Americans donated billions of dollars this Giving Tuesday, an annual tradition that celebrates the holiday season’s spirit of giving, according to estimates of a nonprofit that tracks charitable giving.
Thirty-seven million U.S. adults participated in Giving Tuesday, celebrated this year on November 29, by donating money or items or volunteering. The annual Giving Tuesday tradition was founded in 2012 to encourage charitable contributions. It is celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
“Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor out, or showing up for an issue or people we care about, we each have something to contribute,” the New York–based nonprofit Giving Tuesday said in a tweet.
This year, Americans donated a record $3.1 billion, a 15% increase over the prior record set in 2021, and a 25% increase over 2020, the nonprofit said, noting the record-breaking donations come despite tough economic times.
While it’s impossible to quantify all of the good that happened around the world yesterday – the kindness expressed, time given, hope restored – we do know that in a single day, people in the U.S. gave $3.1B on #GivingTuesday. https://t.co/Ao4ksGSPJw pic.twitter.com/Xlli5ZVnp1
— GivingTuesday (@GivingTuesday) December 1, 2022
Started in New York to inspire generosity, the Giving Tuesday nonprofit now promotes charitable donations and volunteerism around the world. The nonprofit organizes nationwide campaigns in 85 countries and people from every country in the world now participate in Giving Tuesday, the nonprofit says.
In 2022, Giving Tuesday Ukraine convened an online festival where 1,000 people offered encouragement or donations to local organizations. Dozens of volunteers with the group’s branch in Pakistan delivered supplies to communities in flood-affected areas.
“#GivingTuesday is a growing global movement that originated in the United States,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a November 29 tweet. “Today we encourage everyone, everywhere, to keep this movement going and to give to charitable organizations doing amazing work around the world.”
#GivingTuesday is a growing global movement that originated in the United States. Today we encourage everyone, everywhere, to keep this movement going and to give to charitable organizations doing amazing work around the world. https://t.co/vJvFesisXH
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 29, 2022
