When your agency is on a mission to increase joy and reduce suffering on the planet, Giving Tuesday is the day post-Thanksgiving that the Guru Crew gets most excited about. It is true that Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are important retail and e-commerce drivers for many of the brands we support.
However, Giving Tuesday combats mass commercialisation in a way that we love by giving consumers a day to thoughtfully give back to causes close to their hearts, as opposed to shopping for goods.
Given that Guru works exclusively with the brands, organizations and movements who are sparking transformation for the greater good, we’re opting to highlight a few clients and partners today who are near and dear to us, and invite you to support them on this ‘holiday’ of charitable giving.
During this time of transformation in global consciousness, mental health is finding its moment of national acknowledgement. And, not a moment too soon, either. As suicide rates among teens and young adults reach their highest levels since 2000 — as much as a 50% increase in teens aged 15-19— support for the mental health crisis underfoot is crucial.
Luckily, organizations such as Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) exist to help end the stigma around mental health. Founded by actor Glenn Close and propelled by the work that the BC2M team facilitates every day with adults and young adults across the nation, BC2M provides resources to both learn and act.
This morning, B2CM posted this letter on Facebook from a student wanting to bring a BC2M HS Club to their campus. This is one way your #GivingTuesday gifts will create impact through new clubs for students in need.
“We recently lost a freshmen to suicide. Just weeks before his death I encountered him at my psychiatric appt. (wishing to hide and convince myself I was somehow different from everyone else there). I of course was friendly but could tell he was probably figuring I was there for some other reason. After his death, I was devastated but was filled with purpose-I have the power to make change and help others. What if he had looked at me and others and not felt so hopeless or alone.”
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO BC2M NOW
At the heart of our work with REBBL over the past two years has been the mission to end modern day slavery— human trafficking—across the globe through its parent organization Not for Sale. To date, REBBL sales have contributed more than $1M toward NFS’ efforts.
NFS provides “direct resources and support for those already affected by human trafficking,” including rescuing people out of traffic situations, but we admire them e qually for their efforts to stop the root causes of human trafficking ‘upstream,’ creating a dam in the situations that make humans vulnerable to be trafficked.
NFS works in regions all over the world, including Thailand, South Africa and the Peruvian Amazon. It is the latter region that we featured in the documentary that the Guru Crew supported REBBL and NFS to produce this year. Watch here.
It is astounding that human slavery still exists to this day. We invite you to help us, and help REBBL and help NFS end this inhumane practice.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO NFS NOW
We are so proud to be in the fight alongside our friends at the Nature Conservancy (TNC) to promote sustainable Tuna fishing practices for people, planet and ocean life in the Indo-Pacific, and what blows our minds is the fact that this work, while grand in nature and importance, is just a fraction of what TNC is addressing at a local, national and international level.
The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Solving the Planet’s Biggest Challenges is no small mission and for TNC, it includes: Tackling Climate Change; Protecting Land and Water, Provide Food and Water Sustainably, and Building Healthy Cities.
There are a number of ways to get involved at a local level (see here) but today, of course, we invite you to consider TNC among those to whom you give financial support.
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT TODAY AND DONATE TO TNC NOW
Did you know that nearly 80% of vision impairment can be prevented or cured? (Likely not, unless you work with the Seva Foundation, as we did, or learn about them, as you hopefully have through our work). Cataracts, the condition causing half of the world’s blindness, can be fixed with a 15-minute surgery.
Considered against the fact that “an estimated 253 million people live with vision impairment: 36 million are blind and 217 million have moderate to severe vision impairment. These numbers are projected to triple by 2050,” these numbers are staggering.
Furthermore, the World Bank names sight restoration as one of the most cost effective health interventions to reduce poverty. Which is why Seva’s work is so tremendously important.
Even more impactful? The fact that just one $50 donation restores sight to one person. That is a profound one-to-one ability to affect someone’s life on so many levels, allowing them to take care of their health, work for a living and contribute to their communities.
Just $50 and a 15-minute surgery? It doesn’t get much easier to make an impact than that. Please consider donating to Seva today to help relieve suffering and transform lives around the globe.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO SEVA NOW
Last, but certainly not least, is an organization close to our Founder Gagan’s family and heart, that Guru has been proud to support throughout the years, Conscious Alliance.
The Boulder.-based nonprofit announced last week that it has served one million meals to families in need this year as a result of its multiple initiatives and new collaborations with national musical acts, emerging and established brands, and peer nonprofits.
What began as a grassroots food drive at a local concert has blossomed into a national movement to bring healthy food to communities in need across the U.S. The one million meals mark brings the total amount of meals served by Conscious Alliance to just over 4 million since the nonprofit’s founding in 2002. On November 1st, the never stoppable or fatigable Conscious Alliance launched its campaign to raise food and funds in order to feed needy communities throughout the challenging winter months.
In 2019, new collaborations with nonprofits, national touring bands and natural and organic product brands jettisoned Conscious Alliance’s growth significantly. One such new partner is another Guru client, 1% for the Planet.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO CONSCIOUS ALLIANCE NOW
While many members of the Guru Crew personally support the organizations above through their own donations, there are a number of other local organizations that receive our support.
Today, the Guru Crew is contributing to the following local organizations that are personally important to them and their families:
Lastly, please remember that Facebook Match is matching donations dollar for dollar today on a first-come, first-served basis until $7,000,000 USD in eligible donations are made on the platform (any US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit eligible to receive donations on Facebook can be matched), up to a total of $100,000 per nonprofit organization. Each donor can have up to $20,000 in eligible donations matched on GivingTuesday and Facebook will cover processing fees so that when you donate using Facebook’s payments platform to a nonprofit organization, 100% of your donation goes to support the cause you care about.
