Since it started as a hashtag in 2012, GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has become one of the biggest fundraising days of the year for nonprofits in the U.S.
In both 2022 and 2023, GivingTuesday raised $3.1 billion for charitable organizations, according to estimates from GivingTuesday.
This year, GivingTuesday is on Dec. 3.
How did GivingTuesday start?
The #GivingTuesday hashtag started as a project of the 92nd Street Y in New York in 2012 and became an independent organization in 2020. It's grown into a world-wide network of local organizations that promote giving in their communities, often on different dates that have local relevance, like holidays.
Now, GivingTuesday, the nonprofit, also convenes researchers working on topics about everyday giving. It also collects data from a wide range of sources like payment processors, crowdfunding sites, employee giving software and institutions that offer donor-advised funds, a kind of charitable giving account.
What is the purpose of GivingTuesday?
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The hashtag was started to promote generosity and the nonprofit continues to promote giving in the broadest sense.
For nonprofits, the point of GivingTuesday is to raise money and engage their supporters. Many will be familiar with the barrage of email and mail appeals that coincide on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Essentially all major American nonprofits will organize fundraising campaigns and many smaller, local groups also participate.
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Nonprofits don't have to be affiliated in any way with GivingTuesday, the organization, to run a fundraising campaign. They can just do it, though GivingTuesday does provide graphics and advice. In that way, it remains a grassroots effort with groups and donors participating however they like.
What to know before you donate
The Better Business Bureau urges donors to research charities before giving to make sure their funds are going to trustworthy organizations.
Here are some tips the consumer watchdog group has offered if you’re looking to donate money to a good cause this Giving Tuesday or holiday season:
- Watch out for name similarities. When charities seek support for the same cause, their names are often similar. Before you give, be sure you have the exact name of the charity to avoid a case of mistaken identity.
- Avoid on-the-spot donation decisions from unfamiliar organizations. The holidays bring a higher frequency of donation requests outside public locations. Don't succumb to pressure to make an immediate giving decision. Responsible organizations will welcome your gift tomorrow as much as they do today.
- Be wary of emotional appeals. Marketers have been known to exploit the holidays to make emotional pleas to donors. Always research to verify that your selected charity operates ethically.
- Avoid charities that don't disclose. Although participation is voluntary, charities that don't disclose any of the requested information to BBB WGA raise a critical red flag for donors. Visit Give.org to find out if your selected charity is nondisclosure.
The BBB also notes that it offers in-depth evaluations and charity reports at Give.org.
Has GivingTuesday been successful?
That depends on how success is measured, but it certainly has grown far beyond the initial effort to promote giving on social media. The day has become an enduring and well-known event that seeks to center charitable giving, volunteering and civic participation 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 and to leverage their networks of supporters to contribute. It is the beginning of the end-of-year fundraising rush, 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’s a lot to raise in a single day, the trend last year was flat and with fewer donors giving, which the organization said is a worrying sign.
