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Giving Tuesday 2025 is around the corner, and this year, there are even more new ideas, tech advances, and fundraising strategies to help you make the most of this season’s campaigns.
Get ready to dive in with everything you need to know:
Giving Tuesday is a day when global generosity is on the rise to kick off the year-end season with charitable giving. The official GivingTuesday organization, nonprofit organizations, businesses, communities, and individuals come together for this one-day movement to take action for various causes and communities in need.
It all began in New York City in 2012 when the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact partnered with the United Nations Foundation. Their goal was simple: encourage people to do good together before the biggest consumer-driven days of the year (Black Friday and Cyber Monday).
How did Giving Tuesday become a global movement?
What started in New York City quickly expanded to include a global network encompassing nearly 100 countries. Various nations even have custom social media hashtags to unite their people around the day, from #GivingTuesdayAUS in Australia to #MardiJeDonne in France.
The speed of information sharing and the reach of social media platforms, which allow campaigns to be launched to a worldwide audience in seconds, only grow the breadth of Giving Tuesday. Online fundraising capabilities and virtual events also help welcome people from anywhere across the globe to play a part in a nonprofit’s story.
Giving Tuesday results over the last 3 years
With so many benefits for donors and nonprofits alike, Giving Tuesday is a fundraising day that moves missions forward in a big way. Here’s a look at the incredible results from the past few years to help us get excited about what’s ahead.
Giving Tuesday will be on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, this year. Similar to Thanksgiving, the big day shifts dates each year but maintains the tradition of falling on the Tuesday after turkey day.
The timing aligns with the holiday season of generosity by encouraging charitable behavior to mark that sentiment. Organizations worldwide can participate in Giving Tuesday to raise more and tap into an engaged audience of donors eager to play their part.
A few ways to participate in Giving Tuesday
Volunteering to support a nonprofit organization
Making a monetary donation
Making a physical donation (supplies, auction items, raffle prizes, technology)
Fundraising within a community to raise money for a cause
Advocating on social media and spreading the word about a cause
Showcasing kindness to those in need
Participating in a fundraising event
What is the significance of Giving Tuesday?
For nonprofits and causes in need of support, Giving Tuesday is a platform to build awareness and get the word out there. In a single-day Giving Tuesday campaign, organizations can see more funds raised and donor relationships that fuel their end-of-year giving totals just in time.
That’s why nonprofits, corporate partners, and individuals join the movement at increasing rates every single year. This is a time when it doesn’t matter how small an organization might be, because every voice matters.
Posts, campaigns, outreach, and events with Giving Tuesday branding can tap into the massive reach gained over the last 14 years. Every year sees more participants, dollars raised, and causes benefited, and we can’t wait to see 2025 crush those records once again.
Giving Tuesday benefits for donors
A sense of purpose: Donors are fulfilled when they contribute to causes they feel passionate about and become a part of the change they want to see.
More impact: Between donation match opportunities and simple ways to donate, Giving Tuesday offers donors a way to see their donation go even further.
Belonging and community: Giving Tuesday brings people together to foster new connections and a shared purpose among supporters and volunteers.
An easy way to find new causes: The viral nature of #GivingTuesday on social media can help donors connect to new causes, organizations, and individuals fundraising for a reason they resonate with.
Tax benefits: Last but not least, year-end contributions on Giving Tuesday lead to tax breaks and deductions for many people filing in the new year.
Giving Tuesday benefits for nonprofits
High visibility: Through their Giving Tuesday campaigns and engagement around the big day, nonprofits can reach more donors with a direct way to take action.
Potential to raise more: When they land on a campaign or Giving Tuesday donation page, donors are already in the mindset of giving, leading to more opportunities to secure higher fundraising totals.
A loyal community: As employees, volunteers, beneficiaries, and donors get to know one another on Giving Tuesday, their passion for a cause can grow and expand into year-round loyalty and recurring donations.
A way to test new ideas: Giving Tuesday 2024 is a time to get creative with your theme and campaign ideas. Between supporter feedback and social media engagement, nonprofits can learn what resonates with their donor base.
Fuel for year-end giving: Any relationships that form on Giving Tuesday can become an incredible audience to engage with a year-end fundraising campaign and holiday giving opportunities that help nonprofits reach their annual goals.
Data and insights: Each year, GivingTuesday.org tallies up the impact seen around the world, so your nonprofit can learn and grow each year.
Understanding Giving Tuesday’s history and growth can inform how nonprofits continue to rise to the occasion and launch strong and creative campaigns yearly to attract, engage, and retain donors. Below, we’ll look at a few key trends shaping Giving Tuesday 2025 and can guide you in developing highly effective fundraising strategies.
