Tis’ the Season to Give Cheer

Originally published on PayPal Stories

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and while it’s a season of giving gifts to family and friends, it’s also a season of giving gifts to the people and causes that need it most. Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. It’s a global movement that has been built by diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage charitable giving, which ultimately has the power to unite us and bring about positive change. PayPal has been a lead supporter of the movement from the beginning, powering millions of charitable donations from hundreds of countries around the world. Last year, PayPal users helped set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS^® for the “most money raised online for charity in a 24-hour period” raising over $45.8M, and we can’t wait to see what we can do together in 2016.

#GivingTuesday will officially kick off PayPal’s holiday giving campaign and this year we’re expanding our global giving campaign to even more countries like Israel and Russia, in an effort to bring charitable giving to unprecedented levels.

Beginning on #GivingTuesday and throughout the holiday season, PayPal will add 1% to every donation made at paypal.com/givecheer to ensure 101% of every donation goes to the cause of your choice. We’ll also be celebrating the season of giving in new and interesting ways around the world this year. For example, in the U.S., we’re helping consumers to fundraise on behalf of their favorite charity through a brand new partnership with GoFundMe. And for those that want to give back quickly and securely on the go, we’ve introduced a new donate feature into the PayPal app. In Moscow, we’ve teamed up with famous Russian tattoo artist Sasha Unisex to create exclusive t-shirts to give away to PayPal donors who set up recurring donations which provide charities with a steady, predictable source of income. Just after #GivingTuesday, PayPal will also be supporting The French Muscular Dystrophy Association AFM-Téléthon, one of France’s largest fundraising events which takes place every year on the first weekend of December and funds research that benefits millions of people affected by neuromuscular diseases.

No matter where you are in the world, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating #GivingTuesday by giving back on Tuesday, November 29th. Happy Holidays to all!