Every year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, world changers around the globe celebrate Giving Tuesday.
What began in 2012 as a social media campaign to help others during the holiday season has expanded into a global initiative to demonstrate radical generosity to people in our communities and around the world.
#GivingTuesday is a trademark for this special day of giving. But why is this day more than just a hashtag, and what makes it so important?
Keep reading to find out.
A Short History of Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday started as a social media campaign encouraging people to help meet needs
Giving Tuesday was founded in 2012 by the United Nations Foundation and 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City. The social media campaign aimed to inspire generosity after two of the biggest shopping days of the year — Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Soon, #GivingTuesday went viral. Since its creation, countless communities and nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and around the world have used it to raise awareness for meeting urgent needs during the season of giving.
In its first year, donations on Giving Tuesday totaled around $10 million across participating organizations. In 2024, donations reached a record $3.6 billion!
Why Giving Tuesday is So Important
Countless people worldwide participate in Giving Tuesday every year
Even though Giving Tuesday started as a hashtag and a viral social media campaign, it has grown over the past 14 years. Now, millions of world changers on six continents use Giving Tuesday to be a light for people who are hurting, struggling, or living in poverty.
In this way, Giving Tuesday isn’t just about raising awareness. It also challenges people to show compassion and love to those who need it. It inspires them to change the world — one person at a time.
Every year, millions of people work together to help meet urgent needs — whether it’s distributing food to the hungry, ensuring families have what they need to survive the winter, or even making sure children living in poverty have gifts to open for Christmas.
In short, Giving Tuesday is important because it gives people like you the opportunity to transform lives during the season of giving. And in 2025, this kind of radical generosity is more important than ever before.
How You Can Make an Impact This Giving Tuesday
Your gift this Giving Tuesday will help 2x as many people in need
Ongoing conflicts, natural disasters, and other crises have left countless people worldwide struggling to survive. Many families have lost everything to war or disasters. Children are starving. People already living in poverty are facing increasingly dire circumstances as prices continue to rise.
Right now, they need your help — and there’s no better time to step in.
This year’s Giving Tuesday is right around the corner on Dec. 2, and it’s the perfect opportunity to make a difference in the lives of men, women, and children in need.
Plus, when you give through World Help, your gift will instantly DOUBLE up to $50,000, thanks to a special matching gift.
That means you’ll provide twice as many people with essentials like food, clean water, clothing, medical supplies, God’s Word, and more. You’ll maximize your impact and help save lives around the globe!
You can make a difference as the hands and feet of Jesus this Giving Tuesday. Click the button below to give now.