Since its start in 2012, GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has become one of the biggest money-raising days of the year for nonprofits in the United States.
In 2022 and 2023, GivingTuesday raised $3.1 billion for charity, or aid, organizations, as estimated by GivingTuesday.
This year, GivingTuesday is on December 3.
How did GivingTuesday start?
The #GivingTuesday hashtag started as a project of the 92nd Street Y in New York City in 2012. It became an independent organization in 2020. It has grown into a worldwide organization of local groups that support giving in their communities, often on different dates that have local importance, like holidays.
Now, GivingTuesday, the nonprofit, also gathers researchers studying everyday giving. It also collects data from wide sources like payment processors, crowdfunding sites, employee giving software and organizations that offer charitable giving.
What is the purpose of GivingTuesday?
For nonprofits, the point of GivingTuesday is to raise money and engage their supporters. Many nonprofits will organize fundraising campaigns with email and mail appeals that arrive on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
Nonprofits do not have to be linked in any way with GivingTuesday, the organization, to run a fundraising campaign. GivingTuesday will still provide them with graphics and advice. In that way, it remains a grassroots effort with groups and donors taking part as they like.
Has GivingTuesday been successful?
GivingTuesday has grown far beyond its early days when it mainly pushed for giving on social media. The day has become a well-known event that seeks to center charitable giving and volunteering in the U.S. and around the world.
For years, GivingTuesday has been a major focus of fundraising for nonprofits, with many seeking to organize matching donations from major donors. It is the beginning of the end-of-year fundraising race as nonprofits seek to reach their budget targets for the following year.
Donations on GivingTuesday in 2022 and 2023 reached $3.1 billion, an increase from $2.7 billion in 2021. While that is a lot to raise in a single day, the trend last year was flat and fewer donors were giving. The organization says that is a worrying sign.
I’m Caty Weaver.
