Now that the shopping frenzy of Black Friday is over for another year, on GivingTuesday, we look at ways to give back to our communities and to the world, to help make change for the better.
What began in the United States in 2012 as an initiative of the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation has since grown into a worldwide movement. Here in Canada, GivingTuesday was started by a number of organizations including GIV3 and CanadaHelps.org and now includes over 6,500 partners across the country. And the movement keeps growing. According to the GivingTuesday website, over 7,000 partners and millions of Canadians came together last year to support the movement, with people donating more than $21.9M online, in addition to volunteering and other forms of giving.
Our artistic community has been working flat out to survive, pivot and create through 2020. And as a result, audiences have been surprised, soothed and inspired. These works of art don’t only distract and uplift us during a very strange year, they also capture snapshots of this point in time, archiving our response to a global pandemic. Artists have volunteered their time to paint portraits of frontline workers, have written songs about isolation, and created works telling stories of hunger, fear, and injustice, helping ensure that those without public voices aren’t forgotten. GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to give back and support this work.

With the help of coaches from RBR Development Associates and The Good Partnership, our ArtSupport NL program (funded by the Provincial Government and Canadian Heritage) has been providing 25 arts organizations with professional fundraising knowledge and support. The first phase of this program, which concluded this past March, saw participating organizations increase their fundraising revenues by a collective 55 per cent. Check out these groups and visit their websites to support their efforts.
Artistic Fraud
Bonavista Biennale
Canadian Federation of Musicians
Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador
Dance NL
Eastern Labrador Arts Alliance
Eastern Edge Gallery
Newfoundland & Labrador Folks Arts Society
Kittiwake Dance Theatre
Landfall Trust
Lawnya Vawnya
Newman Sound
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Opera on the Avalon
Perchance Theatre
Quintessential Vocal Ensemble
The Rooms
Resource Centre for the Arts
St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
St. Michael’s Printshop
Theatre Newfoundland Labrador
Unscripted Twillingate Digital Arts Festival
VANL-CARFAC
Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland & Labrador

Arts organizations can’t survive on ticket sales alone. Part of their financial sustainability includes support from individuals, businesses and foundations in the community who believe in what they do and understand the importance of their contributions to society. Here at Business & Arts NL, we are grateful for our community members, sponsors, supporters, Business Volunteers for the Arts volunteers and all of those who believe in the intrinsic value of the arts.
This year has been a difficult one for many. Let’s come together and support local on this GivingTuesday!