GivingTuesday: Another Shopping Holiday, This Time for Charity
Black Friday wasn't enough. Small Business Saturday didn't cut it. Cyber Monday still left room on the calendar. Travel Tuesday is now a thing. And now there's GivingTuesday.
It falls on December 2 this year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The same date as Travel Tuesday, although both are separate things.
GivingTuesday is billed as a "global day of giving" following three major shopping days. The idea: shift focus from consumerism to generosity.
On GivingTuesday 2024, nonprofits in the U.S. raised $3.6 billion. That's billion with a B. So, whatever you think about manufactured giving holidays, the money's real and going to actual causes.
How This Started
New York's 92nd Street Y founded GivingTuesday in 2012, partnering with the United Nations Foundation. The pitch was simple: after three days of shopping, take one day to give instead.
It started as a social media hashtag. Then, it turned into a legitimate fundraising phenomenon. In 2019, it spun out into its own organization led by co-founder Asha Curran.
The name is stylized as GivingTuesday or #GivingTuesday because of those social media roots. You'll see it written different ways—they all mean the same thing.
When It Happens
It’s always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving hits the fourth week of November, GivingTuesday falls either the last Tuesday of November or first Tuesday of December.
This year: December 2. Next year: December 1. 2027: November 30.
Timing works perfectly for nonprofits launching end-of-year campaigns. It catches people in holiday giving mode while maximizing tax-deductible donations before the year ends.
Why Nonprofits Actually Care
Few opportunities exist for nonprofits to drive massive attention in just 24 hours. GivingTuesday changed the game. Enough people now recognize it that many set aside money specifically to donate on that day. This gives nonprofits a built-in audience already primed to give.
Participation varies based on resources. It might be as simple as one social media post. Or a full campaign with multiple strategies.
Nonprofits using Bloomerang—a fundraising platform—raised $52 million on GivingTuesday 2024. That's 32% more than 2023, proving the day delivers actual results.
What Works
Successful campaigns are attention-grabbing and engaging. Some strategies that actually work:
Peer-to-peer fundraising. Supporters create personalized donation pages and collect gifts on your behalf turning donors into fundraisers.
Text-to-give. Send a donation link via text. Genius as most people already have their phones out.
Social media blitz. Share donation links across platforms all day. Instagram stories, Facebook posts, Twitter threads—whatever your audience uses.
Pledge drives. Get people to commit now, fulfill by year-end. Locks in donations early.
Direct mail. Old school but effective. Letters with compelling images and clear asks still work for certain demographics.
The key is making donating easy. Streamline your donation page. Only ask for essential info—name, contact, payment. Every extra field you add loses potential donors who get annoyed and bail.
Use time-based urgency throughout the day. "Only 8 hours left to help us reach our goal!" It updates hourly and creates FOMO that actually drives donations.
Running a Campaign
Start planning in September. This allows time to develop ideas, brand your campaign, and line up messaging.
Set a realistic but ambitious goal. Raised $30,000 last year? Shoot for $40,000 this year.
Email supporters beforehand. Share impact stories weeks before GivingTuesday. Show who benefits from donations with photos and videos.
Stay active on the actual day. Post constantly on social media. Send one or two emails throughout the day reminding people. Show a fundraising thermometer on your website tracking progress.
Thank people immediately. Send an automated thank-you after someone donates. Follow up after GivingTuesday ends with details about whether you hit your goal and how you'll use the money.
The Honest Take
GivingTuesday is manufactured urgency for charity. You can donate to nonprofits any day. Nothing magical happens on December 2.
But here's the thing—it works. Nonprofits raised $3.6 billion in one day last year. That money funds programs helping actual people. Whether donations come from genuine generosity or FOMO doesn't change the outcome.
The timing matters too. Coming right after three consumer shopping days, GivingTuesday reminds people they can spend money on causes instead of stuff. Not the worst message during holiday shopping season when everyone's buying things they don't need.
The $3.6 billion raised last year suggests enough people find it worthwhile. And unlike Black Friday stampedes for discounted TVs, at least the money goes somewhere useful.
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