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Black Friday and the Alternatives - Green, Big, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday
November 2024
Black Friday – love it or hate it, the term has become a familiar event in the winter calendar, bringing to mind tempting online deals and queues in the shops. For some it’s an exciting time to grab a bargain and get in the festive spirit. For others, the drive towards increased spending and over-consumption can feel at odds with environmental and community values.
Due to these conflicting connotations, a number of alternative names for Black Friday have emerged over the years, including:
- Giving Tuesday
- Green Friday
- Give Back Friday
- Big Friday
- Cyber Monday
Giving Tuesday
At Dona Donations we choose to celebrate Giving Tuesday, instead of Black Friday.
The third sector, including charities and not-for-profit organisations have, since 2012, embraced Giving Tuesday as an option for those wishing to give in a different way, or in addition to giving gifts to friends, family and loved ones over the festive season. Whether by contributing financially, donating time, or supporting a cause on social media, Giving Tuesday inspires individuals to take action and make a difference.
Some incredible stats showing how effective Giving Tuesday has been –
- £20.2 million – Donations on Giving Tuesday 2020, equivalent to almost £14,000 a minute and a 43% increase from Giving Tuesday 2019 (Visa UK data)
- Over 360m – Impressions on Twitter alone, trending on Twitter all day
- World Record – Giving Tuesday holds the world record for the most money raised online for charity in 24-hours!
Dona Donations celebrates Giving Tuesday instead of Black Friday to reflect our mission and ethos of charitable giving, and as another great way for us to help spread awareness and support the charitable organisations we support. Giving Tuesday welcomes all denominations and beliefs, and captures the spirit of our company values.
Giving Tuesday takes place on 3rd December in 2024, and at Dona we’re celebrating by offering a special discount on our newest DCPv3 contactless donation terminals, with £100 off each unit between the 25th November and the 6th December 2024.
There is no limit to the number of terminals that can be purchased. Find out more about our Giving Tuesday offer
How your charity can boost fundraising on Giving Tuesday
- Raise awareness of Giving Tuesday and share your Dona fundraising web page to capture donations from your social media channels.
- Include your Dona fundraising web page in your regular newsletter.
- Encourage your regular donors to use Giving Tuesday as an alternative to Black Friday and support your cause.
- Run specific Giving Tuesday campaigns that align with your charity missions.
- Hold an event, maybe a table sale with sponsored tables, or an auction of promises, so local business can also benefit.
- Host a coffee morning, cake sale or festive meal. Take along your contactless donation terminal to give people an easy way to make donations.
- Have additional contactless terminals available to avoid queues at fundraising events and promote their position in your venue.
- Encourage volunteers to join you and give their time and skills as well as donations to bolster your team and achieve your charity goals more quickly and efficiently.
If you would like to find out more about how our contactless donations could help boost your fundraising campaigns for the Giving Tuesday period or the festive season please give us a call or enquire now: https://donadonations.com/giving-tuesday-offer/
Remember we have our special Giving Tuesday deal with £100 off per terminal – just mention ‘Giving Tuesday’ when you enquire.
Why is Black Friday called ‘Black Friday’?
The day after Thanksgiving became known as Black Friday in the US, as all those who joined families for Thanksgiving then turned to Christmas shopping the following day. Many retailers were said to be in the red before this day and then, with the massive shopping frenzy on the Friday, they turned to profit and were very happy to be in the black – hence the name Black Friday.
Other Alternative Names for Black Friday:
Big Friday
Some police forces also coined the term “Black Friday” as the crazy shoppers became rather unruly which resulted in a very busy day for them. Therefore ‘Big Friday’ became popular as a replacement name for a while, as retailers tried to shake off the negative vibes.
As the last pay day before Christmas approaches it has become increasingly popular for retailers around the world to enjoy the boost to winter sales. They market Black Friday offers, and online ecommerce businesses follow suit with their Cyber Monday deals to secure gift sales ahead of competitors.
Green Friday
Green Friday was encouraged by environmentalists and eco-friendly retailers a few years ago with the aim of doing good and shopping with brands that were environmentally friendly.
Many businesses use Green Friday as an alternative to Black Friday to promote their recycling, reusing or sustainability campaigns.
Give Back Friday
Give Back Friday is another alternative to the traditional Black Friday shopping frenzy, encouraging individuals to dedicate time and resources to charity and community causes. Instead of focusing on consumerism, this movement promotes volunteering, donating, and supporting local initiatives. It’s an opportunity to use the holiday season to make a positive difference, helping those in need and fostering a spirit of generosity.
Cyber Monday
The name ‘Cyber Monday’ was coined by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation (NRF) in a press release in 2005. The term was created to describe the surge in online shopping that occurred on the Monday following Thanksgiving, when people returned to work after the holiday weekend. The idea was that many consumers, after spending time with family and Black Friday shopping in stores, would take advantage of online deals from their computers at work or at home. The word ‘cyber’ referred to the internet and online commerce, while ‘Monday’ marked the day it took place, as a contrast to Black Friday.