MAKE A DIFFERENCE YOUR WAY FOR MANDELA DAY
On Monday 18 July, people across South Africa will take action and inspire others to do the same for Mandela Day. Many choose to mark the occasion by volunteering for 67 minutes, one for each year of Nelson Mandela’s public service.
But there’s no need to stand back if you can’t volunteer on the day. The theme for Mandela Day 2022 is to “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are” – and according to Jannie Smith of online fundraising platform GivenGain, there are other equally impactful ways to join in the celebrations.
“Online donations and fundraising are a powerful way to support the charities you care about,” says Smith. “Every little bit helps, but if you want to make the biggest possible impact, fundraising can have a multiplier effect. The average fundraiser on GivenGain raises R7 500 in donations from their networks of friends, family and colleagues, on their own schedule, wherever they are in the world.”
Gaming – or anything – for Good
One group that will be doing what they can on Mandela Day are South Africa’s legion of Gamers for Good. Inspired by star live streaming fundraisers like Grant Hinds and Afro Daddy, gamers will be live streaming their Mandela Day gaming sessions for donations to charity. Streamers can use free tools like the GivenGain Live Stream Widget to add fundraising to their live streams, complete with live totals and instant confetti-style on-screen celebration of donors.
But in-person fundraising projects are still just as important. Supporters of the Imbumba Foundation on GivenGain are raising money ahead of Trek4Mandela, a group climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. This year is the 10th anniversary of the first Trek4Mandela expedition, and the charity is also organising an all-women climb for Women’s Day on 9 August.
“Online fundraising is whatever you make of it,” says Smith. “Whatever talent or passion you have, you can use it to raise funds for your favourite charity.”
Seize the day
While volunteers and fundraisers are encouraged to make every day a Mandela Day, Smith says big days of giving are particularly successful at inspiring people to volunteer, fundraise and donate.
Being swept up in the moment is a great way to rally people to work towards a common goal.
For charities, the big fundraising totals that tend to go with big days of giving is all the proof they need of their effectiveness. Fundraisers on GivenGain raised more than R480 000 for 43 different charities on Mandela Day 2021, beating the 2020 total by almost R100 000. And for companies, it is a great way to raise employee engagement levels, increase their social impact, and attract a new generation of socially responsible Gen Z-ers as employees. Here and here are some great examples of corporate fundraising events for previous Mandela Days.
And while Mandela Day has been a charity calendar fixture every year since 2010, other days of giving have had a huge impact too. “In fact, you don’t need an official day at all when you can create a corporate fun run or bake sale or bazaar of your own! The sky’s the limit,” says Smith.
By getting Mandela Day trending online, fundraisers and donors can encourage friends of charity to get involved from anywhere with an Internet connection.
“We mustn’t forget that Nelson Mandela continues to inspire people around the world. When we create a buzz online about Mandela Day and give people ways to join in from wherever they are, it reaches far beyond South Africa’s borders,” says Smith. “People in 25 different countries donated or fundraised through GivenGain for Mandela Day last year, to the benefit of great South African charities like the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Imbumba Foundation and AfriPaw Animal Welfare.”
To start taking action, visit the Mandela Day 2022 page on GivenGain and click ‘Donate’ or ‘Start fundraising’. Charities that are not yet on GivenGain can join for free by visiting here.