If you work in the nonprofit world, odds are that you’ve heard of #GivingTuesday. But what is #GivingTuesday? Who runs it? How do you participate? What the heck is with the hashtag?
In this post, Mightycause answers all of your burning questions.
What is #GivingTuesday?
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that takes place annually on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a day designed for nonprofits to ask their supporters and communities to contribute to their cause.
When is #GivingTuesday?
In 2023, #GivingTuesday is November 28th. Each year the event takes exactly five days after U.S. Thanksgiving, which means that the date changes each year. It is intentionally placed right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
What is #GivingTuesday’s purpose?
It’s very simple: after indulging around the dinner table at Thanksgiving and breaking out our wallets to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday aims to put the focus on charitable giving. It’s a day where nonprofits, their supporters, and their communities come together, in person and online, to give back.
It’s also the unofficial beginning of year-end giving for nonprofits.
How did #GivingTuesday start?
#GivingTuesday was started by the Belfer Center for Social Innovation & Impact at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. #GivingTuesday has turned into a global movement since its launch in 2012, raising millions of dollars for charity and engaging millions of people.
How is Mightycause involved?
Mightycause is all about collective impact and charitable giving, so #GivingTuesday was a natural fit for us! We host our own #GivingTuesday event on our platform each year, where nonprofits come together to raise money for their causes. We add gamification to the mix by offering prizes to the top fundraisers that allow them to raise even more on #GivingTuesday. It’s always a big event — since our first year in 2013, nonprofits have raised millions as part of our event.
What is #GivingTuesday’s hashtag all about?
Social media fuels #GivingTuesday. That’s why the name of the event itself has a hashtag — on social media when you put a hashtag in front of a word, it becomes indexed and searchable. And then it becomes easier for a conversation to start. Hashtags bring people together and get them talking. This is how #GivingTuesday has grown over the years, by starting conversations on social media. So, while “Giving Tuesday” or “GivingTuesday” is still correct, we recommend using the hashtag to be part of the conversation!
How do nonprofits participate?
It totally depends on the nonprofit! Some nonprofits fundraise on their own, while some of them team up with a platform like Mightycause. Many nonprofits sign up to participate through the givingtuesday.org site, too. But there’s no one way to participate since the #GivingTuesday movement has grown so huge and become a global event.
How do individuals get involved?
There are lots of ways to get involved! Here are just a few:
- Donate to your favorite nonprofits
- Help spread the word about campaigns that speak to you on social media
- Start a fundraiser for your favorite cause
- Organize a team fundraiser for a cause you care about
- Volunteer to help a nonprofit with their #GivingTuesday campaign
What are the benefits of participating in #GivingTuesday on Mightycause?
Participating in #GivingTuesday on the Mightycause platform puts your nonprofit in the running for prizes and gives you access to free training webinars and resources. We also make it simple and easy for peer-to-peer fundraisers and teams to run campaigns on our platform to help your nonprofit raise more on the biggest fundraising day of the year. So, prizes? Free training? The ability to reach more people through peer-to-peer fundraising? What’s not to like?!
How do I get started?
If you’re a nonprofit, get started by registering here!