December 30, 2019

The Charity Days you Need to Know About for 2020

As 2019 has drawn to a close, you’ll be looking back over the events of the past year while anticipating those that await you in 2020. It’s time to pencil in your calendar the most important dates of the year. Alongside birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, you might want to jot down the most important charity days of 2020 to make the next year your best fundraising year yet. Here are five dates not to miss.

World Cancer Day – 4th February 2020

Cancer is among the most common causes of death around the globe. In 2018, it accounted for approximately 9.6 million deaths across all countries, with higher death rates seen in middle and low-income nations. The disease is no less prevalent in the UK, where experts predict that 1 in 2 people born after 1960 will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. World Cancer Day aims to bring attention to the scale of the issue and maintain the momentum on the campaign to eradicate the illness. The Union for International Cancer Control, the organisation in charge of the event, even believe that some forms of the disease will be wiped out within a generation. Even more of a reason to pencil in this important fundraising date and start exploring some weird and wonderful fundraising ideas to try out!

Sports Relief – 9th-13th March 2020

Sports activities are a great way to fundraise – they motivate people and make raising money fun! However, fundraising through sport doesn’t just mean strapping on your running trainers and a dinosaur costume though – there are so many ways to generate donations through physical activity. All of these can be seen during the annual Sports Relief week, which aims to combat problems associated with global poverty – from homelessness to domestic abuse. Over the course of its 40-year history, the week has raised more than £1 billion for its causes.

Notable fundraising events conducted by brave individuals include David Walliams swimming across the English Channel and Eddie Izzard completing 27 marathons in 27 days. There’s no need to go to these lengths though if you want to get involved – why not set up a charity football match or tug-of-war with your colleagues to raise money for a great cause without the need to take on superhuman challenges.

Mental Health Awareness Week – 18th-24th May 2020

With the backing of figures like Prince William, Stephen Fry, and Ruby Wax, the importance of mental health is firmly rooted in the public consciousness. According to the charity MIND, 1 in 6 of us experience a mental health-related problem in any given week. Despite the Department of Health and Social Care allocating 10% of its total budget to mental health issues in 2018/19, increasing self-harm and suicide rates demonstrate that we’re not doing enough to deal with common problems such as anxiety and depression.

Mental Health Awareness week aims to improve this by raising well-needed funds for mental health initiatives. Last year, the week focused on the topic of body image and included talks, workshops, charity dinners, and even a skydive!

World Environment Day – 5th June 2020

Established by the United Nations in 1972, World Environment Day is an international attempt to raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. Each year there’s a different theme, and last year it was ‘Beat Air Pollution’. Schools, governments, and companies around the globe came together to look at how air quality affects our health and how it can be improved. The theme of 2020 is yet to be confirmed, but rest assured it’ll be an-internationally-relevant one!

Giving Tuesday – 1 December 2020

Giving Tuesday is exactly what it says on the tin – you give, and it’s on a Tuesday. To be more specific, it’s a day dedicated to charitable giving following the commercial rampages of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. People are encouraged to give their time or money to a cause they care about, whatever that may be. And it seems to be successful – Giving Tuesday is credited with raising the most amount of money ever in a 24-hour period, generating a substantial $45.8 million in 2015.

Whatever you have in store for 2020, make sure you don’t forget about the year’s biggest charity days. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to raise awareness about mental health, defeat disease, or combat climate change, mark these dates down in your diary so you don’t miss the boat. If you’re planning a charity event for 2020, why not take a look at our article on the weird and wonderful of fundraising for inspiration?

Regardless of your cause, GoodBox makes fundraising easier. Spare change is fast becoming a rarity, and relying on cash donations is a surefire way to fall short of your fundraising targets. Rather than collecting a few lonely pounds and pennies, take advantage of our contactless tap-to-donate technology to maximise income. Take a look at how organisations like the National History Museum and the Church of England are benefitting from moving with the times, and away from cash.

whois: Andy White Freelance WordPress Developer London