It's Giving Season: Aligning Your Brand with a Charitable Initiative

December 2nd, 2025, marks the 13th annual "Giving Tuesday," a global day of generosity in which people are encouraged to support a charity or cause they are passionate about through charitable donations or volunteering. Conveniently scheduled after the spend-a-thon of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday shifts the focus away from buying shiny new things, while also giving marketing professionals the opportunity to enhance their brand's image and build goodwill with customers.

Now, before you get cynical and tell me that philanthropy isn't really philanthropy if you benefit from it — Phoebe struggled with the concept of an "unselfish good deed" on an episode of Friends — consider that roughly a third of annual giving happens in December, and half of nonprofits are primarily funded through year-end giving. As a marketer, you can't argue that the timing is right. And if you act now, you still have time to make an impact for a worthy cause and your brand.

For example, you could do something simple, like committing to donate a set amount to a nonprofit your customer chooses when they sign or renew a contract before the end of the year. You could also create a friendly internal competition in which different teams support their chosen nonprofits through charitable donations or volunteering — a game that everyone wins. Share your company's efforts on social media and encourage your employees to also share, because generosity is contagious! Commit to making this an annual initiative that grows over time. 

If you want to plan in advance for next year, we think you'll be inspired by this story from RDH magazine, which recalls how a casual conversation at the RDH Under One Roof conference led to a nationwide initiative to amplify Alzheimer's prevention. In this example, one dental professional considered how dentistry could help fund brain research, noting the link between oral health and cognitive decline. A month later, her idea became a full-fledged plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from dental instrument sales with a partner company to support Alzheimer's research and prevention efforts.