How to help charities with donations

NEW YORK – One November afternoon, Sister Marie Sorenson made the difficult decision to cut the line at the St. John’s Bread & Life grocery distribution line at closing time. It had been a “particularly busy day” and more than a dozen people had to return tomorrow, Sorenson said, her face a mix of confusion and discouragement.

As recent shoppers filled their shopping carts with boxes of macaroni and cheese, Sorenson said she couldn’t wait for Giving Tuesday, when the food bank sees an increase in donations each year.

“We are extremely grateful that on this special day people are really focusing on those out there in great need,” said Sorenson, the pantry’s assistant executive director.

More than a decade after its inception, Giving Tuesday continues to help millions of Americans pause and reflect in the midst of hectic holidays, while connecting them to broader movements for good. Nonprofits say Giving Tuesday is the top fundraising day of the year because it attracts huge waves of brand-new donors — many of whom remain loyal to the organization long-term.

A staggering $3.1 billion was raised on Giving Tuesday in 2023, even though overall charitable giving has declined year-round since the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits across the country told USA TODAY. In contrast, Giving Tuesday has grown every year since its inception more than a decade ago, giving more people the opportunity to focus on causes they want to support, said Ruth Ann Daily, chief development officer of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“I love Giving Tuesday,” said Daily, who has worked in nonprofit development for more than 25 years. “I’m old enough to remember things before Giving Tuesday, and it created a great opportunity to raise awareness.”

Many people may feel like they’re being bombarded with emails from nonprofits asking for donations during the annual event, but it’s important to think about where you want to donate, said Ben Miller, a data analyst and senior vice president at the Fundraising software company Bonterra Tech.

“We are all willing to donate on this day, and so people who are committed to a cause will donate,” Miller said.

Here are tips to keep in mind as you consider how to make a difference with Giving Tuesday, experts say.

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Take a few minutes to research and think

It goes without saying that you care about where your hard-earned money is spent. Think of a donation as an investment in a group you care about, Daily said.

“I want to know that this investment will pay off and truly help the mission I care about,” Daily said.

You can use the online sites Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau, Charity Watch, GiveWell, GreatNonprofits, and Candid (formerly called GuideStar) to see how much of a nonprofit’s budget goes toward its mission and overhead costs before it make a contribution.

It’s also just as important to invest in your own neighborhood and donate to local social service providers that may be too small to be listed on these platforms, said Asha Curran, one of the founders of Giving Tuesday and CEO of an international nonprofit organization Name .

“Even though it doesn’t have a platinum rating or published impact reports, it’s trying to do good work in the place you care about most, and that’s a wonderful place to make a donation,” Curran told USA TODAY.

You could also put yourself in someone else’s shoes — like a relative who cares deeply about a particular cause, Curran suggested. If someone in your life is excited about donating to a particular nonprofit, doubling their contribution is not only an expression of your love for them, but also a donation. Also think about where your loved ones volunteer, Curran said, and consider donating the $50, for example, to the animal shelter where your niece volunteers dogs.

How much money is raised on Giving Tuesday?

In 2023, people collectively donated $3.1 billion within 24 hours on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Curran said. According to Curran, the 2022 Giving Tuesday figure was only nominally lower, also coming in at $3.1 billion.

And that number is far from the complete picture, as many people donate in the two to three days before Giving Tuesday and the days following, data shows.

“$3.1 billion is the reported amount in 24 hours, but we know the total amount is actually significantly higher,” Curran said.

The large sum raised on Giving Tuesday shows that “standing idly by during the annual giving day can be a mistake,” said Miller, who is also past chair of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, a research initiative launched in 2006 by the Giving Launched Tuesday was the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a decades-old group with over 30,000 members.

“Typically, people might feel put off by it, maybe wondering, ‘What’s it about?'” Miller said. “But Giving Tuesday is getting bigger and it’s a way to make your voice heard.”

Since its founding in 1950, the work of the Daily’s Muscular Dystrophy Association has focused on funding research to find drug treatments for rare neuromuscular diseases that have historically significantly shortened people’s lifespans. The association also recently opened a scholarship fund.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see all of these drugs in development,” Daily said. “And in years past, we didn’t have scholarship programs because people didn’t live long enough to go to college.”

St. John’s Bread & Life in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood exceeded its fundraising goal on Giving Tuesday last year, reaching $8,200 after aiming for $5,000. This year, that number could be even higher, as the pantry hopes to partner with an outside donor to fund the first $4,000, said development director James Poisal.

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Giving Tuesday is “not a gimmick”

It can be annoying to receive emails and text messages from nonprofits at the same time. But evidence collected by Miller’s Bonterra Tech shows the communications blasts work and proves the holiday “is not a gimmick,” he said.

Data shows that people who donate on Giving Tuesday continue to do so at higher rates, likely because the annual flood of donation requests triggers a complex selection process in the donor’s mind, Miller said.

“To choose this mission, you have to do it among a number of people asking you. So there’s a reason you chose them over others,” Miller said.

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How to help charities with donations

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