Since it was launched in 2012, GivingTuesday is an annual event that has been gaining momentum as the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving — following Black Friday and Cyber Monday — and its primary purpose is to increase awareness to helping others in need through a variety of charitable organizations and other methods.
Your Points and Miles Matched For Donations: GivingTuesday 2022
In that spirit, a few companies in the travel industry will match your donations of miles and points with their frequent travel loyalty programs to the charities of your choice:
- Marriott Bonvoy — Donate your Marriott Bonvoy points to either UNICEF and World Central Kitchen — or both organizations — through Sunday, December 4, 2022, and Marriott Bonvoy will double match them. From Monday, December 5, 2022 through the end of the year, Marriott Bonvoy will match points donated to UNICEF and World Central Kitchen in support of Ukraine — up to a maximum of 100 million points. Find out more information about points donation opportunities through Marriott International, Incorporated.
- United Airlines — Donate your MileagePlus miles to your choice of no fewer than 41 partners through tonight, Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 11:59 in the evening Central Standard Time and United Airlines will double match them up to a maximum of 100,000 MileagePlus miles per eligible charitable organization partner or campaign — up to a maximum of ten million MileagePlus miles across all eligible charitable organization partners or campaigns. Also, vote for your favorite eligible charitable organization partner or campaign by December 2, 2022 at 11:59 in the evening Central Standard Time — and the three Miles on a Mission eligible charitable organization partners or campaigns which receive the most votes will each receive one million MileagePlus miles.
- JetBlue Airways — Although this is not exactly a point matching opportunity, JetBlue Airways deserves a mention here, as the airline is once again donating two million TrueBlue points to its partnering charitable organizations. You can donate your JetBlue Airways TrueBlue points to your choice of no fewer than 25 partner charitable organizations.
- Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants — Dollars are donated instead of miles or points: in addition to saving up to 20 percent off of room rates seven days per week through Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 77 participating hotel and resort properties, five dollars per night of your stay will also be donated to No Kid Hungry during Cyber Sale 2022 — but you must book your reservations by Monday, December 5, 2022 in order to participate in this promotion.
Final Boarding Call
Keep in mind that once the miles and points are donated, they cannot be refunded back to your membership accounts — and each donation opportunity includes additional terms and conditions.
Of course, you are also required to be a member of the aforementioned frequent travel loyalty programs in order to donate miles or points.
This opportunity is especially useful if you happen to have “orphan” miles or points — that is, when your membership account does not have enough miles or points to be used for any other award — that you otherwise might have no choice but to donate, as donation amounts start at as few as only 1,000 miles or points or 2,500 miles or points.
You can also donate your miles or points through the frequent travel loyalty programs of other travel companies — but they are currently not offering to match your donation.
If this article is missing other travel companies which are matching miles or points that are donated to charitable organizations, please mention them in the Comments section below.
Photograph ©2021 by Brian Cohen.
