Giving Tuesday 2023: When Is It & What to Expect

Giving Tuesday 2023 marks the 11th anniversary of a global generosity movement created by GivingTuesday.org. Every year on Giving Tuesday, passionate donors set new donation records through various charitable actions. 

If you’re new to participating in Giving Tuesday or want to learn more about what to expect this year, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll give all the details that make this day of giving like no other. Plus, you’ll learn the value of preparing early and examples from organizations that saw big results. 

Let’s get started.

When Is Giving Tuesday 2023?

Giving Tuesday 2023 falls on Tuesday, November 28. It’s the charitable endcap to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. 

The History of Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday, founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, is a day to encourage people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.¹

What’s Special About Giving Tuesday?

Centered around the community, Giving Tuesday is one day a year when individuals, organizations, nonprofits, small businesses, and families can come together to show radical generosity. 

Giving Tuesday 2022 results showcased the potential nonprofits can see this year:

• Donors around the U.S. (243,254) contributed $44,168,979 in Giving Tuesday donations through the Classy platform
• Recurring donors on Classy gave 37% more recurring dollars in 2022 compared to Giving Tuesday 2021
• Donors across the world raised a total of $3.1 billion on Giving Tuesday 2022²

See the Full List of Giving Tuesday 2022 Results

Why do nonprofits participate in the global day of giving? 

On Giving Tuesday 2023, nonprofit organizations will have a stage to place highest-priority initiatives in front of people ready to help. Classy’s State of Modern Philanthropy 2022 report found that nonprofit organizations acquire 10X more donors on Giving Tuesday and see double the conversion rate compared to an average day of the year. 

Donors also tend to remain loyal to the organizations they donate to on Giving Tuesday. Classy’s Why America Gives report found that 69% of all U.S. donors were likely to donate again to the same charitable organizations they gave to on Giving Tuesday 2022 before the year ended, and 79% would give to those same organizations in the new year. 

Seeing more interest in young people to create change is promising as well. Why America Gives found millennials and Gen X donors were most likely to be familiar with Giving Tuesday. Even in its 11th year, it meets and caters to all generations of today’s donors.

Explore Our Guide to Engage Gen Z Donors

What Type of Giving Tuesday Campaign Is Best?

The beauty of some of today’s top online fundraising platforms, like Classy, is that organizations can choose from many fundraising campaign types and add unique touches, intentional messaging, and targeted storytelling elements that bring your nonprofit brand to life. Although seemingly small, these demonstrations of personalization are extremely powerful in proving to your target audience that you know and understand them. 

Consider which campaign type feels most aligned with your prospective Giving Tuesday 2023 donors:

• A peer-to-peer competition or community effort puts the power in the hands of your donors and gets your campaign in front of new audiences
• A crowdfunding campaign puts your story front and center to call on audiences ready to take action quickly
• A creative hybrid event introduces your team and existing donor base to a whole new group of people who can learn and give from anywhere
• A simple online donation page is most effective at capturing interest from donors inspired and ready to take action
• A recurring giving campaign invites donors to strengthen their relationships with your organization through automatic donations at the frequency they prefer

What Are Some Examples of Giving Tuesday Campaigns?

Regarding campaign diversification, it’s always helpful to see some campaign examples that produced great results. We’re always looking for campaigns to inspire you on the blog, but here are two from Giving Tuesday 2022 to kick-start your planning.

A Compelling Story With Personalized Appeal

Oklahoma Christian University started planning for Giving Tuesday 2022 about three months ahead of the giving day to ensure its team accounted for everything. The nonprofit got creative with a multichannel promotion approach to reach the right people on the right channels and inspire them to give. That led to donations that exceeded the team’s goal by 330%, at an average donation size of $1,354.

Explore Oklahoma Christian University’s Approach

Creating Connections With an Easy Donation Experience

Atlanta Habitat launched a customized crowdfunding campaign for Giving Tuesday 2022 to connect new and existing donors with its meaningful mission. The team built an engagement strategy that spanned email, social media, and direct outreach to invite donors into a giving process that felt quick and easy. That led to an average donation size of $670 to help them exceed the campaign goal.

Deep Dive on Details

When Should You Promote Giving Tuesday 2023?

Many successful organizations start strategizing Giving Tuesday 2023 promotion plans during the summer and introduce campaigns in the fall. The reason for this is that the planning before giving season results in an intentional campaign that feels cohesive and stands out among donors who may see a lot more promotion at year-end. 

3-Month Giving Tuesday Checklist

What is the best way to promote Giving Tuesday 2023?

Our State of Modern Philanthropy 2023 found personalization and connection are more critical than ever to nonprofits’ donor acquisition, conversion, and retention strategies, specifically surrounding Giving Tuesday.

The best way to promote your campaign will depend on your nonprofit’s unique goals and audience. Below are some wonderful Giving Tuesday ideas to spread the word based on what we’ve seen work well in recent years.

Corporate Partnerships

Corporate partnerships are a great way to get more eyes on your nonprofit, especially on Giving Tuesday. Many organizations prompt employees to give back and support them through volunteer incentives and Giving Tuesday donation-matching campaigns as the year closes. The power of corporate sponsorships for your campaign or collaboration with employee bases can help you see more results from your efforts and build loyalty that will follow you into 2024. 

Tips and Tricks for Corporate Partnerships on GT

Social Media

The introduction of Threads mid-year shows us that even when we think we have social media covered, there’s more to learn. It also means there are more ways to get in front of followers with your campaign link, donation form, or Giving Tuesday website and engage new audiences around your cause. 

While your posts will feel more relevant by fall, it’s never too early to create a Giving Tuesday social media strategy and branding toolkit to build your active community around the hashtag #givingtuesday.

Intentional Emails

Email isn’t the first place people may look to learn about organizations, but a personalized one can stand out and get your message across in an effective way. Using email marketing tools helps you segment messages to the right email list and automate communications around your campaigns with templates. That can help you create a personal touch without wasting time during the busy season.

Get the Most Out of Giving Tuesday 2023 to Make a Difference

We hope you feel optimistic about what this year could mean for your nonprofit organization. Giving Tuesday 2023 is a way to build a following and strengthen the community you have to create a big impact on your mission. As your wheels start turning, remember that the momentum doesn’t need to begin and end in November. 

The giving season extends throughout the end of the year, and many organizations will unite Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns to capitalize on that preestablished momentum. With so much potential to secure advocacy this year, every step you take to learn and strategize now pays off significantly for your nonprofit. 

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Article Sources

1. “History of GivingTuesday,” Giving Tuesday, accessed July 11, 2023, https://www.givingtuesday.org/about/. 
2. “GivingTuesday 2022: Celebrating NFG Customer Success,” Network for Good, accessed July 18, 2023, https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/givingtuesday-2022-celebrating-success.