Social media contest: Tell us what the joy of giving means to you! 

Show us what the joy of giving means to you, and then get even more to give.

Tuesday, December 3rd, is Giving Tuesday—recognized internationally as a day to highlight generosity. We are celebrating the day with a new contest! Read on to learn more. 

Research consistently shows that giving is a joyful experience. With the busy giving season upon us, we want to know, what does the joy of giving look like to you? So we have launched a #GivingTuesday social media contest! Find and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

#GivingTuesday contest to win charitable dollars!

To enter: Show us in photos, illustrations, paintings, or even haikus just what the joy of giving means to you! Share your entry posts to Twitter or Instagram, tagging @wearecharitable, and using the hashtags #GiveJoy2019 & #GivingTuesday.

Three lucky winners will be selected to receive BIG PRIZES of charitable dollars:
1st prize – $2,500 charitable dollars to give to the cause or causes of your choice
2nd prize – $1,000 charitable dollars
3rd prize – $500 charitable dollars

The contest will run from Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, December 6th. Participants must be Canadian residents. 

What is Giving Tuesday all about?

The first Tuesday in December has been declared Giving Tuesday. For the past seven years, this awareness-building day has fallen on the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving. It highlights and celebrates the joy of giving to others and being charitable, coming on the heels of the more consumer-oriented Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The organizations that launched this day in 2012 wanted to nudge individuals towards giving to those less needy, and to shift the conversation from buying to being charitable. Since then the movement has gained ground internationally. A recent study found that about 45% of adults in the United States are aware of the day. The #GivingTuesday hashtag has taken off around the world with international variations like #MardiJeDonne (France) and #DiadeDoar (Portuguese).

We know that Canadians are charitable and there is no doubt that we enjoy the joy of giving. Seven in ten Canadians say they feel a personal responsibility to help make the world a better place, and 84% of Canadians donate to charity in some form (this includes donating one’s time as a volunteer and donating items such as clothes or food). Let’s show our generosity to the world this Giving Tuesday and spread the joy!

Spread the joy of giving throughout the year

Giving helps us by helping others. Research consistently shows that giving is a universally joyful experience. According to repeated studies, it doesn’t really matter how much you give. It matters more that you are helping others. When you give with intention, you get an even bigger reward of joy in return. Knowing the impact of your giving can help make you feel even better about your contributions. 

 Giving more regularly can help to keep the feeling of joy going. One study found that individuals who gave $5 every day for the course of five days felt happier than individuals who didn’t spend money on others. 

It’s uplifting to know that you don’t have to make grand gestures in order to feel joy. Something to keep in mind as you plan your giving for 2020. Making regular contributions can be a way to continue to sprinkle a little bit of good cheer throughout your year.