NEW YORK (AP) — The organization GivingTuesday estimates that U.S. contributors contributed $3.6 billion on Tuesday, up from the previous two years.
Since the 92nd St Y in New York created the hashtag in 2012, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, now known as GivingTuesday, has grown to be a significant day for nonprofits to raise money and interact with their supporters in different ways every year. Since then, GivingTuesday has grown into a stand-alone nonprofit that links a global network of organizations and leaders who encourage giving in their local communities.
According to Asha Curran, CEO of the nonprofit GivingTuesday, “this just really shows the generosity and willingness of American citizens to show up, especially collectively.” We are simply witnessing again and again the power of group action, and especially group generosity.
According to GivingTuesday’s estimates, around 18.5 million people made donations to charity organizations this year, while an additional 9.2 million people volunteered. Compared to the group’s 2023 projections, there were 4% more volunteers and donors.
According to Curran, it’s not just about the amount of money. It concerns the proportion of people who believe they have control over how their communities develop in the future.
The nonprofit organization GivingTuesday uses information from donor management software providers, donation platforms, payment processors, and donor-advised funds to estimate the quantity of cash and merchandise donated as well as the number of participants. According to Curran, their estimations are intentionally conservative.
GivingTuesday helped U.S. nonprofits raise $3.1 billion in 2022 and 2023. This reflected broader patterns in donating, as total donations decreased in 2022 and remained relatively stable in 2023 after taking inflation into account.
Una Osili, associate dean at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, stated that economic forces were pushing in both directions, while it’s never simple to forecast current giving trends.
Even while inflation has decreased, she added, there is still a lot of uncertainty, particularly over pricing, the expense of living, and the supermarket toll that people anticipate continuing.
There are other methods for people to get involved in their communities than volunteering or making donations to charitable organizations. Many donate to political causes, crowdsourcing initiatives, or to help members in their own networks. However, one method that researchers employ to understand people’s civic engagement is to track charity donations.
According to Curran, this nation is currently experiencing a great deal of suffering and division. Therefore, I’m confident that having a day that felt as upbeat and hopeful as yesterday did was consoling to me as well as to countless millions of individuals.
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