Workspace Donation Program Invites Operators to Mark #GivingTuesday

Published on November 29, 2016 - By Jo Meunier (née Disney)

Feature image taken from Giving Tuesday website. 

The end-of year holiday season is a time when people turn their attention to goodwill and giving. Yet in recent years, this time has also become focused on the commercial frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

So, five years ago, the 92nd Street Y cultural center in New York City attempted to cut through the commercial noise and bring back the true spirit of giving.

It joined forces with the United Nations Foundation to create GivingTuesday – a global day of charitable donations on the first Tuesday following Thanksgiving. It’s timed to coincide with the post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas period to re-focus awareness of the giving season and channel goodwill towards those in need.

#GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. – givingtuesday.org

As a flexible workspace operator, there are hundreds of different ways you could contribute. But what better way to engage with your community – both inside your workspace walls and out – than donating your own workspace to a local charity?

“GivingTuesday is an opportunity to reflect on what we can all do to support nonprofit organizations,” says Nate Heasley, a founding patron of workspace donation platform All Good Work and creator of social impact support network, Goodnik.

On GivingTuesday, All Good Work is urging flexible workspace operators to sign up and offer a portion of their available workspace or business services to one or more social impact organizations.

Just like the workspace industry itself, the program is flexible and terms are agreed based on each operator’s own circumstances. For instance, All Good Work newcomers Cohere Coworking and The Farm Coworking are offering between one and three workstations; while multi-national workspace franchise Office Evolution is offering space in seven business center locations.

Regardless of how much space can be made available, every little helps – and the team behind All Good Work is encouraging every workspace operator to consider joining or supporting the All Good Work movement this GivingTuesday.

In addition to the feel-good factor, Heasley explains that there are plenty more reasons to join All Good Work:

• Operators get visibility for their space, which attracts better members;
• It creates a better community by engaging current members in giving back;
• All Good Work manages the program and verifies every potential resident, so they don’t have to;
• Operators can point to All Good Work if they’re ever asked for free space;
• It’s the right thing to do!

“Until now, the serviced office industry has largely been silent about their contributions. Many business centers host nonprofits, but don’t necessarily get the attention they deserve,” said Heasley.

“All Good Work aims to change that by bringing all of those donations under one big tent, so the serviced office industry can be recognized for its contributions and inspire others to do good work.”

Launched in 2016, All Good Work has already clocked up 20 registered workspace ‘Hosts’ and plans to nearly double that figure by the end of the year. The team is currently focusing on the New York and Denver area, with plans to actively expand their reach next year.

“In 2017 we’re going to be launching in at least 10 other major metropolitan markets in the US, Canada and the UK,” Heasley added. “Our goal in 2017 is to have at least 200 centers participating, with 1000 residents hosted.”

Operators can learn more about All Good Work at allgoodwork.org and flag their participation in today’s GivingTuesday initiative at twitter.com/GivingTues using the hashtag #GivingTuesday.