Giving Tuesday: what is it and who has the best ideas?

The UK has imported discount extravaganzas Black Friday and Cyber Monday from America – and now it is time for Giving Tuesday. The "global day of giving" started in the US two years ago as an antidote to the festive shopping season and has been launched for the first time in the UK this year. So what's it all about?

What is Giving Tuesday?

It is a "day of giving", in which people and businesses are encouraged to donate time or money to help a good cause. It has grown into a global movement, spreading to Australia, Singapore, Canada, much of Latin America and Israel. In the UK, the campaign is being launched for the first time this year by the Charities Aid Foundation and software supplier Blackbaud. Last year in the US, online charity donations increased by 90 per cent to $21m on Giving Tuesday compared to the previous year.

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Who's involved?

Helen Mirren, Lily Cole, Ringo Starr and Kevin Bacon are all supporting the campaign. More than 750 UK businesses, charities and organisations are also said to have signed up as partners, from Argos and BT to Cancer Research UK and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Is it here to stay?

Cheryl Chapman, director of City Philanthropy, says Giving Tuesday has more longevity that other recent charity crazes. "To maintain momentum a social media campaign needs lots of fresh content," she writes in The Guardian. "While ice bucket challenge and no makeup selfie were prescriptive, Giving Tuesday is open to ideas – allowing participants to take the cause into their own hands." Chapman says she has high hopes of it becoming part of the annual calendar and Christmas tradition. "Instead of creating a sensational spike every so often, it will bring charitable giving into the social norm."

What ideas have charities come up with?

The Royal National Institute Of Blind People has been running a #passtheparcel social media campaign, in which tweeters can enter an hourly prize draw by sharing the charity's #passtheparcel tweet and donating £3 via text message. Get Connected, a charity that provides a free helpline for young people, is attempting to make London's longest paperchain, while Missing People is holding tea parties across the country to raise money.

Is it just about donating cash?

Aside from donating money or signing up to Payroll Giving, there are other ways that people can help on Giving Tuesday. Campaign organisers suggest donating blood or becoming an organ donor, or giving food to a local food bank, toys to Barnado's or unwanted items to charity shops. People are also being encouraged to offer help to their neighbours, sign up for regular volunteering sessions or simply buy a coffee for the person behind them in their local coffee shop. Other innovative ways of giving include 'Casserole Club' in which people can cook food for older neighbours who might be in need of a hot cooked meal and 'Streetbank' which enables you to lend or give away possessions you no longer need to anyone living within a mile of your home.