Press releases
Whale Alert: the app to help to protect whales
Read moreAs the holiday season begins, so does the rush for deals. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have long dominated headlines with early hours, long queues, and record-breaking spending. But for those seeking something more meaningful than a shopping spree, there’s another tradition taking hold—GivingTuesday.
Created as a global day of generosity, GivingTuesday invites people everywhere to support causes they care about, turn compassion into action, and make a real impact in their communities and beyond.
A handler bottle-feeds elephant Wamwayi ("lucky one") who was rescued from a mud hole in Zambia. Photo: © IFAW-GRI
What is the GivingTuesday movement?
GivingTuesday is a movement based on the power of generosity. The annual celebration event occurs on the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving.
GivingTuesday was created in 2012 in the U.S. as a simple idea: to encourage people to do good. It grew into a global movement celebrated by many partners including individuals and families, nonprofits, schools, religious organisations and small businesses. Today, 105+ countries participate in the event.
How has GivingTuseday evolved over the years?
GivingTuesday has evolved into a powerful cultural counterpoint to consumer-driven days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While Americans spent $24.1 billion online during those shopping events in 2024, GivingTuesday raised $3.6 billion in charitable donations, a 16% increase from the previous year, outpacing the growth of retail spending. This trend signals a societal shift: generosity is scaling faster than consumerism, with millions of people choosing to give time, money, and advocacy as part of their holiday traditions. Projections for 2025 estimate $4.01 billion in donations, reinforcing GivingTuesday’s role as a global movement of kindness.
Who can take part?
GivingTuesday’s common mission is “to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life.” The movement encourages everyone to take part. Every act of generosity counts—whether it is making someone smile, helping a stranger, supporting an issue or cause, or giving time or money.
105+ countries host GivingTuesday every year. Anyone can participate, including people looking to make charitable contributions and the organisations that benefit from those efforts.
How can I give?
There are many ways to give every day, every Tuesday, or on the day of the GivingTuesday annual celebration event. The movement offers some ideas:
- Donate money to a nonprofit (like IFAW).
- Fundraise through events that bring your community together and spread joy.
- Spread the word by sharing your charity of choice’s story on social media and encourage your family and friends to help that charity.
- Show kindness to friends and neighbours (e.g., help an elderly neighbour with chores or pay someone’s overdue gas or water bill).
- Volunteer for an organisation or cause that’s important to you.
- Help the planet (e.g., organise a beach or park cleanup or plant a tree).
- Help animals (e.g., consider adopting or fostering or drop off food or toys to a local pet shelter).
- Lead a GivingTuesday community.
- Start a fundraiser, livestream or fitness challenge that benefits a nonprofit like IFAW through Tilitify.
- Donate cryptocurrency like Bitcoin to a nonprofit like IFAW through The Giving Block.
- Start a Facebook Fundraiser for a nonprofit like IFAW.
How big an impact does GivingTuesday make?
With over 105+ national movements, 300 communities around the world and millions of acts of generosity, GivingTuesday makes a massive impact.
According to the 2024 impact report, $3.6 billion was given and 36+ million adults participated in the annual celebration event in the U.S. alone.
GivingTuesday reminds us that everyone has something to give, and every act of generosity counts toward making a better world based on generosity.
IFAW and GivingTuesday
IFAW has been actively participating in the GivingTuesday movement ever since its inception. In 2024, nearly 6,000 generous supporters joined our GivingTuesday campaign from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. We look forward to celebrating this event every year and working with like-minded communities in our joint cause of making the world a better place for animals and people. Please keep checking our website and social media for ways to get involved.
Related content
Our work can’t get done without you. Please give what you can to help animals thrive.