How Beekeepers Can Join the Giving Tuesday Movement

Giving Tuesday - A Brief History

Giving Tuesday is a generosity movement that was created to inspire volunteerism and charity. It’s an attempt to balance the “Gimme gimme gimme” of Black Friday and turn people’s attention to giving back to their community. Although a newer tradition having started just in 2012, the movement has gone viral. It brings The Golden Rule to the next level. Each year, the giving wave hits on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (you can read more about it here). The creators of Giving Tuesday describe generosity as “uplifting, generative, equalizing, and connecting,” and we at Betterbee hope you’ll consider giving in some capacity this year. You can participate on any scale and really at any time. This is just the time of year to celebrate kindness - in our case, kindness through beekeeping.

How Betterbee Gives to Charity

Betterbee sells product and services, but our mission includes so much more than that. For 45 years we have been Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers®, and part of that means donating our time and resources to our customers, our staff, and our community. 

Beekeeping is sometimes a very solitary activity, but we believe it’s imperative to stay connected to clubs and organizations that promote beekeeping education and best practice. Because education is at the heart of our company, we find ways to support the hundreds of bee clubs that send us donation requests for their meeting, banquet, or conference. Our teaching team gives presentations and field trips free of charge to local community and school groups. Every year, we free ship over 12,000 information-packed Betterbee catalogs upon requests from bee clubs and bee schools to use in their classrooms as a learning resource. 

Our free annual Field Day is also a fundraising event for a selected charity. This year, we raised almost $3,000 for Hives for Heroes. That’s a full scholarship for a beekeeping veteran. 

Our Field Day raffle proceeds went to Hives for Heroes this year.

At Betterbee headquarters, we are most thankful for our staff, and we try to fill the colder, slower months with a sense of community and cheer by hosting a monthly themed potluck. Last Thursday, Betterbee held a Thanksgiving potluck, and all departments came together to share in a traditional meal. There was a heated debate over cranberry sauce style, (Homemade from fresh cranberries? Or storebought, with the can ridges still visible?) but we all enjoyed each other’s company around the rows and rows of crockpots and pie pans.

How You Can Participate in the Giving Tuesday Movement

There are many ways to give to your beekeeping community if you want to be part of the Giving Tuesday movement, and the easiest way to find these opportunities is by connecting with a beekeeping organization. Join your local club. It's something we always recommend to new beekeepers, and it's never too late to join. Beekeeping clubs exist on the local, regional, and national level, and there’s no rule that says you can only join one!  Simply paying your membership dues helps perpetuate the clubs’ missions; and although each writes their own, there is almost always an element of education, support, and community. Your dollars help keep that going. Go to the meetings!  

In a bee club, giving is a two way street. Depending on your level of expertise, clubs can help you find a mentee, or a mentor if you need one. And there are usually upcoming events in need of a helping hand. Whether you’re doing the teaching or the learning, it’s a great feeling to be in the same room full of other beekeepers!

Beekeeping Non-Profits that You Can Donate to

If you are looking for excellent beekeeping nonprofits to give to this year, here are three organizations that Betterbee recommends supporting. Each description below was taken directly from the organizations’ websites, and we invite you to click each link to read more about them and consider donating to support their work:

Hives for Heroes Recipients of the Betterbee Field Day 2024 Proceeds. Hives for Heroes® is a national non-profit service organization focusing on sustainability, conservation, and providing a healthy transition from service. Through our national network of beekeepers, we provide connection, purpose, and healthy relationships, through access, resources, and funding for Active Duty, Veterans, and First Responders. 

SEED Madagascar Recipients of the Betterbee Field Day 2022 Proceeds. SEED Madagascar (SEED) is a holistic international non-governmental organization (NGO) managing a wide range of sustainable development and conservation projects across the Anosy region, while aiming to raise global awareness of Madagascar’s unique needs and build constructive partnerships to aid development.

In the Anosy region of Madagascar, where 92% of people live below the international poverty line (World Bank 2022), beekeeping has untapped potential to enhance household income. Since 2016, SEED’s Project Renitantely has focused on identifying and dismantling the barriers faced by beekeepers in the Anosy region, while supporting them in cultivating beekeeping as a sustainable source of income. 

By bringing together knowledge in modern beekeeping skills, new routes to market for honey, and protecting and utilizing natural resources, Project Renitantely aims to improve the financial and environmental sustainability of 53 existing beekeeping businesses in six communities across the Anosy region of southeastern Madagascar. 

Bees for Development

Bees for Development is the global charity which makes life better with bees. We promote sustainable beekeeping to combat poverty, build resilient livelihoods, and benefit biodiversity. Our mission is to harness the power of bees to achieve less poverty and more biodiversity. To achieve our mission we every day work towards our strategic objectives:

• Train beekeepers in simple and profitable beekeeping
• Help beekeepers to access fair and reliable markets for their produce
• Further knowledge and understanding about sustainable apiculture
• Share information and knowledge to build capacity
• Connect beekeepers all over the world within our network
• Protect and restore habitats for bees and biodiversity

As we approach this season of giving, we hope you consider what it means to be a part of your beekeeping community, and how you can be a bigger part of it. Share how you gave, or were inspired by witnessing the generosity of another beekeeper on our Facebook page.