Viral social media campaigns
Nearly three million Giving Tuesday social media posts on Instagram use the #GivingTuesday hashtag as more people turn to their phones first to discover new causes and feel connected. Social media naturally centers around community, making two people on different continents feel like best friends through regular story updates, posts, interactions, and direct messages.
Giving Tuesday 2025 will not just be about getting on social media for the big day, but instead thinking ahead to awareness campaigns that live on Instagram or TikTok entirely and link to a mobile-friendly donation page. Social media inspires 32% of donors to give, so it’s important to maximize on the opportunity.
While emails and in-person interactions are always important, consider how to turn your Giving Tuesday narrative into a series of posts that begin a month before and continue engaging potential donors and loyal supporters as a strong community coming together for your cause.
A few ways nonprofits lean into the social aspect of Giving Tuesday include:
Partnering with influencers to reach entirely new audiences with unique and engaging content
Bringing donors behind the scenes of the mission to understand the work they’re making possible
Hosting a challenge for supporters to invite them to take action and share their efforts with their networks directly
Posting real-time updates and creative progression toward fundraising goals to recruit support when it's needed most to hit milestones
Mobile is a must if you’re looking to get the attention of younger generations. Still, there’s a difference between mobile-optimized and mobile-first donation experiences.
Any obstacles, from an image that won’t load to text that’s hard to read, can cause someone to abandon a donation page before they can donate. It’s more important than ever to test your mobile giving experience, from finding a campaign link on social media or online to filling out the form and completing payment.
Did you know?1 in 5 donors quit due to a broken donation experience, such as too many clicks, limited payment options, or poor mobile design.
The number of transactions completed through mobile devices has increased by 50% in recent years. The process of giving should be quick and straightforward yet offer some personalized aspects of storytelling or imagery that pull on the emotional appeal of a donation, too.
Mobile-first payment options can also support nonprofits fighting for attention during a holiday weekend's craziness. Think about how easy it is to pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay instead of trying to remember card numbers or waiting until you’re near your wallet. You can bring that ease through a Tap to Pay option (like Zeffy) at your events or in-person fundraisers.
Next-level personalization
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere and has changed the game for the level of personalization donors have come to expect. On Giving Tuesday when supporters are flooded with appeals and options, personalization powered by AI can make the difference between being overlooked or making a memorable impression.
Donors want to feel seen as individuals and not as open wallets, which means building relationships goes a long way beyond Giving Tuesday. AI-driven insights can help tailor messages, segment audiences, and build custom graphics or messaging that speak to your community.
People will immediately flag generic email templates and robotic language. The best way to build trust and long-term relationships is to learn how to tailor your message, pull details from a donor management system, and try a few AI tools.
Boosting personalization with AI might look like:
Turning to ChatGPT to create Giving Tuesday message versions with tailored tones, lengths, and formats to match social media channels or emails per donor segment
Leveraging tools like Grammarly to sharpen writing skills
Bringing your ideas to Canva and using its magic design functionality to present high-quality and on-brand visuals for your entire Giving Tuesday campaign or donation page
Donor retention over acquisition
The nonprofits that see the greatest Giving Tuesday success will prioritize trust and retention over one-off donations. That’s because donors (particularly Millennials and Gen Z) want proof that their contributions matter.
In fact, Zeffy’s Donor Behavior & Giving Trends Research Survey found that 82% of donors are more likely to donate funds when a nonprofit provides clear communication about its impact, and 40% want regular updates about how donations were used. This means sharing specific outcomes (e.g., “Your $50 provided clean water for 10 families this month”), offering transparent financial breakdowns, and avoiding vague or generic appeals.
Organizations are also leaning into strategies that make supporters feel personally valued, like recurring giving programs with monthly impact reports, personalized thank-you videos from staff or beneficiaries, and exclusive donor membership communities. If you can keep your eye on flagging loyal donors who’ve had repeat giving behavior throughout the year, you can invite them to early event access, tailored stewardship campaigns, or to be advocates that call in more like-minded supporters.
These efforts not only strengthen trust but also reduce costs. Donor retention is not only more cost-effective than acquisition, but it also gives you a reliable income source for your long-term strategies. Donor acquisition remains critical, but focusing more effort on donor retention for Giving Tuesday can provide a steady foundation.
Collaborations and partnerships
Collaborations and partnerships are a leading marketing strategy this year, with big brands turning to influencers for Super Bowl commercials like never before in 2025 and huge collaborations like Ariana Grande x Swarovski gaining Wicked-level attention. Nonprofits can follow this lead, whether they have access to celebrity partnerships or can lean into micro influencers and corporate partnerships to get their name on the map this Giving Tuesday.
