Today is Giving Tuesday, an international day dedicated to generosity. People give their money, resources, and time to organizations and causes they believe in.

Started in 2012 in the U.S., Giving Tuesday is celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and caps off a long weekend of consumerism. Just as Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, Giving Tuesday is the unofficial kickoff for the holiday giving season. It is hugely impactful for nonprofit organizations. 

By the numbers

Americans are a people, and the data proves it. In 2023, during the 24 hours of Giving Tuesday, 

  • $3.1 billion—the total amount given in the U.S., a modest increase of 0.6% from 2022.
  • 34 million—the number of adults tracked in the U.S. who participated in some way, a 10% decrease from 2022. 

However, Giving Tuesday donations are a small slice of total annual giving. According to the annual Giving USA report for 2023, Americans gave

  • $557.16 billion—the total estimated charitable giving in the U.S., a decline of 2.1% when adjusted for inflation.
  • $374.40 billion—the total giving by individuals (about two-thirds of all giving).
  • $103 billion—the total giving by foundations.
  • $36.55 billion— the total giving by corporations.

In global rankings, the U.S. stands at the #1 slot.

The impact of Giving Tuesday 

Nonprofits credit Giving Tuesday with bringing new donors in the door. They strategically use social media and email marketing to target individuals. 

The timing of Giving Tuesday is not coincidental. Not only is this a time when people are already spending, but the end of the year is a critical time for many nonprofits to solicit donations. A whopping 30% of all annual giving occurs in December, and one-tenth of annual giving occurs on the last 3 days of the year. 

The Philanthropy Roundtable has provided good tips to help guide you when approached by nonprofits or for your planned year-end giving, such as giving to organizations that align with your values. 

As a donor, no matter how big or small your gift, no one should feel bullied or guilted into supporting causes that run counter to their principles and values. Grantmakers experienced this in 2020. As I wrote for the Roundtable recently:

After the murder of George Floyd, advocates for DEI in philanthropy used the Giving Tuesday holiday to push grantmakers to direct grants toward Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations. This joined calls at the time for foundations to shift their missions to embrace racial justice philanthropy and implement organizational changes such as diversity quotas for boards and nonprofit leadership, tracking racial demographics of staff, and pushing diversity data collection fraught with legal and privacy landmines. 

This year, DEI-motivated philanthropy is receding, and that’s a good development as we focus on equality and merit.

After nearly four years of high inflation, high interest rates, and high costs of living, Americans are tapped out. Yet, Americans’ generosity has proven resilient. We expect no less this Giving Tuesday.