Americans gave $4B on GivingTuesday 2025 as donations and volunteering gain big over last year

Americans donated a record $4 billion to nonprofits during GivingTuesday 2025, marking an 11% increase from the $3.6 billion raised in 2024, according to data released by the GivingTuesday organization.

The annual day of philanthropy, which falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, saw not only increased financial contributions but also a significant rise in volunteerism. An estimated 11.1 million Americans volunteered their time this year, up from 9.2 million in 2024, representing a 20% increase in civic engagement.

When adjusted for inflation, the overall donation total reflects an 8.1% real growth compared to last year’s figures. The upward trend suggests that despite economic uncertainties, Americans continue to prioritize charitable giving.

“Generosity is a really powerful way to get that sense of belonging and connection,” explained Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer for GivingTuesday, in an interview with The Associated Press. “But I think mostly it’s just that when people see need, they want to do something about it and GivingTuesday is an opportunity to do that in a moment of celebration as opposed to crisis.”

The GivingTuesday movement began in 2012 as a hashtag campaign launched by the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Since then, it has evolved into an independent nonprofit organization that tracks charitable activities across multiple platforms, analyzing data from giving platforms, payment processors, and nonprofit software applications to estimate total giving and volunteer participation.

Rosenbaum noted that average donation sizes have increased over time, suggesting that donors are finding additional ways to make an impact. “Volunteering is a way that you can add to your impact without it costing you money,” he added, highlighting that not all volunteer work happens through traditional nonprofits. Many Americans contribute their time through mutual aid groups or by assisting family members and neighbors.

The GivingTuesday estimates deliberately exclude donations from corporations and foundations, focusing instead on individual generosity. As such, the $6.25 billion commitment from billionaires Michael and Susan Dell to support the new investment accounts created by the Trump administration was not included in the $4 billion total.

The Dell donation, announced at a White House event on Tuesday where President Donald Trump called it “one of the most generous acts in the history of our country,” will provide $250 to each of 25 million children under age 10 for investment in the upcoming “Trump accounts.” These accounts were established through tax and spending legislation passed earlier this year.

For nonprofits, GivingTuesday represents the unofficial start of the year-end giving season, traditionally the most crucial fundraising period. The strong showing this year offers encouragement to the nonprofit sector, which has been navigating economic and political uncertainties throughout 2025.

“What we really hope is that nonprofits and community groups see this as an opportunity that we are in a moment of abundance and that people are ready and willing to help,” Rosenbaum said, expressing optimism that the momentum will carry forward through December.

The impressive results come at a critical time for many charitable organizations that rely heavily on end-of-year donations to fund their operations and programs for the coming year. The increased participation in both monetary donations and volunteering suggests a robust civic engagement trend that could signal healthy year-end giving totals for nonprofits across various sectors.

As the year draws to a close, nonprofit leaders will be watching closely to see if this GivingTuesday surge translates into sustained generosity throughout the remainder of the giving season.