Nonprofits have become more innovative and more strategic year after year on Giving Tuesday, recognizing that extra resources and collaborations can make a big impact without having to do it all alone. Companies, brands and influencers are also looking for ways to align with charitable causes and use their networks to get involved. We see this with UNICEF’s National Ambassador Sofia Carson, advocating on Giving Tuesday to bring in a whole new audience.
Corporate partners can support nonprofits with donation matches to drive more impact, funding for significant events and campaigns, and workplace giving that introduces the cause to a vast network of employees and their friends and families. Corporations may also provide volunteers and resources to run a large-scale Giving Tuesday campaign.
Collaborating with social media influencers can also yield more reach and marketing support for Giving Tuesday. Nonprofits can rely on influencers as a trusted source to share information online with their loyal audience, especially when they have a personal tie to your cause or the community you serve.
For both types of collaboration, nonprofits may create a unique, cobranded donation page that tracks success to learn and grow from.
When it comes to fundraising software, innovation is on the side of nonprofits heading into 2025. More features continue to define new standards for a seamless donor experience, making it easier to create Giving Tuesday success with a lean team.
Launching various Giving Tuesday campaign types, sending emails to donors, managing donor information, and confirming that the process is tax-compliant from a simple yet versatile fundraising platform are key.
Disparate solutions can lead to a choppy experience for you and your donors, and there are so many ways to keep things straightforward and impactful. Especially if you’re a smaller nonprofit, it will help to have everything in one platform, and even more so if that comes with zero fees so you keep everything you make.
Some fundraising features to look out for this Giving Tuesday:
Step-by-step guide: How to attract Giving Tuesday 2025 Donations
Ready to create Giving Tuesday magic? We’ll leave you with a few tips to raise the most this Giving Tuesday with a campaign you can’t wait to launch.
Campaign planning
There are numerous campaign options for Giving Tuesday, so focusing on what makes the most sense for your nonprofit will help you maximize your potential.
Giving Tuesday 2025 campaigns can look like:
A straightforward Giving Tuesday donation page linked to a creative social media campaign
A ticketed event, auction, or raffle to engage supporters
You may host a few campaigns side by side for Giving Tuesday or choose to focus on one and give it your all. There’s no wrong answer, but knowing the type of campaign can help you bring your imagination to the table in the preparation stage.
Campaign preparation
Once you choose a campaign type, it’s time to set your goals based on past years or your fundraising analytics. Your goals can be related to dollars raised, including donor-acquired or engagement metrics showcasing growth.
It will help you lay out everything you’ll need to launch the campaign from the start, as well as determine roles, responsibilities, and milestones that will keep you on track.
Promotion and awareness
We already touched on the importance of social media for Giving Tuesday 2024, and timing is another factor to plan for. The sooner you can announce your Giving Tuesday campaign or build excitement around a launch date, the more likely participation will be.
As donors receive a lot of emails and ads about sales leading up to the Black Friday weekend, it’s beneficial to see the value of getting your message out ahead of it all. In past years, launching a campaign the week before or days leading up to Giving Tuesday might have been effective. However, nonprofits will likely follow the lead of brands, which are now launching their promotions as early as October.
Considering a pre-launch period and moving things up earlier can also help nonprofit teams entirely focus on engagement during Giving Tuesday instead of putting together the final touches on a campaign. Don’t be afraid to send emails and build awareness in the months preceding, as long as they have that personal touch that sparks relationships.
Day-of engagement
Giving Tuesday is known for the hype of watching global progress toward charitable giving increase minute-by-minute. There are more ways for donors to stay tuned on real-time updates; they’ll likely expect them from organizations they’re invested in.
It will be necessary to pre-plan the timing of updates and which milestones will be posted on various channels. Equally important will be keeping up with comments and messages on social media, emails, and phone lines, as donors may have questions or want a quick link to support.
Retention is a huge focus for nonprofits as economic fluctuation and more options lead to donor churn. Maintaining a solid revenue stream will come from relationship building that must extend past Giving Tuesday.
As you think about your donors this year, it’s critical to have a plan in place for post-campaign nurture. Many nonprofits will bring their Giving Tuesday campaigns into the holidays, while others may have New Year plans that involve a lot of appreciation for supporters.
It’s never too early to think about retaining donors so that they can return next Giving Tuesday and stay connected.
Giving Tuesday continues to be a fast-growing movement globally. Since its start in 2012, it has raised over $18.5 billion for good, with more potential on the horizon as we near 2025.
Giving Tuesday is always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, rounding out the holiday weekend. The idea is that people can donate to the community and charitable causes after spending money on gifts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Giving Tuesday began in America and has since expanded to a global movement that reaches over 100 countries.
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Keep reading :
Nonprofit guides
What is Giving Tuesday? The Complete NonProfit Guide
Giving Tuesday is a global movement that inspired millions of people to celebrate generosity around the world. Find out what is it and how to make an impact.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
