{"id":113621,"date":"2026-11-05T15:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T15:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/giving-tuesday\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T15:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T15:12:24","slug":"giving-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/giving-tuesday\/","title":{"rendered":"GivingTuesday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GivingTuesday<\/strong> is a global movement that devotes a day to generosity. It takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, right after Black Friday<\/a> and Cyber Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The idea is simple: after several days devoted to buying, one devoted to giving. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday, December 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

What is GivingTuesday?<\/h2>\n\n

The name means, roughly, “the Tuesday for giving”. It was born in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York, created by Henry Timms and Asha Curran.<\/p>\n\n

In 2019 it became an independent nonprofit organization. Today it has official movements in more than 100 countries, according to GivingTuesday itself (2025).<\/p>\n\n

In the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America it is known as #UnD\u00edaParaDar<\/strong>, and in Brazil as Dia de Doar. In Spain it has been promoted for years by organizations such as Cruz Roja, ACNUR, Educo and the Asociaci\u00f3n Espa\u00f1ola de Fundaciones.<\/p>\n\n

Taking part costs nothing and requires no registration. Any organization can use the logo and the #GivingTuesday hashtag.<\/p>\n\n

And it is not just about money. Donating time as a volunteer, donating goods or raising awareness of a cause also count.<\/p>\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

When is GivingTuesday 2026?<\/h2>\n\n

GivingTuesday 2026 is on Tuesday, December 1<\/strong>. The date changes every year, because it depends on Thanksgiving in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November).<\/p>\n\n

Year<\/th>Black Friday<\/th>Cyber Monday<\/th>GivingTuesday<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
2026<\/td>November 27<\/td>November 30<\/td>December 1<\/td><\/tr>
2027<\/td>November 26<\/td>November 29<\/td>November 30<\/td><\/tr>
2028<\/td>November 24<\/td>November 27<\/td>November 28<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

That place in the calendar is both its great advantage and its challenge.<\/p>\n\n

It arrives when people are already thinking about Christmas<\/a> shopping, and after several days of inboxes full of deals.<\/p>\n\n

Does a charity email get lost among so many? Not if it arrives on time and doesn’t look like just another one. On that day, a message that sells nothing stands out.<\/p>\n\n

GivingTuesday in numbers<\/h2>\n\n

The most complete data comes from the United States. In 2025, $4 billion was donated there in a single day, 13% more than in 2024.<\/p>\n\n

38.1 million people took part, and 11.1 million volunteered, 20% more than the year before (GivingTuesday, December 2025).<\/p>\n\n

The day is part of the strongest season of the year for nonprofits. According to the M+R Benchmarks 2026 study, in December 2025 US organizations raised 37% of their online donations for the year.<\/p>\n\n

The same study gives another useful figure. Email accounted for 11% of nonprofits’ online revenue, with about $54 for every 1,000 fundraising emails. Few channels deliver so much for so little.<\/p>\n\n

How to prepare your GivingTuesday campaign emails<\/h2>\n\n

Don’t wait until the Tuesday itself.<\/p>\n\n

If you only send one email on the day, you will be competing with many other causes in the same inbox.<\/p>\n\n

What works best is a short series, with a clear goal and the same thread running through every message. Here is a sample calendar for 2026:<\/p>\n\n

When<\/th>What you send<\/th>What for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Mid-November<\/td>Heads-up: “On December 1 we need you”<\/td>Introduce the goal and save the date<\/td><\/tr>
Monday, November 30, afternoon<\/td>Reminder: “Tomorrow is GivingTuesday”<\/td>Keep it top of mind for the next day<\/td><\/tr>
Tuesday, December 1, morning<\/td>The main email, with the goal and a single button<\/td>Raise the donations<\/td><\/tr>
Tuesday, December 1, afternoon<\/td>Progress update: “We’re at 60%”<\/td>Encourage those who haven’t donated yet<\/td><\/tr>
Wednesday, December 2<\/td>Thank-you to those who donated<\/td>Share what was achieved and build a bond<\/td><\/tr>
A few weeks later<\/td>What you have done with the donations<\/td>Get them to give again<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"Step-by-step<\/figure>\n\n
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Prepare your GivingTuesday emails for free<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create the series, separate members from donors and schedule each send, with up to 80,000 emails a month on the free account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

The afternoon email should only reach those who haven’t donated yet. To do this, move donors to another group as soon as they give, by hand or with an automation.<\/p>\n\n

And the thank-you is not a formality. It is the email that does the most to bring a one-off donor back the following year or turn them into a member.<\/p>\n\n

If you want to stay in touch after GivingTuesday, a newsletter<\/a> with news about your projects keeps that bond alive.<\/p>\n\n

Tips to get more donations from your emails<\/h2>\n\n

A few ideas that make a difference in an email fundraising<\/a> campaign:<\/p>\n\n