GivingTuesday is now the largest single day of philanthropy on the planet. Did you know though, that it only began in 2012? And that its goals include not just giving money, but also giving time and support for charity in general?
What exactly is GivingTuesday? “Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday [is a global giving movement that] kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.”
Here is some key information on the current status of Giving Tuesday and hints on what your group might do this year to connect with the event!
Key Statistics and Information on GivingTuesday
Giving Tuesday has seen tremendous growth since its 2012 initiation. Some key statistics include:
- 38% growth year-to-year from 2017 to 2018, with $380 million raised in 2018.
- Facebook’s participation is a key driver of growth. Facebook donations were up 178% from 2017 to 2018, totaling $125 million!
- PayPal started participating in 2018, matching gifts in a partnership with Facebook.
- While only 18% of the US knew about Giving Tuesday in 2015, now 54% know about it.
(Statistics: nonprofitssource.com)
What is even more interesting is that though Giving Tuesday began as a protest of sorts to the commercialism following the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, it is now a global phenomenon. 150 countries participated in Giving Tuesday in 2018. The event’s new official marketing vision is to work toward a ‘global day of giving’, to build a ‘more just and generous world’.
It has gotten so big that in July 2019, the movement became its own 501c3 charitable organization. It has a board of directors and advisors from some of the largest foundations and philanthropists in the country (Ford Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation to name a few).
Also read: 7 Crowdfunding Marketing Tips for Your Next Campaign
How Do You Fundraise with GivingTuesday?
It started as a Twitter event, but now there are dozens of ways to fundraise. The Giving Tuesday website has a wealth of information and resources on how you can participate, with a comprehensive toolkit for download.
The kit provides messaging advice, materials (such as an ‘unselfie’ template for your social media!), and logos, as well as a planning guidebook for a campaign. It has a full sample press release you can download. Also, dozens of case studies are available on the site from successful campaigns to aid your messaging and give you ideas.
Think about using Facebook for your campaign. They promise to waive fees again for charitable organizations and will likely have a matching program set up with PayPal and other partners. They give a step-by-step guide on how you can create a giving page on their social good website.
What Other Ways Can Charities Participate in GivingTuesday?
Beyond fundraising the day of the campaign or near the campaign, here are some other ways you can get involved:
- Partner or join up with a local campaign. Over 160 local cities, counties, and states have created local campaigns that can give you exposure.
- Partner or join up with one of a number of cause campaigns, including GivingZooDay and LatinosGive.
- Organize a volunteer event on the day or right before or after. Many of the 150 countries involved in 2018 were organizing volunteer events as part of solidarity and working toward the Global Goals, eradicating poverty and promoting equality in their communities.
Also read: 4 Ways Foreign Aid Helps Your Community
Other Important Notes on GivingTuesday
- You can sign up on the official website as a partner, if you are a charity or any organization or individual pledging to raise funding or volunteer for a charity.
- Giving Tuesday falls on December 3, 2019; December 1, 2020; November 30, 2021, November 29, 2022; and November 28, 2023. It always falls on one of those 5 days, depending on when Thanksgiving is.
- No amount is too small! School support organizations or student coalitions raise a few hundred dollars. Yet large national charities aim for hundreds of thousands. The point of Giving Tuesday is just giving back, however you can through supporting a fundraising campaign or giving time.
Traditional means of fundraising and generating support always have their place, but movements such as #GivingTuesday give nonprofit organizations the opportunity to branch out with their awareness and fundraising efforts in a big way!
>> GivingTuesday on Instagram
>> GivingTuesday on Facebook
>> GivingTuesday on Snapchat
>> Follow Tweets about #GivingTuesday”
>> Follow #GivingTuesday on Instagram
This article has been updated from an earlier version.