What is Giving Tuesday, and how can you get involved in this global day of giving? Find out in TechnoServe’s latest explainer.

It started as a simple idea: What if there was a day dedicated to giving back during a season of over-consumption? Giving Tuesday happens each year on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It was created as a global day of giving and serves as a counterpoint to several major shopping days that occur during the same period, including Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. In 2024, Giving Tuesday raised a record-breaking $3.6 billion in donations in the United States alone. 

In this guide, you’ll discover the meaning behind Giving Tuesday, including why it began, how it’s grown, and most importantly, the many meaningful ways you can be part of it. Whether you choose to give financially, volunteer your time, or amplify the cause by sharing it with others, your involvement has the power to create a lasting impact as we close out the year together.  

What is Giving Tuesday? The Meaning Behind the Movement

While many people think of Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to make financial contributions to organizations doing critical work, it is much more than that. Giving Tuesday aims to inspire acts of generosity and emphasizes that every individual has something valuable to offer.

This global day of giving is not exclusively about monetary contributions. It promotes varied forms of support, including: 

Giving Tuesday focuses on inclusivity and collective impact, demonstrating that small actions, when multiplied by millions, can lead to significant changes. 

Joseph and Pauline Langat in Nandi Hills, Kenya. (TechnoServe / Nile Sprague)

The Roots of Generosity: A Brief History of Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 in New York City. Its roots can be traced to the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact. The initial goal was to harness the power of social media and global connectivity to inspire widespread charitable giving. The timing was strategic, leveraging the established holiday shopping patterns to introduce a new tradition focused on philanthropy. While the event started as a national initiative in the United States, it quickly expanded, becoming a global day of giving. 

Why Giving Tuesday Matters: Beyond the Donation

For nonprofit organizations, Giving Tuesday is often a crucial component of their end-of-year fundraising efforts. Many nonprofits, including TechnoServe, rely heavily on the donations received during the final months of the year to sustain their operations and programs. Giving Tuesday provides a platform to boost awareness, engage existing donor bases, and attract new supporters. 

Giving Tuesday is about being part of something bigger. This global movement empowers donors like you by making generosity accessible, visible, and meaningful. Your gift, regardless of size, joins thousands of others to create collective impact.

Have you ever heard back from an organization that you supported on Giving Tuesday? This important day often serves as a powerful catalyst for year-round engagement. Many nonprofit organizations use the momentum generated on Giving Tuesday to cultivate relationships with new donors and volunteers, encouraging sustained involvement beyond the immediate giving season. It can be the spark that ignites a long-term commitment to a particular cause. 

Photo: Ivan Samkov

How to Participate in Giving Tuesday: Your Guide to Making a Difference

Participating in Giving Tuesday is straightforward and entirely determined by how you want to give back. The beauty of this global day of generosity lies in its flexibility, allowing individuals and organizations to contribute in ways that align with their resources, values, and time. 

  1. Financial Contributions: Direct Donations

One of the most direct and impactful ways to participate in Giving Tuesday is through financial donations. This can be done in various ways, including online donations, sending a check, or giving through a donor-advised fund. Many nonprofit organizations will have dedicated donation pages or a user-friendly donation form on their website specifically for Giving Tuesday, making the process seamless. 

Before you donate, consider researching charitable organizations to ensure your funds support reputable causes. Resources like Charity Navigator or GuideStar provide detailed information on the financial health and transparency of various nonprofits. Look for organizations whose missions align with your values, whether it’s environmental conservation, education, or healthcare.

Many companies will match employee donations, effectively doubling your contribution and its impact. Donating on Giving Tuesday can also offer tax benefits. While this guide does not provide tax advice, contributions to qualifying nonprofit organizations are often tax-deductible. 

  1. Giving Time: Volunteering

Generosity isn’t solely measured in monetary terms. Your time and skills can be valuable contributions. Volunteering for a cause you care about offers a direct way to support a nonprofit and engage with your community. On Giving Tuesday, many organizations seek volunteers to help with various tasks, from administrative support and event coordination to direct service provision. Lending your physical presence and expertise can significantly enhance an organization’s capacity to serve its beneficiaries and further its mission.

TechnoServe’s Fellows Program, formerly known as the Volunteer Consultant Program, is a highly competitive fellowship where business professionals have the unique opportunity to contribute their skills to help change the lives of those living in poverty. They experience the field of international development firsthand while building new skills and challenging themselves in a cross-cultural and entrepreneurial environment. TechnoServe Fellows form a global alumni community representing top-tier consulting, industry, and nonprofit organizations and graduate schools.

  1. Spreading Awareness: Your Voice as a Tool

Even if you cannot make a financial contribution or commit time to volunteering, your voice can be a tool for generosity. Spreading awareness about Giving Tuesday and the causes you care about can inspire others to participate. Social media platforms are particularly effective for this. 

