One of the most beloved events of the holiday — Giving Tuesday — wrapped up earlier this week, and organizers already have exciting results from the annual day of altruism.
With increased totals in monetary donations, volunteers, and donated goods, it’s clear: People showed up.
“In a world that can feel increasingly divided, we saw people unite through simple acts of kindness that will have profound ripple effects for years to come,” GivingTuesday — the nonprofit that leads the annual charge — wrote on Instagram.
“Over the past day, we saw volunteers give their time, donors generously give their dollars, and countless people advocate for issues they care about.”
So, what are the stats?
In the United States this year, $3.6 billion was donated on Giving Tuesday, an increase of 16% from last year.
36.1 million people in total participated, as well, with 18.5 million giving money and 12.9 million donating goods.
In addition, the nonprofit tallied that 9.2 million people volunteered. This represents a 4% increase in volunteering from 2023.
GivingTuesday estimates the amount of money and goods donated and the number of participants using data from donor management software companies, donation platforms, payment processors, and donor-advised funds, according to the Associated Press.
But the official nonprofit is not the only one to clock this increase in volunteerism. Benevity, global provider of corporate social responsibility solutions, reported that it saw a 17% increase in volunteering on its platform from 637 participating companies.
This evens out to about 260,000 volunteer hours logged by more than 21,000 individuals from these companies, showing that Giving Tuesday goes beyond employee-matched donations (though, those also brought in a reported $140 million through Benevity, as well).
“In a year marked by polarization, economic uncertainty, and an increasingly challenging social climate for companies, the corporate community has demonstrated the power of standing united in purpose and generosity, showing how collective action can bring us together,” said Christopher Maloof, CEO of Benevity.
“This year’s remarkable GivingTuesday results are a testament to the corporate community’s unwavering commitment to doing good, even giving both of their wallets and time with a notable growth in volunteering time committed to nonprofits. GivingTuesday continues to inspire ongoing action, showing the powerful impact of aligning corporate influence with employee-driven purpose and passion.”
While increases in financial contributions signal an exciting success for the nonprofit (and all the nonprofits it supports), increases in volunteerism and collective fundraising indicate something special too, according to GivingTuesday CEO Asha Curran.
“For us, it’s not just about the number of dollars,” Curran told AP. “It’s about the number of people who feel like they have agency over the way their communities progress forward into the future.”
When people show up to collect trash in their communities, serve meals at a food bank, or lead read-alongs at their local libraries, they commit to improving the environment and social landscape of the places in which they live.
Curran says this is especially important right now.
“This country is undeniably in a lot of pain and very divided right now,” Curran added to AP. “And so to have a day that felt as hopeful and as optimistic as yesterday did, I’m sure was not only comforting to me, but to many, many millions of people.”
“When millions unite with a shared purpose, we don’t just give what we can—we create real, tangible change,” she added in a press release. “Each donation, each act of generosity, is a building block for community solutions that actually make a difference.”
Header image courtesy of Julia M. Cameron/Pexels
