A Giving Tuesday Primer

Giving Tuesday is a big day in the world of philanthropy—it is, after all, a whole day dedicated to generosity. Following the feasting on Thanksgiving and shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a nice way to take a break from consuming and focus on doing good.?

But what exactly is Giving Tuesday? Where did it come from, is it effective, and how should you participate? Read on.?

Giving Tuesday: A Brief History?

Giving Tuesday was launched by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation in 2012 with little more than a hashtag and some branding, which was free for anyone to use. Rob Reich, one of Giving Tuesday’s architects, told Vox that not having intellectual property was a deliberate choice. “We had a website with a logo but it was not copyrighted. You could use the hashtag, you could do whatever you wanted with it. Everyone could put their own content into it, with the hope it could spread.” And it did.?

Is Giving Tuesday effective?

It is. Giving Tuesday took off almost immediately, raising more than $10 million in its first year and making dramatic gains every year since—in 2022, it raised a record-breaking $3.1 billion. Still, the total that Americans gave to charity in 2022 was $499.33 billion, meaning the donations made on Giving Tuesday amounted to less than one percent of total giving in the U.S.?

That doesn’t mean that Giving Tuesday isn’t important. Many organizations are matching donations, and some are doing even more—CARE, for example, is multiplying every donation by five.?

But maybe even more than that, it’s about awareness. Amid their busy lives, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for people to really think about the causes they care about and the organizations they want to support.?

How should I know where to donate?

The first thing to do is what I just mentioned above: Think about the causes you care about. Whether it’s tackling climate or hunger on the global scale or community building in your own backyard, Giving Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to reflect on what matters to you.?

Next, do some research. While there’s no perfect system for choosing an organization, websites like Candid.’s GuideStar and GiveWell can provide a good first step. GiveDirectly focuses on direct cash transfers, so you know your money is going straight into the hands of people who need it rather than rent on a gleaming HQ in London or New York.?

No matter where you donate, make sure your organization of choice is transparent about how their funds are spent. Small organizations tend to be better about this, which often makes them a better bet than larger ones. Poke around on their website and find their financials—the good ones will have a breakdown of their expenditures. Traditional, large INGOs are a good option if you want to support a charity with the scale to help people in need everywhere and anywhere the next crisis comes.

Of course, participating in Giving Tuesday isn’t a requirement. It’s never a bad time to donate to a good cause, so if it passes you by this year, don’t worry. There’s always next Tuesday, or Wednesday, or any day after.?

Do you have any tips for Giving Tuesday? Strategies, preferences, preferred organizations? Share them with us in the comments below.?