#GivingTuesday announced late last week that it has reached a major milestone. Since its inception in 2012, more than $1 billion has been raised online in the U.S. alone.

“When we first conceived of #GivingTuesday, we imagined a way to use people’s collective power to overcome what divides us and unite behind our shared values,” Henry Timms, executive director of 92Y and co-founder of #GivingTuesday said. “To now surpass a billion dollars in giving and volunteering is a testament to a global spirit of generosity that may not always make it into the headlines but is evident in every corner of America and around the world.”

The momentum of the global day of giving isn’t slowing down. For the seventh consecutive year it’s broken another record, resulting in the highest year of donations ever.

Here’s a look at the latest data from #GivingTuesday:

• 27 percent increase in dollars donated

  • 2018: $380 million dollars raised

  • 2017: $300 million dollars raised

• 40 percent increase in total gifts

  • 2018: $3.6 million in total gifts

  • 2017: $2.5 million in total gifts

“This is grassroots philanthropy. An outpouring of solidarity, generosity and optimism,” tweeted Asha Curran, chief innovation officer of 92^nd Street Y in New York.

Blackbaud, a software and services provider for nonprofits that processes most of the online donations made in the U.S., shared its 2018 Giving Tuesday numbers. The donations they processed also set a new record, the highest yet in #GivingTuesday history.

Blackbaud’s data:

• Blackbaud processed more than $62.6 million in online donations, a 2.8 percent increase from last year.

• The average online gift Blackbaud processed was more than $147, a 9.8 percent increase from 2017.

• 16 percent more social good organizations received an online donation this year compared to 2017.

In Michigan, many CMF members were busy with their own social media #GivingTuesday campaigns.

Here are a few highlights:

• The Cook Family Foundation worked with 17 local nonprofits in a collaborative effort to #raiseUPshiawassee. The foundation shared that this collaboration provides a connection to each nonprofit so people can make donations or find volunteer opportunities. The foundation also shared this brief video produced by the Shiawassee Community Foundation. The community foundation was one of the supporting organizations in the collaborative effort, along with the Genesee United Way and the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce

• Kalamazoo Community Foundation hosted their annual #GivingTuesday event at a nearby restaurant to kick off the giving season. Beyond giving, a portion of the proceeds from drinks went to the foundation’s Love Where You Live Fund. 

• Michigan Women Forward shared videos on their Facebook page promoting the Facebook match for donations. The foundation shared that donor support will help provide adequate funding for the investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the previously untested rape kits in Detroit as well as supporting women entrepreneurs.

Want more?

Check out the resources to get involved in Giving Tuesday 2019.