The annual day of giving known as #GivingTuesday is explored in a new Giving USA Spotlight report published by Giving USA Foundation and researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
#GivingTuesday annually promotes the spirit and act of giving on the first Tuesday following Thanksgiving. The report looks at various aspects of #GivingTuesday, including its history and its context in the growing world of social media philanthropy and online giving. The Spotlight also incorporates recommendations from nonprofit professionals to help their peers effectively leverage #GivingTuesday by incorporating them into their own fundraising programs.
"Our Giving USA Spotlights always provide research on timely topics, and this one is no exception," said Keith Curtis, Chair of Giving USA Foundation. "As the year-end giving season ends, we can look back to its beginning and see what a real impact #GivingTuesday made. The Spotlight reveals that donors continue to respond to causes they believe in, and that nonprofits did a good job of getting their message out to their supporters. This is especially evident in the increased number of donations. Not only is awareness of #GivingTuesday growing, but so is participation-the act and spirit of giving."
The report comes on the heels of an analysis of the results for #GivingTuesday 2014 conducted by the school. According to estimates tallied by the school and released on Dec. 3, $34.9 million was raised online via five major donation processing platforms on #GivingTuesday 2014. An additional $10.8 million was tabulated by two of the five reporting platforms in initial reported offline donations that day, bringing the #GivingTuesday 2014 estimated initial total to $45.7 million. That estimate is based on contributions tracked by five major donation processing platforms for nonprofits: Blackbaud, DonorPerfect, GlobalGiving, Network for Good and Razoo.
"In just three years, #GivingTuesday has grown from an idea to a global movement, thanks to the thousands of individuals, nonprofits and communities who have proven that taken together, many gifts of time and treasure, both small and large, can change the world," said Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation. "We're proud to be a part of this movement and excited that the initial data on #GivingTuesday is showing the impact the movement is beginning to have in growing overall giving to worthy organizations."
The December 2014 analysis also found that between #GivingTuesdays 2013 and 2014, the total amount raised via primarily online methods grew at least 63 percent and the total number of donations increased an estimated 53 percent. The total number of participating organizations is estimated to have increased by 55 percent. Experts estimate that online giving in general represents between 6 and 10 percent of total annual giving.
"One of the most encouraging aspects of #GivingTuesday, beyond the funds it provides to nonprofits, is the awareness and participation in philanthropy that it generates," said Una Osili, director of research for the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. "As more nonprofits take part and communicate with donors about their efforts, engagement grows and people and nonprofits find opportunities to come together to make a difference."
A portion of the newly released Spotlight explores in greater depth a small sample of #GivingTuesday giving data provided by Network for Good, a processor of online charitable donations. Researchers view that preliminary analysis as a possible initial step in a longer-term analysis of #GivingTuesday, and caution that it is too early to extrapolate those results to overall national #GivingTuesday patterns.
"From our unique vantage point, Network for Good has watched digital giving continue to grow and evolve," said Caryn Stein, Vice President of Communications, Network for Good. "Events like #GivingTuesday are emerging as effective ways for nonprofits to further engage existing donors and build a sense of community, which can boost overall fundraising results. Giving days are a perfect match for online channels because it's easy to act in the moment, and there's a heightened sense of social connection and urgency. We're excited to see online donations increase for those nonprofits who leverage these campaigns to rally supporters and raise funds for good causes."
Established in 2012 by 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation and now including scores of partners, #GivingTuesday is a global giving movement primarily driven by social media and online giving campaigns.
"#GivingTuesday has gone from a simple idea to a purpose-driven global phenomenon," said Blackbaud President and CEO Mike Gianoni. "We are proud at Blackbaud to be a founding partner and a leading engine for the nonprofit and charitable giving communities, providing the software and technology solutions needed to drive online activation that increasingly powers change around the world. I am especially proud of my colleagues who developed a free app, For Goodness Shake, in celebration and support of #GivingTuesday and the power of giving every day."
The Giving USA Spotlight report is available for purchase for $19.95 at Giving USA Foundation's website at www.givingusa.org.
About Giving USA Foundation
Advancing the research, education and public understanding of philanthropy is the mission of Giving USA Foundation, founded in 1985 by The Giving Institute. Headquartered in Chicago, the Foundation publishes data and trends about charitable giving through its seminal publication, Giving USA, and quarterly reports on topics related to philanthropy. Visit www.givingusa.org for more information.
About the Sponsors
The production of this Giving USA Spotlight report was funded by the Case Foundation, CCS and Network for Good.
The Case Foundation
Established by Jean and Steve Case in 1997, the Case Foundation invests in people and ideas that can change the world. In our efforts to address social challenges, we unite the principles of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology to identify, test, prove and scale ideas and models designed to create exponential impact. For more information, visit casefoundation.org, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
CCS
CCS, a leading global fundraising consulting and management firm, provides fundraising, development services and strategic consulting to non-profit organizations worldwide. With offices throughout North America and in London and Dublin, CCS designs successful and sustainable development initiatives for organizations across every non-profit sector. Founded in 1947, the firm is wholly owned by its partners and retains the largest and most experienced permanent staff in the industry. To learn more, visit www.ccsfundraising.com.
Network for Good
Network for Good offers innovative online donation and peer fundraising software for nonprofits. Since 2001, Network for Good has distributed over $1 billion to more than 100,000 charities through its proven online giving platform. To find out more, visit www.networkforgood.com.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The School offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy-voluntary action for the public good-through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the Women's Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy or "Like" us on Facebook.