Giving Tuesday: how much is a gift worth?

Seven years ago an Anglo-Saxon tradition arrived in Italy, that of Giving Tuesday which comes after Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday and falls on this Tuesday in 2023. The day dedicated to gifts, generosity and solidarity, was born in New York in 2012. The invitation is to donate, something material, but not only that: you can donate your work, your expertise, your time. World Giving Day has become a global event. People can show their generosity in so many ways on GivingTuesday – whether it’s helping a neighbor, supporting a cause, sharing a skill or donating to your favorite Organization. Every act of generosity counts.

According to the Italian Solidarity survey carried out by Bva Doxa, nin 2022, Italians who have made at least one donation to an association rose to 55%, compared to 35% in 2021 and 21% in 2020. The estimate of average donations rose from 61 to 69 euros for those who donated to an association. The estimate of average annual spontaneous donations to a non-profit organization is also growing: 84 euros in 2022, compared to 73 in 2021. One in 5 Italians continues to prefer medical-scientific researchfollowed by emergency humanitarian aid and, with a significant increase compared to 2022, animal rescue, protection and rights.

A significant figure concerns donations for Ukraine: 20% of Italians (one in five) declared that they had made an ad hoc donation for a cause linked to the war, from supporting the population remaining in Ukraine to supporting interventions in favor of refugees, up to donations dedicated to animals abandoned or ran away with their owners. A third of these donors chose to go through a non-profit organisation, a higher figure than what happened during the Covid emergency.

The objective of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of a gesture of generosity and promote the culture of solidarity. Giving Tuesday wants everyone to participate in building a more just and supportive world. In Italy it has been organized and promoted, since 2017, by the AIFR Foundation, which from the beginning wanted to highlight the commitment of the Third Sector, also inviting people to support the impact that every single action can generate on the community. The initiative has the patronage of ANCI – National Association of Italian Municipalities, Assifero, ASSIF – Italian Fundraiser Association and CSVNet.

«GivingTuesday is a movement to raise awareness of solidarity and wants to spread the culture of giving as a daily gesture», explains Marco Cecchini, President of the AIFR Foundation, «The world of solidarity is changing: there is an awareness of the donor who wants to be a promoter of change and development. In this context it is important to inform and raise awareness of the importance of the Gift as a culture. A solidarity that is expressed all year round, and not just during highly emotional events, in order to truly bring about change and have an impact on the whole of society.” Here are all the initiatives.