Donations Reach $3.1 Billion on GivingTuesday

Early numbers suggest 2023 giving will match last year.

Donors gave $3.1 billion to American nonprofit organizations on GivingTuesday, an annual event the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  It is intended to encourage people to support nonprofits in the final stretch of the year, and reveals the mood of American donors.

Donors seem to be in a cautious mood, as donations rose less than 1% over last year, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Despite the small growth, the number of donors who participated declined 10% to 34 million donors, frustrating GivingTuesday’s goal of increased participation in philanthropy.

This year’s GivingTuesday came amid uncertainty about the U.S. economy and concerns about inflation. At the same time, social-service groups struggle to match increasing demand for their services. The Salvation Army, for example, said it had seen demand increase from 10% to 40% at its centers around the country.

Launched in 2012 in New York, GivingTuesday is a movement backed by a nonprofit organization by the same name. The event, which is increasingly embraced internationally, has seen billions in donations raised over the past decade.

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Here are the trends for 2023:

Small donors decline. GivingTuesday encourages donors who can give small amounts—but this year small gifts decreased, perhaps reflecting the impact of inflation on average Americans.

Corporate giving declines. It looks like corporate gifts may decline slightly for a second year in a row, following a 4% decline in 2022. Meanwhile, some nonprofits report increased corporate giving through partnerships. The Boys & Girls Clubs have partnered with clothing brands to sell clothing to benefit its work.

Giving via digital wallets grows. This year, 43% of gifts came from donors using digital wallet apps such as Apple Pay, leading one executive to call it “massive growth.”

Regional differences remain. The San Francisco Bay area has seen significant disruption in its tech sector, leading to declines in giving to United Way of the Bay Area. Two companies that supported GivingTuesday last year didn’t do so this year, and many individual donors have been hurt by layoffs and rising housing costs.

GivingTuesday leaders explained that their goal is not one-day giving but to encourage people to donate during the final month of the year, a time when many ministries receive a significant share of their revenue.