Black Friday for charities: how good causes are using the day
Melanie May | 29 November 2024 | News
The busiest shopping weekend of the year is here, with deals falling left, right and centre. So amongst all the consumerism, how can charities best mark Black Friday? Here’s some inspiration.
Trees for Streets is encouraging people to turn Black Friday into Green Friday by sponsoring a tree for their street or neighbourhood instead of turning to the shops. You can tell the charity where youβd like a tree, and they will tell your council who will see if the location is suitable. Once confirmed, a sponsorship donation is taken and the tree prepared for planting.
Advertisement
St Peter & St James Hospice is inspiring people both to donate to it, and to shop with it, sharing the message that donated items generate 30% of the income it needs to deliver care & support to those with life-limiting illnesses across Mid Sussex.
Gloucester Wildlife Trust is celebrating Green Weekend, and asking people to skip Black Friday and Cyber Monday to join them instead. The Trust is offering half price membership for those who join before midnight on Monday, 2 December.
St Wilfridβs Hospice is encouraging people to shop in one of its 11 charity shops instead of taking up the numerous retail offers being shared this Black Friday.
Carers in Herts is reminding people that they can shop through easyfundraising this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and raise donations for the charity of their choice at no cost to them.
As well as easyfundraising, people can support good causes whilst shopping through Give as you Live, reminds North West Pre-hospital Critical Care Charity.
SDSA is inviting people to give a charity donation on Black Friday β sharing its Advent-style Christmas charity fundraiser, Action for Advent, before the first door is opened on Sunday 1 December.
Muslim Charity is encouraging people to spread some goodness by ordering something from its own shop.
Move Against Cancer has its own sale on, offering half price on selected Move Against Cancer kit for a limited time.
Unique is offering a half price Black Friday deal on its Christmas cards β and December starts on Sunday!
A Finnish children’s cancer charity has also launched a special initiative to tie in with Black Friday sales, to help raise awareness of its mission and to encourage people to reconsider how they are spending their money during this year’s sales.
The campaign from Aamu Foundation mimics the polished aesthetics of Nordic childrenβs fashion advertisements, using soft pastels and familiar commercial tropes.
But the headlines deliver a shocking and powerful offer: βCANCER FOR SALEβ and βLIMITED TIME ONLY.β Instead of promoting trendy clothing, the ads urge people to rethink their spending habits and consider donating to support cutting-edge research.
βWeβre borrowing the same emotional triggers that make people shop on Black Friday,β says Laura Paasio, Executive Director of Aamu Foundation. βOur goal is to redirect that impulse towards saving lives. Without sustained donations, we risk losing access to the advanced treatments that save children with cancer.β
The campaign is running through Black Friday week.
More on Black Friday fundraising
- Black Friday with a charity twist (23 November 2018)
- 9 kinds of fundraising on Black Friday (25 November 2016)
- Alternative Black Friday round-up 2023 (24 November 2023)
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.