Giving Tuesday

Categories:: Cause
Tags:: Friendship
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Tuesday after Thanksgiving
Holiday emoji:: 💙

Giving Tuesday mobilizes a global wave of generosity every Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This impactful day encourages individuals to donate, volunteer, and advocate for causes they believe in. Find a local charity to support, organize a community drive, or spread awareness on social media.

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Hero
History
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Businesses
FAQs
Importance
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Insights

Expected Giving Tuesday Deals

Giving Tuesday is not about commercial deals, but rather about inspiring generosity and supporting charitable causes. Many organizations and brands participate by offering donation matching programs or highlighting specific campaigns. Look for initiatives from Fidelity Charitable, PayPal, and Facebook (now Meta) which often waive fees or offer matching funds on donations made through their platforms. Nonprofits like the United Way and the Salvation Army will launch major fundraising drives, often partnered with local businesses for matching gifts. AmazonSmile (though phasing out) and other retailers with charitable giving programs may also amplify their efforts. We will update this page with confirmed live giving opportunities as December 1 approaches.

Platform Guide for Giving Tuesday

Tag National Today (linkedin.com/company/nationaltoday) and use #GivingTuesday. Highlight your company’s charitable initiatives or employee volunteer efforts.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #GivingTuesday. Share stories of impact, organize a fundraiser, or promote a local charity drive.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #GivingTuesday. Amplify calls to action, share donation links, and engage in conversations about global generosity.

Giving Tuesday Hero

Henry Bergh

Henry Bergh (1813-1888) was an American diplomat and philanthropist who founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. His pioneering work in animal welfare laid foundational principles for broader philanthropic and humanitarian movements in the United States, advocating for the vulnerable and inspiring organized giving.

History of Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday was founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. The holiday was first announced in September 2012, two months prior to the first Giving Tuesday occurring on November 27. The announcement was made by the technology website, Mashable. The purpose of the day is to inspire people and companies to take action, just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday created a framework for retailers to sell merchandise.

Shortly before and after November 27, 2012, Giving Tuesday was covered by “The Washington Post,” the White House official blog, ABC News, and “Huffington Post.” Forbes also used the occasion to publish a guide on effective giving.

In 2013, Mashable partnered with Google+ to hold a ‘hangout-a-thon’ for Giving Tuesday. The holiday received coverage on many philanthropy information websites, including “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” and Charity Navigator. “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” article highlighted a donation by Good Ventures to GiveDirectly, Google’s hangout-a-thon, and matching grants announced by the Case Foundation. Charitable giving on Giving Tuesday in 2013 was approximately twice the value of that in 2012, with over 7,000 participating nonprofits.

For the 2018 holiday occurrence, Facebook and PayPal announced they’d match up to $7 million in donations to United States nonprofits on a first come first serve basis. The match limit was hit after only an hour, with an announcement saying the match was achieved within seconds. A total of $125 million was raised via Facebook on Giving Tuesday, the highest for a single day on the platform.

Giving Tuesday timeline

2012

A Day to Give Back

Giving Tuesday is created by technology companies Mashable, Skype, and Cisco.

2014

Real-Time Efforts

The Giving Tuesday movement launches Giving Tower, a fundraising app that allows people to see the world's charitable efforts grow in real time.

2017

A Dollar for a Dollar

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announces $2 million in matching for donations to fundraisers on Facebook, ultimately raising $45 million.

2018

A Charitable Record

$400 million is raised in total for Giving Tuesday, a new record for the holiday.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Giving Tuesday

Local businesses can embrace Giving Tuesday by partnering with a local charity for a donation drive or a percentage-of-sales giveback. Consider hosting a volunteer day for employees or offering a special discount to customers who show proof of a donation. Promote these initiatives on social media with #GivingTuesday and encourage community participation, fostering a spirit of collective generosity.

Giving Tuesday - Survey Results

Data gathered by a top Philadelphia Marketing Agency:

Giving Tuesday FAQs

When is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday 2026 falls on Tuesday, December 1, following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It marks a global day dedicated to generosity and giving back to communities worldwide.

How many people participate in Giving Tuesday?

Millions of people across 80 countries participate in Giving Tuesday, with the movement inspiring billions in donations and countless acts of kindness. In 2025, over 35 million Americans engaged in various forms of giving on the day.

What is the economic impact of Giving Tuesday?

In 2025, Giving Tuesday generated over $3.1 billion in donations in the U.S. alone, demonstrating its substantial economic impact on the nonprofit sector. This figure includes online and offline contributions, as well as volunteer hours.

How does Giving Tuesday differ from Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Giving Tuesday directly follows the major retail days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, intentionally shifting the focus from consumerism to philanthropy. While the preceding days encourage spending, Giving Tuesday promotes donating time, money, or goods to charitable causes.

Giving Tuesday Activities

Donate to your favorite charity
With an abundance of causes to support, there are many options for people to donate to charity. You can mail in a check, drop off some money, or even click 'Donate' from the comfort of your desk.
Volunteer
We sometimes forget that one helpful way of giving back is by volunteering. Contact a local hospital, shelter, or nonprofit ahead of time and see how you can help.
Donate clothes/shoes
That sweater you swore you would wear this fall (which never saw the light of day), can be of use to someone in need. Go through your closet and donate any articles of clothing you know you're not going to wear again (or ever).

5 Heartwarming Facts About Giving Tuesday

3.6 million total online gifts in 2018
Even if we're not donating to fundraisers or nonprofits, we can still give to the people we love — this philosophy was proven in 2018 by a total of 3.6 million online gifts purchased specifically for Giving Tuesday, which occurs very close to Christmas and Chanukah.
1 million social media mentions in 2017
Nothing spreads the word faster than social media, which is probably why Giving Tuesday has been such a successful charity holiday — in 2017, the day had over 1 million mentions on social media from people using the hashtag #GivingTuesday.
$10 million raised in 2012
Pretty good for their very first year, Giving Tuesday raised a little over $10 million dollars on their very first celebration of the day in 2012 — sure, this seems very little in comparison to the $400 million raised in 2018, but for a day that was only announced two months prior, $10 million is a huge achievement.
$2.47 billion donated to nonprofits in 2020
An astonishing $2.47 billion was donated to U.S. nonprofits by a reported 34.8 million people on Giving Tuesday in 2020.
$1.97 billion total donations in 2019
The estimated total of online and offline giving in the United States on Giving Tuesday 2019 was $1.97 billion.

Why We Love Giving Tuesday

It makes us feel good
Whether you admit it or not, the holiday season can get the best of us. Especially when our main stressor is what gift to get that certain family member. If we splurge on materialist goods, giving back to a charitable cause takes some of that guilt away.
We can help those in need
By volunteering at a local community center or donating money to our favorite organization, we're able to help those in need. You can provide a warm meal at the local soup kitchen or even clean drinking water by donating $5.
Anyone can participate
You don't have to be rich or in the Peace Corps to participate in Giving Tuesday, every small act counts. Donating $1 can make a huge impact on any cause.