Entering its sixth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.
Created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y—a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving back—#GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. A team of influencers and founding partners joined forces, collaborating across sectors, offering expertise and working tirelessly, to launch #GivingTuesday and have continued to shape, grow and strengthen the movement.
#GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners— nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.
As a global movement, #GivingTuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.
2015 By the Numbers
#GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. Together, with a team of influencers and founding partners, we launched a global movement that has engaged thousands of organizations worldwide.
- Charles Best (CEO, DonorsChoose)
- Matthew Bishop (The Economist)
- Kathy Calvin (CEO, UN Foundation)
- Troy Carter (Founder, Chairman and CEO, The Atom Factory)
- Sharon Feder (Chief Digital Officer, Watch Entertainment & Rachael Ray)
- Colleen Giles Timms (Co-creator, GivingTuesday)
- Hank Goldstein (Principal, The Oram Group Inc.)
- Eileen Heisman (President and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust)
- Adam Hirsch (Global EVP, Edelman Digital)
- Patty Morrissey (Head of Groupon Grassroots)
- Rachel Hutchisson (Director of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, Blackbaud Inc.)
- Beth Kanter (Author, Speaker, Trainer)
- Edward Norton (Crowdrise)
- Rob Reich (Professor, Stanford)
- Selig D. Sacks (Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP)
- Peter Sims (Author, Entrepreneur)
- Thomas Tierney (Chairman, Bridgespan Group)
- Henry Timms (Executive Director, 92nd Street Y)
- Andrew Watt (President and CEO, Association of Fundraising Professionals)
#GivingTuesday would not be possible without the help, friendship and support from the following organizations:
- CECP
- Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy
- Giving Institute
- Giving USA Foundation
- The Huffington Post
- Blackbaud
Additional Support from:
- John Templeton Foundation
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- PayPal