Giving Tuesday is a global campaign to engage and encourage communities to support nonprofits. Traditionally the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (following consumer-oriented Black Friday and Cyber Monday), it is among the most-anticipated days of the year for fundraisers and nonprofit industry analysts.
A singular data point, like the estimated total giving on this one particular day, is not definitive analysis. But historically, Giving Tuesday results have been roughly in line with broader national charitable giving trends. So an analysis of 2024’s results is informative, if not prescriptive.
Unsurprisingly to some industry analysts, Giving Tuesday 2024 was a smashing success, accounting for an estimated $3.6 billion in donations from over 36 million people in the U.S. alone. This was a 16% increase in donations over last year. We attribute this success to nonprofit fundraisers’ increased engagement in the campaign and a strong U.S. economy that typically correlates with increased giving.
Source: Giving Tuesday, RSM US LLP
The 2024 data also illustrates another important trend: the continued increase in the size of the average gift. Data has shown for years that the number of smaller-dollar donors has been in steady decline, while the total amount given has mostly risen. The simple math implies an important shift toward larger and major donors, in contrast to broad appeals to smaller donors. This trend is critical for nonprofit funders to address in their strategies.
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Despite pessimistic headlines, 2024 and 2025 look to be solid years for growth in charitable giving, and fundraisers need to aggressively lean into this trend with more substantial campaigns. In addition, nonprofits need to adjust to major donors being a larger share of their fundraising portfolios by leveraging strategies related to donor-advised funds, private foundations and bequests.
