How to Maximize the Impact of Giving Tuesday: Tips from charity: water and CouponCause

As today is Giving Tuesday and with Giving Back a core value at Prodege, we wanted to highlight one of our charitable partners. Bess Devenow, Prodege’s Director of Marketing took the time to speak with two veterans in philanthropy who are passionate about this season of charitable giving: Tim Stratton, Brand Partnerships Senior Associate at charity: water and Zac Duvernet, Founder & GM of recent Prodege acquisition, CouponCause.

Tim was initially drawn to charity: water because of the ability to transform lives by giving families access to clean water; working alongside an equally passionate team was an added bonus. He also finds great inspiration in the giving spirit of the donors: “Since joining, I have been blown away by the passionate generosity and support of our community. From mom and pop stores giving through hard times, our incredible Well Community who fund our operations, to our Spring community who give as little as $5 month over month, I’m inspired every day by the big ways people give! It reminds me that there is so much good in the world and so many people who want to do more and help others.” 

Meanwhile, Zac came up with the idea for CouponCause after seeing a “gap in the market for a business that would help users raise donations through their shopping efforts. There are so many websites that offer cash back but I had a hunch that there was a large set of shoppers who cared about giving back to amazing charities and would be interested in a site that made donations on their behalf instead of giving cash back.”

What began as a hobby site quickly morphed into a thriving business that has raised over half a million dollars for a range of non-profits. Zac knew CouponCause had “made it” in 2016, “when we reached our first $100,000 in donations and were featured on KTLA for the LA Food Bank drive where we presented them with a $25,000 check.”  Zac is also incredibly proud of recently partnering with charity: water to complete two water projects in Niger and Côte D’Ivoire: “The two wells we sponsored will provide safe and clean water to over 900 people for years to come.”

While Giving Tuesday was launched less than a decade ago, Tim and Zac have seen its powerful impact first-hand throughout recent years. Tim elaborates that “Q4 of each year consistently shows to be the most generous time of the year. Almost 50% of our donations come in the last quarter. I think the end of the year brings the best out of people. Whether it be the holiday giving season or a time to reflect on the year’s impact, End of Year giving always blows us away.”  

Tim also points to the importance of personalizing the direct impact of contributions. “Over the past few years, we have taken the time on Giving Tuesday to turn the thanks back on our supporters…telling stories, showing the effect on people’s lives, the incredible changes that come from your generosity.”  

Zac identifies Giving Tuesday as one of his favorite days of the year and offers smart suggestions for organizations looking to maximize their impact. “Running a donation match campaign is one of the most effective ways organizations can build engagement with their constituents and grow donations further. When people see that their donation will be matched, they are more likely to give and be further involved with the charity. Each year, CouponCause makes strategic donations to key non-profits that are running donation match campaigns so that our donations go even further. 

Looking to make an impact and “Give Back” today? Visit charity: water and donate today or sign up for a Swagbucks account to choose from a range of charities to donate to.