Black Friday is usually a day all about spending. What if you could do that, plus give back to a good cause at the same time? Below are five ways to do just that.
South Africa – Traditionally, not many people think about how to give back on Black Friday. Everyone’s looking for the best discounts and great deals. But did you know that you can use Black Friday to give back to a cause that you are passionate about? Here’s how.
Give back extra with your MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card
Supporters of the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet community loyalty programme will be happy to hear that every time they swipe their cards or shop online using their cards, not only will they continue to raise funds towards their cause of choice, but an additional amount will be donated to help alleviate hunger when shopping at Woolworths. This is over and above what they usually raise for their cause of choice. This is not only running on Black Friday, but all the way through the festive season (until 31 December).
Participate in Giving Tuesday
The Tuesday after Black Friday is a day that has been set aside for giving back. #GivingTuesday takes place on 3 December 2019, and it aims to encourage consumers to giveback in any way possible. It could be a gift to someone who deserves it, giving your time to a cause or giving your voice to a movement. According to givingtuesdaysa.org, in 2018, $380 million was raised, globally.
Buy a Relate Bracelet
If you’re shopping online this Black Friday or Cyber Monday, pop on over to relate.org.za and purchase a few Relate Bracelets. By doing so, you support a number of worthy charities such as wildlife conservation and social upliftment. These bracelets also creates jobs elderly women living in underprivileged communities. Alternatively, if you’re out shopping at brick and mortar stores, have a look to see if they sell Relate bracelets, and if they do, be sure to add one or two to your shopping cart.
Click that donate extra button when prompted
Many online stores and online payment systems give you an option to add as little as R5 extra to your total. According to African automated payments clearing house BankservAfrica, there were 404,594 online transactions in South Africa on Black Friday last year. Now, if just one third of those transactions decided to click the “donate extra” button and it was set to R5, that would be well over half a million rand going towards a worthy cause.
Use this as an opportunity to shop ethically
Sustainable fashion and beauty can be tough on the bank balance as environmentally friendly products often cost a bit more. This is why Black Friday and Cyber Monday are excellent times to buy ethical beauty and fashion products. It’s the perfect time to look out for sustainable brands that have great discounts over this period.
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