Giving Tuesday - December 03, 2024

What is Giving Tuesday?

"National Day of Giving" or Giving Tuesday is always the fourth Tuesday of November. Giving Tuesday was created to spread the nature of giving to anyone who needed it.

It was an effort to spread joy to the community just before the holidays so that the less fortunate could spend it happily with their family. 

The day has grown to be more than just a community activity. It has spread worldwide and has become a movement to spread the message to millions of people by sharing, donating, and giving to charity on this great day.

There is also a non-profit organization (NGO) with the name "Giving Tuesday," an Independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit that supports the cause and promotes the movement.

Giving Tuesday All Quick Overview

• Time / Date: November 29, 2022. The date varies.
• Category: Cause/Support
• Where It’s Marked: Globally
• Why It’s Marked: The day marks the importance of giving to millions of suffering people and aims to bring change during the holidays.

History Of Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a day just before the holidays and all the crazy sales days. It reminds millions of people to spread the real meaning of joy found in sharing and giving.

The Founder of a famous Chicago-based theatre named “Mary-Arrchie Theater Co.” and Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, the then-Producing Director, used “The Huffington Post" to inform everyone to consider the gift of donating. They also added at least give some to charity when everyone finished Cyber Monday sales.

At that time, they decided to name the holiday “Cyber Giving Monday,” but it didn’t get recognized much.

Lastly, the 92nd Street Y and its partner, the United Nations Foundation, rebranded it to “Giving Tuesday.” The day was mainly intended to be a comeback for Black Friday’s- and Cyber Monday’s popularization, capitalization, and consumerism.

Mashable first announced “Giving Tuesday” in October 2012, just a month before the first official celebration of the holiday on the 27th of November. Although throughout the week, other partners such as The Huffington Post, CNet, and Deseret News joined Giving Tuesday.

ABC News, The Washington Post, and The White House covered the event before and after the official date. Moreover, Forbes also used the day as a chance to publish “A Guide on Effective Giving.”

The holiday was a big hit in 2013 when over seven thousand non-profits participated, and the donations doubled from the 2012 value. In 2013, The Huffington Post and Mashable covered the event.

Google+ also didn't stay behind because they hosted Giving Tuesday "Hangout-a-thon" with Mashable. The "Chronicle of Philanthropy" and "Charity Navigator" also featured the holiday on their humanitarianism websites.

Not only in blogs or websites, Giving Tuesday initiated an innovative way of gathering donations and making people aware of the day. In 2014, they launched the "#GivingTower" event, where each brick of the virtual tower represents a person's donation.

The more exciting part is that a brick is added to the building by its name each time anyone donates. The event was a collaboration work of 92nd Street Y, CrowdRise, and the United Nations Foundations.

Although 2015 wasn’t such a hit, and only 18% of US residents were familiar with the event, 2016 took the event by storm. Worldwide donations were 44% more than the previous year, and USA Today also reported that it recorded $168 million in total.

On the other hand, CNBC registered $177 million of charitable donations. Over 6,700 non-profit organizations donated a total of $47.7 million, a 20% boost from the earlier year, 2015. It didn't end there because 6.4 million individuals claimed to have heard of the charitable event.

Facebook and PayPal set a very ambitious goal for 2018’s Giving Tuesday: to reach $7 million to donate to United States Non-profits on a first-come-first-serve basis. The event was so successful that it reached the goal in an hour, and in a single day, the platform raised $125 million. It is the highest achievement for a platform. 

Later in 2019, Giving Tuesday separated from 92nd Street Y to become an independent non-profit, now GivingTuesday.org. The holiday takes place five days after Thanksgiving and usually falls between the 27th of November and the 3rd of December.

How to Celebrate Giving Tuesday 

Different online platforms and non-profit organizations celebrate Giving Tuesday yearly to raise donations for needy people. The event has helped millions of people during the holiday season.

GivingTuesday.org, Facebook, Paypal, and other non-profits donate annually to charity; usually, it is more than two billion. Moreover, people worldwide help out by doing something helpful for the less fortunate.

Countries that observe Giving Tuesday 

Giving Tuesday is a global celebration. In 2020, 12 more countries joined hands in the charitable movement: Ireland, Guam, Nigeria, Chile, Ghana, Senegal, South Korea, Paraguay, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, and Turkey.

Interesting facts about Giving Tuesday

We want to share some interesting facts about Giving Tuesday.

1. Giving Tuesday has broken the Guinness twice in a row for the most amount of donations collected in 24 hours. 
2. Eight hundred non-profits joined the Giving Tuesday event in 2014.
3. £7,600 was raised by Clic Sargent, which helped young cancer patients get nursing treatment for an additional 360 hours.
4. 85% of individuals worldwide said they donate because they want to see a difference in the world.
5. More than 30 countries officially partake in the Giving Tuesday event.
6. More than 160,000 non-profits donated through PayPal in 2021, which accumulated $188 million in total.
7. The iDonate raised more than $3.3 million in 2021.
8. In 2020, individuals donated $14,000 per minute using the Visa payment method in the UK.

Unique Giving Tuesday celebration ideas

Giving Tuesday is not only about raising money but also about providing a sustainable living for many who are in need. On this Giving Tuesday, use the day to donate and spread happiness. If you want to observe the day, here are some ways to do so.

1. Help anyone in need

There might have been times that you walked by someone who needed money, clothes, or food. You felt terrible, but something held you to do it. On Giving Tuesday, do something for that person.

You can buy food and give it to people in need or look into your closet to find clothes you don’t need or usually don’t wear and donate them to the nearest charity.

2. Don’t shop on a Black Friday for once

We have a lot of time to shop on Black Friday. You can make a noble gesture once, not shop that day. Instead, use that money to donate to charities near you. You can also donate through many online platforms accepting donations on the day.

3. Organize your fundraiser

Now, there are many platforms that you can easily use to create a fundraiser. What better time to start than Giving Tuesday? For 24 hours, keep the fundraiser open and spread the word about it on social media and to friends and family.

After 24 hours, donate the money to GivingTuesday.org or any other charities you want to support.

4. Spread the word about Giving Tuesday

Even though millions of people now know about Giving Tuesday, many more don't know or understand the day's importance. Share the beautiful cause of Giving Tuesday on your online profile.

If you want, you can also make a video sharing the information about Giving Tuesday and share it with your friends and family. It will help raise donations and spread the event to different people worldwide.

Giving Tuesday Quotes

If you want to spread the word about Giving Tuesday, here are some quotes that can inspire others.

“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” — J. Bunyan

"Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference." — Kathy Calvin, CEO and President of United Nations (UN).

“It is not what we do but how much love we put into it.” — Mother Teresa

FAQ

1. Where can I donate on Giving Tuesday?

Here are some platforms through which you can donate. (a) GivingTuesday.org (b) GiveDirectly (c) GoFundMe (d) DonorsChoose (e) Be My Eyes (f) RAICES (g) The Humane Society of the United States (h) No Kid Hungry

2. How can I donate on Giving Tuesday?

You can easily donate online using PayPal, Venmo, Visa payment, cryptocurrency, and mobile wallet.

3. Who can participate in Giving Tuesday?

Everyone! If you can donate to charity, you can easily participate in Giving Tuesday. That's the beauty of giving! It doesn't have to be money; it can be food, clothes, books, or medication.