At GivingTuesday, we’ve always known that generosity is a source of boundless joy. The act of giving, driven by empathy and compassion, brings immense happiness to the giver, the recipient, and anyone who witnesses that act of generosity. It’s a beautiful cycle that leaves us with one resounding truth: when something fills your heart with this much joy, you can’t help but want to do it again.
As we approach this year’s GivingTuesday, we invite you to reflect on how you can center joy in your campaigns. Let’s embrace the happiness that giving brings and inspire others to do the same. Together, we can create a global wave of generosity that reaffirms that joy-driven giving is a force for positive change. Share your stories, inspire your communities, and let’s make this GivingTuesday a celebration of the pure, unadulterated joy of giving.
For inspiration, here are 10 joyful GivingTuesday campaign examples.
Casserole Challenge: Food, Joy, and Community
Organized by the Jewish Volunteer Connection in Baltimore, the Casserole Challenge brought local volunteers and businesses together to prepare casseroles, providing over 7,000 meals to 13 local partner organizations. Those preparing the dishes found happiness in the act of cooking and giving, while the casserole recipients, often facing challenging circumstances, experienced the warmth and comfort of a home-cooked meal, creating a beautiful circle of joy.
Guam’s Giving Marathon: Island of Joy: GivingTuesday Guam’s island-wide giving marathon united the entire community and spread cheer throughout the day. The bus tour, youth involvement, and “Walls of Kindness” not only put a smile on the face of recipients but also filled the givers with a sense of pride in knowing they made a positive impact on their island.
Dancing for Pride: Wyoming Equality’s #WYGivesWithPride campaign celebrated GivingTuesday with acts of service and a lively Instagram Live dance party. Givers found joy in giving back to their community, and dancers felt the love and support of their fellow community members, making it a day of shared happiness.
A Bob Ross-Themed Event: Coral Springs Museum of Art and The Sawgrass Nature Center collaborated on a Bob Ross-inspired Paint for a Purpose event, and the shared proceeds benefited both organizations. The community created art together and knew that their shared efforts would benefit the organizations they cared about.
Generations United: Kids & Elderly Joy: Children living at the Ciudad de los Niños Tijuana, who are unable to live with their families or are orphaned, brought joy to the elderly community on GivingTuesday. They donated toys, games, and spent meaningful time together. This act of generosity and the shared moments of happiness created a heartwarming exchange between generations.
Channeling Artistic Skills for Good: GivingTuesday organizers in St. Marys, Canada, along with small business owners, created an auction for chairs that were creatively revived by local artists. Everyone marveled at the artistic transformations of the chairs, and the new owners took pride in raising funds to support community meals.
“Oyez: Generosity is Fun”: A town crier in Worthing, UK,, got into full costume to spread the news about #GivingTalents on GivingTuesday. The Town Crier offered free historical tours of the seaside town. Participants in this campaign enjoyed the cultural exchange and opportunity to learn the town’s history, fostering a sense of community.
Inventing a New Ice Cream Flavor: The collaboration between #BrooklynGives and The Social to create a new ice cream flavor brought joy to Brooklyn. Members of the community enjoyed the creative process of flavor ideation and the knowledge that their efforts would benefit local nonprofits. The shared excitement around the new ice cream flavor became a source of communal joy on GivingTuesday.
Nigerian Heroic Mural: Joyful Tribute: A group of friends in Nigeria came together to paint a vibrant mural in Benue State, paying tribute to a local hero who runs an orphanage. Everyone expressed their gratitude through art, and the orphanage’s children saw their local streets adorned with colorful murals.
Chilean Knitting Unity: Threads of Joy: In Iquique, Chile, the “Arañitas Solidarias” (Solidarity Spiders), a group of knitting enthusiasts, organized a special knitting session in support of local nonprofits. This heartwarming gathering provided essential knitted items to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and schools. The act of knitting together for a greater cause filled both the givers and the receivers with happiness, as they saw their collective efforts making a tangible difference in their community.
Remember to put GivingTuesday on your calendar and follow along in the coming weeks for resources that will help you infuse joy into your GivingTuesday plans. Together, we can spread smiles, ignite happiness, and make the world a better place through joyful generosity.
