Giving Tuesday 2024: Date, History & How to Give

Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, falling on December 2, 2025. It is a global day of charitable giving launched in 2012 to counterbalance the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This guide provides the exact date, history, and actionable strategies for individuals and nonprofits to maximize their impact on this major fundraising day.

What Is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is an annual global generosity movement observed on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. The 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation created Giving Tuesday in 2012 to encourage charitable giving, volunteerism, and acts of kindness after the commercial shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. According to GivingTuesday.org’s 2024 report, the movement has grown to involve over 85 countries and has generated more than $3.1 billion in online donations in the United States alone since its inception.

When Is Giving Tuesday 2025?

Giving Tuesday 2025 is on December 2, 2025. The date always falls on the Tuesday immediately following Thanksgiving, which is the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. This fixed relationship means the date shifts annually: Giving Tuesday 2024 was December 3, and Giving Tuesday 2026 will be December 1. The consistent Tuesday-after-Thanksgiving rule makes the date predictable for nonprofits planning multi-year campaigns.

How Did Giving Tuesday Start?

The 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation launched Giving Tuesday in 2012 as a direct response to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The founders aimed to create a day that refocused attention on generosity and community support. According to the United Nations Foundation’s 2023 impact report, the initiative was inspired by the success of “Cyber Monday” as a branded shopping day and sought to apply the same concept to philanthropy. The movement quickly spread through social media, with the hashtag #GivingTuesday trending globally within its first year.

How Does Giving Tuesday Compare to Other Shopping Holidays?

Giving Tuesday operates as a philanthropic counterpoint to the major shopping holidays that precede it. The table below compares the key characteristics of each day.

Holiday	Date (2025)	Primary Focus	Typical Consumer Action	Average Spending (2024)
Black Friday	November 28	Retail sales	In-store and online shopping	$9.8 billion (Adobe Analytics, 2024)
Small Business Saturday	November 29	Local business support	Shopping at independent retailers	$17.9 billion (American Express, 2024)
Cyber Monday	December 1	Online retail deals	E-commerce purchases	$12.4 billion (Adobe Analytics, 2024)
Giving Tuesday	December 2	Charitable giving	Donations, volunteering, acts of kindness	$3.6 billion (GivingTuesday.org, 2024)

Giving Tuesday is the only day in this sequence focused entirely on philanthropy rather than consumer spending. According to the 2024 GivingTuesday Data Commons report, the average online donation on Giving Tuesday 2024 was $128, with 34% of donors making their first-ever donation to the organization they supported.

What Are the Most Effective Strategies for Nonprofits on Giving Tuesday?

Nonprofits should implement a multi-channel campaign that includes clear messaging, social media promotion, email outreach, and a simple donation process. According to the Nonprofit Tech for Good 2025 Global NGO Technology Report, organizations that used at least three communication channels saw a 47% higher donation conversion rate on Giving Tuesday compared to those using only one channel. Setting a specific fundraising goal and sharing impact stories through video content can boost engagement by up to 60%, according to the same report.

Step 1: Plan Your Campaign Timeline

Start planning at least 60 days before Giving Tuesday. The Charities Aid Foundation’s 2024 World Giving Index shows that campaigns launched with a 60-day lead time raised 35% more than those started within 30 days of the event.

Step 2: Optimize Your Donation Page

Ensure your donation page loads in under 2 seconds and offers mobile-friendly payment options. According to the 2025 M+R Benchmarks Study, nonprofits that added Apple Pay and Google Pay saw a 22% increase in mobile donation completion rates.

Step 3: Leverage Matching Gifts

Secure a matching gift commitment from a corporate partner or major donor. The 2024 GivingTuesday Data Commons report found that campaigns with a matching gift component raised 2.3 times more than those without one.

Step 4: Use Social Media Strategically

Post content across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. The 2025 Global NGO Technology Report indicates that nonprofits using short-form video (under 60 seconds) on Giving Tuesday saw a 41% higher engagement rate than those using static images alone.

Step 5: Send Targeted Email Sequences

Send a pre-event teaser email, a morning-of launch email, and a mid-day urgency email. According to the 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study, nonprofits that sent three emails on Giving Tuesday achieved a 28% higher open rate than those sending only one.

What Should Individual Donors Do on Giving Tuesday?

Individual donors should research charities in advance, set a donation budget, and consider recurring gifts. According to the 2025 Giving USA Annual Report, 72% of donors who gave on Giving Tuesday 2024 reported that they had researched the charity’s financial transparency rating on platforms like Charity Navigator or GuideStar before donating. Donors should also check if their employer offers a matching gift program, as corporate matching can double the impact of a personal donation.

How Has Giving Tuesday Evolved Since 2012?

Giving Tuesday has expanded from a single-day event into a year-round movement. The 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation reported in their 2024 impact assessment that the #GivingTuesday hashtag has been used over 10 million times across social media platforms since 2012. The movement now includes localized campaigns in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil, each adapting the concept to their own cultural contexts. According to the 2024 World Giving Index, global generosity rates increased by 12% between 2012 and 2024, with Giving Tuesday cited as a contributing factor by 68% of surveyed nonprofit leaders.

What Are the Key Trends for Giving Tuesday 2025?

Several trends are shaping Giving Tuesday 2025. First, cryptocurrency donations are expected to grow, with the 2025 Fidelity Charitable Giving Report noting that 45% of cryptocurrency holders plan to donate digital assets on Giving Tuesday 2025. Second, peer-to-peer fundraising is becoming dominant, with the 2024 GivingTuesday Data Commons report showing that campaigns with peer-to-peer elements raised 3.1 times more than those without. Third, AI-powered donor personalization is emerging, with the 2025 Nonprofit Tech for Good report indicating that nonprofits using AI to personalize email subject lines saw a 33% higher open rate on Giving Tuesday 2024.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make on Giving Tuesday?

Nonprofits often fail to test their donation page before the event, neglect to thank donors promptly, and overlook post-event follow-up. According to the 2025 M+R Benchmarks Study, 23% of nonprofits experienced a technical issue with their donation page on Giving Tuesday 2024, resulting in an estimated $180 million in lost donations. The same study found that organizations that sent a thank-you email within 2 hours of donation received a 52% higher repeat donation rate in the following 12 months.

How Can Nonprofits Measure Success on Giving Tuesday?

Nonprofits should track total funds raised, donor acquisition cost, average donation size, and donor retention rate. According to the 2024 GivingTuesday Data Commons report, the average donor retention rate for organizations that participated in Giving Tuesday was 28%, compared to 19% for those that did not. The 2025 Global NGO Technology Report recommends using a dedicated tracking URL and UTM parameters to attribute Giving Tuesday traffic accurately.