. Why not give it a try at home?

4. Think globally

While #GivingTuesday originated in the U.S., the movement has spread worldwide and is growing fast in Europe. Last year alone, #GivingTuesday was held in more than 150 countries across the globe and raised upwards of €350 million for the nonprofit sector. We’re partnering with #GivingTuesday in the U.K., Netherlands, France and Spain in order to support the growing movement. If you’re a nonprofit based in Europe and you want to drive more impact and reach an engaged audience of potential donors, learn more about #GivingTuesday in Europe!

5. Make unrestricted donations

When donating this #GivingTuesday – support the whole nonprofit by making unrestricted donations. When you make unrestricted donations, nonprofits can decide how to best use their limited funds, which enables them to have more breathing room to invest in the future for things like technology and staff trainings. If you’re still looking at overhead as a measure of impact, you’re looking in the wrong direction. See Dan Pallotta’s TED talk for more on debunking the overhead myth.

Credit: Common Impact Skills For Cities Event, Boston 2019

6. Give your skills

Not only can you give time and money this #GivingTuesday, but giving back with your skills through pro bono volunteering is an impactful way to make a difference. And yes, there’s a cloud for that! Philanthropy Cloud is a platform that helps companies connect employees to causes through giving, matching, and volunteering. Additionally, VolunteerMatch, Catchafire and Taproot are great resources to uncover opportunities. Or for nonprofits looking for pro bono or skilled volunteers to help their organizations thrive, check out How To Succeed with Pro Bono Volunteers from experts at Salesforce.org and Common Impact. This Pro Bono Project Management Trail can help you with project management skills, too.

Still curious what the fuss is about #GivingTuesday? Check out this webinar on how the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and First Book ran their Giving Tuesday campaigns.

WATCH THE WEBINAR