When considering what to say on Giving Tuesday, authenticity is key. Share why a particular cause resonates with you, or explain how a specific nonprofit has positively impacted your life or community. You can post a link to an organization’s donation page, share details about a volunteer opportunity, or express gratitude for those who give back. Encourage friends and family to join the movement by sharing their reasons for giving or highlighting causes they support. 

  1. Acts of Kindness: Everyday Generosity

Giving Tuesday also emphasizes that generosity can manifest in simple, everyday acts of kindness. You don’t need to commit to a large fundraiser or make a substantial donation to participate in the spirit of the day. Small gestures can create significant ripple effects within your community.

Consider helping a neighbor with groceries, offering a genuine compliment, buying coffee for a stranger, letting someone go ahead of you in line, or simply taking time to listen to someone in need. These informal acts of charity reinforce the idea that generosity is a continuous, year-round endeavor, not confined to a single global day. 

  1. Fundraise for a Cause: Becoming a Champion

For those who wish to take a more active role, launching your own personal fundraising campaign for a chosen nonprofit organization is an excellent way to participate. This often involves peer-to-peer fundraising, where you leverage your personal network to solicit donations. Many online platforms make it easy to set up a dedicated donation page or a crowdfunding campaign for your favorite charity.

As a fundraiser, you become a champion for the cause, sharing your passion and inspiring your friends, family, and colleagues to contribute. You can set a personal fundraising goal and track your progress, often sharing updates on social media. This method empowers individuals to contribute to a charity’s fundraising efforts directly, multiplying their impact through the collective generosity of their network.

Corporate and Business Participation

Businesses also play a vital role in Giving Tuesday. Companies can participate by offering matching gift programs for employee donations, launching cause-marketing campaigns, or organizing corporate volunteer days. Some businesses choose to donate a percentage of their sales on Giving Tuesday to a specific charity or create products where a portion of the proceeds benefits a philanthropic cause. Such initiatives support nonprofit organizations and demonstrate corporate social responsibility, fostering a positive brand image and engaging both employees and customers in the spirit of giving back.

Giving Tuesday in Numbers: Impact and Growth

In its very first year, 2012, Giving Tuesday raised approximately $10 million from online donations. Fast forward to recent years, and the figures are staggering, reaching into the billions globally. Beyond financial contributions, millions of people engage through volunteering, spreading awareness on social media, or performing acts of kindness. The #GivingTuesday hashtag often trends globally, reaching billions of impressions and sparking countless conversations about generosity. 

Looking Beyond the Day: Fostering Year-Round Generosity

While Giving Tuesday is celebrated as a singular, powerful global day of giving, its true success lies in its ability to catalyze sustained generosity. Many nonprofit organizations use Giving Tuesday to cultivate new relationships and deepen existing ones with donors and volunteers. They aim to convert the enthusiasm of a single day into consistent support that lasts throughout the year.

For individuals like you, this means considering how the spirit of generosity can be woven into daily life. Could you become a monthly donor to a charity whose mission resonates with you? Even small, recurring online donations can provide vital, predictable funding for organizations. Could you commit to regular volunteering hours, perhaps once a month, to lend your skills and time to a local cause? Or perhaps, could you integrate acts of kindness into your weekly routine, looking for opportunities to help others without expectation of reward?

Naume (left) and Anita (right) stand with Naume’s children in their field. The mother and daughter are working as a team to give Naume’s children the gift of education. (TechnoServe / Flavia Gumende)

Give to TechnoServe this Giving Tuesday 

When you choose where to give on Giving Tuesday, you deserve to know that your generosity will drive real, measurable change. At TechnoServe, your support powers an ambitious mission to end poverty. Thanks to our proven track record of results, you can give with confidence, knowing your contribution is making a lasting difference.  

Top-Tier Recognition from Independent Evaluators:

This consistent recognition demonstrates the operational excellence and transparency that donors deserve.

Exceptional Return on Investment

What makes TechnoServe truly exceptional is its ability to generate extraordinary returns. For every dollar donated in 2024, we deliver an average of $7.60 in income gains for our clients. 

Building Systems, Not Dependencies

Rather than creating dependency, TechnoServe uses a business approach to work with smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs, and businesses to build local capacity and market systems that sustain themselves. Our 2024 impact demonstrates this holistic approach:

This Giving Tuesday, let’s take a moment to pause, reflect, and participate. Whether you choose to make a financial contribution to a nonprofit you love, volunteer your valuable time, harness the power of social media to spread awareness, or perform an everyday act of kindness, your involvement has an impact. 

Make a difference today.

Olivia Sakai

Olivia Sakai

Olivia Sakai is a senior communications specialist at TechnoServe. Her background is in multimedia storytelling, digital communications, and sustainable development. She holds a master's degree in development practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree in anthropology and geography from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Olivia enjoys exploring new places with a camera in hand or taking in the many sights of her hometown, Washington, D.C.

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