GivingTuesday serves as a powerful fundraising and awareness-building day for nonprofits and community campaigns around the world.
For Rotary International, the day offers an opportunity for all Rotary members to participate, including Rotaractors, the organization’s network of young leaders, in support of service projects rooted in local communities.
To build on this momentum, the team at GivingTuesday partnered with Rotary, to make an even bigger impact on GivingTuesday 2025.
Held on December 2, GivingTuesday inspired millions to give back in ways that mattered most to them. Through a new Rotaract and GivingTuesday Challenge, youth leaders from around the world were invited to activate their communities through locally led service projects. From Nigeria to India and communities in between, the collaboration showcased what’s possible when young leaders are trusted with resources, visibility, and a global platform. Their collective efforts highlighted a simple truth: when young people are empowered to lead, small acts of generosity can create lasting impact.
“Rotaract Club members ignited the spirit of GivingTuesday and transformed their compassion into action. These young leaders made a big impact in their communities well beyond one day of giving,” said Markie Morrison, GivingTuesday Spark Program Manager.
Across dozens of projects, Rotaractors tackled local challenges while sharing their work with peers across borders. Campaigns focused on everything from literacy advocacy and menstrual health education to environmental sustainability and school infrastructure upgrades. All led by young people, proving that youth-led generosity isn’t a future vision, it’s happening right now.
A Global Youth-Led Service Challenge
As part of the Rotaract and GivingTuesday Challenge, clubs were invited to organize service projects on and around GivingTuesday while documenting their efforts through Rotary’s Service Project Center and on social media using #GivingTuesday and #Rotaract. Submissions highlighted community impact, leadership, and sustainability, creating a friendly global challenge that celebrated service in action.
Together, Rotaract’s worldwide network and GivingTuesday’s culture of generosity helped form a powerful snapshot of youth-led service unfolding across continents.
After reviewing projects from around the world, three campaigns stood out for their creativity, reach, and long-term vision. These examples offer a glimpse of what young leaders can accomplish when local action meets global connection.
GivingTuesday 2025 Rotaract Campaign Spotlights
Book & Stationery Drive
Location: Wuse 2, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
Led by Adam’s Pages Bookstore in partnership with seven Rotaract clubs across Abuja and Lafia, this two-week campaign distributed more than 300 books, 120 exercise books, and assorted stationery to students at GDSS Wuse II and LEA Primary School Gwarinpa, reaching over 215 children in total.
The collaboration demonstrated how cross-club teamwork can expand reach and deepen impact, turning GivingTuesday into a city-wide moment of generosity for students and educators alike.
Dhooram: Menstrual Health & Hygiene Awareness
Location: Narikkuravar Colony, Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Dhooram focused on increasing menstrual health awareness among the Narikkuravar community through culturally sensitive education sessions and the distribution of hygiene kits containing sanitary napkins, cotton cloth, towels, soap, and shampoo.
Engaging 50 women and adolescent girls, the project centered on dignity, trust, and community-informed design, showing how thoughtful, locally led initiatives can spark meaningful and lasting change.
E-Shuddhi: E-Waste for Education
Location: Hittaladoddi, Arepalya, Karnataka, India
E-Shuddhi transformed environmental action into long-term investment in education by collecting 450 kilograms of e-waste during GivingTuesday-season drives. Proceeds supported playground installations, clean water access, and infrastructure upgrades at nearby schools, and will continue through new projects scheduled for early 2026.
From RO purifiers to recreational spaces and learning materials, the initiative is ensuring students benefit for years to come, proof that sustainability and generosity can go hand in hand!
Why Youth Leadership Matters
Youth leaders don’t just want to participate, they want to design solutions, sustain them, and inspire others along the way. The Rotaract and GivingTuesday Challenge showed what’s possible when young people are given the tools to lead on their own terms while connecting to a global movement.
By pairing Rotaract’s international network with GivingTuesday’s platform for generosity, the partnership amplified youth-driven service while honoring local creativity and leadership.
Because generosity doesn’t belong to one day and leadership doesn’t have an age requirement.
About the Rotaract and GivingTuesday Challenge
Rotaractors took action on GivingTuesday 2025 and became eligible for global recognition by leading a service project that created positive change in their communities. Rotaract clubs were encouraged to post their projects in the Rotary Service Project Center, share them on social media, and inspire peers to join in.
Each submission helped demonstrate Rotaract’s impact worldwide, and the three top projects were highlighted by Rotary and GivingTuesday across social channels.
Looking ahead to GivingTuesday 2026, Rotaract clubs and youth leaders everywhere are invited to start planning now to dream up new service projects, rally their communities, and continue to show what youth-led generosity can look like around the world.
