Charitable giving in the United States reached a new high on GivingTuesday 2025, with donors contributing an estimated $4 billion to nonprofit organisations. This marks a substantial increase from the $3.6 billion raised on the same day in 2024, according to data from the nonprofit group GivingTuesday.
A Surge in Generosity and Community Action
The annual day of giving, which fell on 2 December this year, also witnessed a remarkable rise in people volunteering their time. An estimated 11.1 million Americans volunteered, up significantly from the 9.2 million who participated in 2024. This dual increase points to a powerful trend of community engagement extending beyond financial contributions.
Woodrow Rosenbaum, the chief data officer for GivingTuesday, suggested the increases in both donor numbers and total sums may be driven by a widespread desire for connection. "Generosity is a really powerful way to get that," he told The Associated Press. He emphasised that the day provides an opportunity for people to act on seeing need, but within "a moment of celebration as opposed to crisis."
Beyond Monetary Donations: The Rise of Volunteering
Rosenbaum highlighted that volunteering offers a way for individuals to amplify their impact without a financial cost. The organisation's estimates capture formal volunteering through nonprofits, but also acknowledge the significant informal efforts through mutual aid groups or helping neighbours and family.
GivingTuesday itself began in 2012 as a simple hashtag and initiative by New York's 92nd Street Y. It has since evolved into a major independent nonprofit that tracks global generosity using data from a vast array of donation platforms, payment processors, and nonprofit software.
A Bellwether for the Crucial Giving Season
The event acts as an informal kick-off for the vital end-of-year "giving season," when a significant portion of annual charitable donations are made. Against a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty, predicting donor behaviour has been challenging.
Rosenbaum views the 2025 GivingTuesday results as an "extremely encouraging bellwether" for the months ahead. "What we really hope is that nonprofits and community groups see this as an opportunity that we are in a moment of abundance and that people are ready and willing to help," he stated.
The sustained growth in both the number of givers and the average donation size suggests a deepening culture of philanthropy. As the season progresses, nonprofits will be hoping this initial surge of goodwill translates into sustained support for their causes.
