GivingTuesday 2025: Leveraging untapped generosity

“Times are tough.” “Pockets are pinched.” “The future is uncertain.” You hear these sentiments every day, everywhere. As GivingTuesday approaches on December 2, it would be easy to believe these sentiments would lead to lower levels of giving. Thankfully, our data shows that’s not the case. People respond generously to opportunities to give. It’s up to us to provide entry points for them to express their generosity. 

On GivingTuesday 2025, nonprofits will need to tap into that generosity more than ever. According to the Urban Institute, one-third of surveyed nonprofits experienced “funding disruptions” in the first four to six months of 2025, due to government cuts. Even those not dependent on government funding now face an altered landscape, where competition for major donors has intensified—as has the demand for services. 

Through the GivingTuesday Data Commons, we’ve seen some trends over the past 12 months that are not encouraging—but donations have remained relatively static during a year of significant change. More important: There’s a lot of untapped potential that can be realized with new strategies.  

Reaching small-dollar donors on GivingTuesday 

Beneath the momentum that comes with GivingTuesday, we often hear concerns from nonprofits—especially smaller ones—about whether they can be heard through “the noise” and stand out. Won’t the little guys suffer in the wake of massive campaigns by the heavy hitters? 

Fair question, but the short answer is no. GivingTuesday is when the average person is more attuned than ever to nonprofits, community efforts, and giving. That widespread awareness can be transformed into engagement. The more people learn about the nonprofits in their communities raising funds on GivingTuesday, the more they’re inspired to be generous. In our experience, it’s small, community-based organizations that benefit the most from this heightened sense of generosity among everyday people.

At the same time, our research shows the most marked dropoff in giving over the last year is from smaller-dollar donors—who give between $101 and $500 a year. Clearly, they’re not being reached with current strategies. With the right shifts in fundraising practices, nonprofits could unlock an estimated $52 billion more in charitable giving each year. 

Maximizing donations on GivingTuesday—and year-round 

Here are a few key strategies based on GivingTuesday data to help nonprofits reverse the risk of downward giving trends—and thrive.  

Ask and get 

The first is obvious. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. GivingTuesday is an opportunity to ask and ask again.  

A 2023 GivingPulse survey revealed that between half and 73% of respondents, depending on demographics,  didn’t remember being asked to give. Even more striking, of those who weren’t asked, an estimated 9% would’ve given if they had been solicited. 

Alongside data on household giving behaviors, we estimate that between $19 billion and $46 billion could be going to nonprofits each year if more people were invited to give. 

Expand donor outreach efforts 

Entirely new streams of support could be opened by expanding outreach to more diverse communities and people outside your traditional donor bases. Don’t ignore entire regions or demographics. Don’t write anyone off—their generosity might, and likely will, surprise you. 

Youth are the most obvious target, yet are often overlooked in donor outreach. Participation in GivingTuesday skews younger (ages 18–34). Acquiring supporters when they’re young helps nonprofits build longer-term trust and connections when, later in life, they have the means to give more. Their collective impact is vital now. 

Retain recurring donors 

Recurring donors build a crucial path to sustainability. 

Neon One reports that the vast majority of donors (about 80% in 2023) who initiate a recurring monthly gift on GivingTuesday make another donation to the same organization before the end of the year. And as of September 2024, half of the donors who initiated recurring gifts on GivingTuesday 2022 were still active; 73% of first-time donors in 2023 did the same. Giving in the fourth quarter of 2024 was up 6% over 2023, according to our GivingPulse data. This means that even among recurring donors, there are opportunities to tap into additional giving—if the invitation is right. 

While only 6% of donors are recurring givers, there may be opportunities to encourage those who give more than one-off donations, leveraging moments like GivingTuesday. According to our recent report with the Blackbaud Institute, 65% of donors who give on GivingTuesday gave another gift during the calendar year. 

Simply increasing the share of new donors who sign up for recurring gifts by 5 percentage points could add $10 billion a year to the sector. If realized, this could provide necessary stability amid great uncertainty moving into 2026.  

Mobilize and support mutual aid 

With uncertain funding and so much need, people are responding by mobilizing and engaging in mutual aid and community care. The opportunity now is for the formal nonprofit sector to connect and engage with people demonstrating generosity in informal ways. By doing so, we can all better serve communities everywhere—and build a framework for future growth, rich with new ideas and fresh perspectives.  

Tough times require maximum cooperation and cross-pollination: We’re all in this together.  

The resources are there. The generosity is there. The next step is creating the conditions that allow it to flourish—not just on GivingTuesday itself, but year-round. 

You can find tips for creating GivingTuesday campaigns and learn more about GivingTuesday Data Commons’ work to measure GivingTuesday fundraising and participation success. 

Photo credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images