MONTREAL, QC – It would be hard to miss the Black Friday and Cyber Monday hype this year, but GivingTuesday offers Canadians a welcome counterpoint to all this consumerism. Just as Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, GivingTuesday is the opening day of the giving season.
In 2016, an estimated 6.2 million people in Canada did something to support their favourite cause for GivingTuesday. Whether donating money or volunteering time and talent, participation continues to grow. November 28th is Canada’s fifth annual GivingTuesday and organizers GIV3 and CanadaHelps.org are expecting more impact than ever.
According to a survey carried out in December 2016 for GIV3, 22% of Canadian adults took part in GivingTuesday activities. Most participants made donations (about 3.5 million people), and many millions more volunteered for non-profits or gave back in other inspiring ways including food, clothing, shoe and toy drives, committing to blood or organ donations and taking action on social media.
“We’re so excited to see the GivingTuesday momentum,” says Lys Hugessen, President of GIV3. “With more than 6,000 partners, 42 community groups, and so many generous Canadians, participation is at its highest level ever.”
