Choose the right participation model
| Model | What it involves | What needs confirming |
|---|---|---|
| Company gift | The business donates its own money | Budget, recipient, purpose and approval |
| Employee giving | Individuals choose whether to donate | Voluntary participation and official giving route |
| Employer match | The company adds money under agreed conditions | Eligibility, limits, timing and administration |
| Staff time or expertise | People carry out an agreed task | Recipient need, scope, paid time and supervision |
These models can be combined, but explain them separately. If the company gives $1,000 and employees donate privately, report the company gift without guessing the employee total. If staff spend time on a task, describe the work rather than assigning it an invented financial value.
Choose a cause the team can understand
Explain why the cause matters and what the recipient does. The purpose should be specific enough for a colleague to describe without repeating a slogan. If the team is considering Not For Sale, begin with the case for support and choose one issue guide as background reading.
Human trafficking and environmental harm can raise questions about work, recruitment, purchasing and the use of natural resources. A workplace discussion can examine those connections without pretending that every business has the same risks. Do not imply that making a donation certifies the company’s labor practices or environmental performance.
Make participation genuinely voluntary
Offer colleagues a way to learn or contribute time without making a personal donation. Avoid public giving leaderboards, requests to disclose why someone declined or pressure from line managers. People’s finances and relationships with particular causes are private.
Consider practical access as well. Can remote staff take part? Does an activity fall outside someone’s working hours? Is a venue accessible? Can a colleague join without appearing in photographs? These questions are part of organizing an inclusive activity, not additions to address after the invitation has gone out.
Give each task an owner
The organizer should know who approves company spending, verifies the donation route and answers questions. If a payment requires a supplier record, tax information or another internal process, speak to finance early. Do not promise a transfer date that depends on approvals nobody has requested.
For an event or volunteer task, identify the contact at the recipient organization and agree how much coordination it can provide. A charity may not have capacity to create a special activity for a large team. Ask about existing needs before planning the company’s preferred experience.
A four-week preparation plan
| Period | Main work | What should be settled |
|---|---|---|
| Four weeks before | Choose the route and recipient | Purpose, budget and organizer |
| Three weeks before | Confirm practical arrangements | Approvals, contact and any matching terms |
| Two weeks before | Prepare the invitation | Clear action and an inclusive alternative |
| Final week | Check the details | Links, timing, access and question handling |
| Giving Tuesday | Deliver the agreed activity | A working route to participate |
| Following week | Reconcile and thank | Confirmed results and outstanding tasks |
This is a suggested planning schedule, not a rule about when participation must start. If time is short, choose a simpler activity. A company donation with a clear explanation may be more practical than organizing an event and expecting a charity to accommodate it at short notice.
How to handle employer matching
Start by asking whether a program already exists. If it does, use its actual eligibility rules and submission process. If it does not, a new matching offer needs approval before it appears in employee communications.
A usable offer states who can participate, which organizations qualify, the matching rate, any per-person or total cap, the dates covered and how gifts will be confirmed. It should also explain what happens if requests exceed the budget. The employee should not have to discover the most important restriction after making a donation.
Sample inquiry: “We are considering a Giving Tuesday activity supporting [charity]. Could you confirm whether employee gifts qualify for matching, the limits and deadline, and how receipts should be submitted? Please also let us know how the company confirms that the match has been paid.”
A team session that leads somewhere
For a short learning session, choose one question rather than trying to explain the entire mission. A useful topic might be how recruitment deception becomes exploitation, or what a tree-planting figure can and cannot show. Ask people to read a short guide in advance and discuss what they found clear or unresolved.
End with optional routes: read more, ask a question, make a gift or offer a skill. Keep the donation link available without making payment the price of participation. Do not ask colleagues to share experiences of abuse or exploitation as part of an unplanned workplace discussion.
An illustrative plan for a small business
A small business agrees to make a company donation and hold a twenty-minute discussion on Giving Tuesday. Finance confirms the recipient and payment process. The organizer shares the mission page a week ahead and gives colleagues a private link if they want to donate personally. Participation in personal giving is optional.
Afterward, the company reports the amount it actually paid and the fact that the discussion took place. It does not claim that every employee supported the cause or that a particular number of people will be protected because of the gift. A colleague who wishes to offer specialist help contacts the charity separately to discuss a defined task.
This example is deliberately modest. It gives the company, employees and recipient clear roles, and it avoids creating a reporting burden larger than the contribution.
Supporting Not For Sale as a business
Start with the mission and decide whether you are making a donation or proposing a longer relationship. If you want to explore a partnership or offer expertise, contact Not For Sale with a specific outline: what your organization does, what it can contribute and who would be responsible.
For straightforward giving, use the Giving Tuesday donation page. Describe your support accurately in any public communication. A donation can contribute to the mission without giving the donor authority to speak for the organization.
