About the Initiative
Giving Tuesday is an international charity movement. It emerged in the US in 2012 and expanded to Ukraine in 2018 on the initiative of Kateryna Zagoriy and under the support of the Zagoriy Foundation, the Tabletochki CF, Dobrodiy Club, and the Ukrainian Forum of Philanthropists.
The initiative is currently developed by the
Zagoriy Foundation team.
Giving Tuesday concept
Every year, after Black Friday and Thanksgiving comes Giving Tuesday. This is a day when people and companies donate to charity, showing their involvement in important social issues. The format and amount of aid may vary, while the key aspect is cooperation, unity, and ability to not just receive but also give.
Giving Tuesday in Ukraine. Reports
Since our first event, the Giving Tuesday team in Ukraine has been looking for ways to show how accessible, creative, effective, and transformative philanthropy can be. While we used to talk about charity on one’s own initiative, we now talk about more systematic and sustainable practices, e.g., social responsibility and a culture of gratitude. We talk about “charity” increasingly less, focusing more and more on the wider concept of “involvement.” Read further on how we came to review this issue.
≈15,000,000 UAH raised
A heart-shaped paper clip, designed by the Hooga agency, became the symbol of Giving Tuesday in Ukraine. We collaborated with Sova Jewelry to launch a charity jewelry collection and partnered with Cosmopolitan to create temporary tattoos. Together with Planeta Kino and Molodiya, we introduced the Charity Ads festival for social advertising, while Radio Aristocrats and Ukrainian artists brought the Bedstock music festival to life. Leading media outlets covered Giving Tuesday, and it became a key topic at the Tabletochki charity event and Kindness Lessons in schools.
open report
≈19,000,000 UAH raised
For the first time, we organized events to foster a culture of charitable giving, i.e., a fundraising training by Bill King and a mini-grant competition for new philanthropic projects. We also involved companies with their own initiatives and aimed to bring charitable giving out of the shadows. That’s why we continued the Charity Ads Festival, created a stock photo platform with the Ukrainian Philanthropists Forum, and launched the “Good is Not Quiet” flash mob. It was a year when Gulliver shone with good deeds, and social media buzzed with kindness.
open report
The Year of Co-Creation
A year of co-creation and reflection on how the pandemic had reshaped approaches to charity. We organized a fundraising marathon, recognized the best student-led charity projects, brought colleagues together for a public discussion, and launched fundraising talks with the Zagoriy Foundation team. We also went beyond expectations — hosting a Giving Race, debunking myths about giving with Tattoo Studio 22, and, for the first time, declaring that “Goodness should be loud” and that Giving Tuesday should be every day. That year, we had no financial goal; yet it proved that together, we can achieve anything.
open report
≈25,500,000 UAH raised
The Giving Race and Kind Challenge raised over UAH 1,100,000! We scaled up successful practices launched previously while introducing new ones. In particular, we collaborated with EdCamp to create a teacher’s guide offering ideas for Kindness Lessons throughout the year. That year, virtual blogger Astra Star spoke about Giving Tuesday, renowned Ukrainians wore our charity scarf designed with Oliz, and the Docudays documentary film festival sparked conversations on charity and volunteering.
open report
≈2,500,000 UAH raised
That year tested but did not break us. We shared our experiences with colleagues, organized a mini-grant competition with Goodacity, and hosted an online festival Dobrofest. For the first time, our calendar of good deeds spanned 365 days — an essential response to the reality of the full-scale Russian invasion. The National Bank of Ukraine joined us as a partner in our work with children and youth. Together, we stand united with the state in a common cause.
open report
≈3,800,000 UAH raised
We are grateful to every corporate, public, and non-profit organization that found energy and time and joined Giving Tuesday’s aid list. That year, we welcomed many new partners, as acts of engagement and donations became part of everyday life. Companies like SoftServe, DniproLab, Lviv Handmade Chocolate, etc. continued their corporate traditions of giving. With the support of the NBU, we expanded our initiatives for children, and thanks to the Ukrainian Catholic University, we strengthened our work with youth.
open report
The Year of Engagement
The Year of Engagement
Giving Tuesday in Ukraine took on a new format that year.
What was once a “Day of Good Deeds” evolved into a day for reflecting on a year of charitable efforts, with a primary focus on corporate engagement. Throughout the year, we explored corporate social responsibility, systematizing the best practices in The Engaged: A Guide to CSR, revived the major annual survey of the charitable sector, and hosted a large-scale conference uniting business and civil society. Our work with youth was supported by partners we are proud to collaborate with, i.e., the Ukrainian Catholic University and the National Bank of Ukraine.