Spread a Little Love With These 96 Ideas for Giving Tuesday
What is Giving Tuesday? Here's how you can give back on Nov. 29.
Giving Tuesday is an initiative that began in 2012, with the purpose of encouraging people to commit to acts of kindness and generosity, both globally and within their own communities and personal circles. Giving Tuesday began as the stylized "GivingTuesday" and "#GivingTuesday" at New York City's 92nd St. Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, and grew into a global phenomenon of simply just doing good, whether that means helping out a neighbor or becoming a major philanthropist.
There are over 200 local Giving Tuesday coalitions in the United States and 60 country campaigns worldwide. In just ten years, the Giving Tuesday movement has raised more than $1 billion online for charitable causes in the U.S. alone.
When is Giving Tuesday 2022?
Giving Tuesday is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. Giving Tuesday 2022 is on November 29, 2022.
Related: Ask Carrie: What Will You Do For Giving Tuesday?
What are some Giving Tuesday ideas?
Participating in Giving Tuesday can be done in a number of ways. Though the most popular way to participate is through donating to charitable causes, you don't necessarily need to spend a dime to show your kindness and generosity this season.
You can simply raise awareness and speak out in favor of causes you support (whether on social media or in real life!), check in on a neighbor who's having a tough time or volunteer your time and services (Volunteer Match has great opportunities if you're not sure where to start!). You can also donate goods you're no longer using to local causes (clothing drives, books to the library) or even just write letters—I See Me and Macy's Letters to Santa are great places to get creative and inspire others for a great cause, and many local children's hospitals will welcome some happy mail as well.
Possibly the easiest way to give back for free? Bookmark these sites from Greater Good and click to give each day to support hunger relief, veterans, displaced animals, rainforests, breast cancer research, children's literacy and more.
One of the most important aspects of charitable giving, on Giving Tuesday and every day, is giving to organizations you can trust. You can use services like Charity Navigator and GuideStar to determine whether a charity will spend your hard-earned dollars in a way that you deem appropriate.
We've compiled a list of available charities and causes that have four-star ratings and national outreach, but you can also look into specific causes you support through local, state and regional groups and religious organizations, such as your nearby food bank, animal shelters, women's and homeless shelters, to support. And if you donate funds, be sure to check with your employer to see if they'll match it!
Charities Supporting Animals
The Animal Legal Defense Fund files high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, provides free legal assistance and training to prosecutors in their fight against animal cruelty, supports animal protection legislation, and provides resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the field of animal law.
Animal Place provides refuge to hundreds of neglected farmed animals.
The Animal Welfare Institute is an American, non-profit, charitable organization founded in 1951 with the goal of reducing pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans.
Friends of Animals supports the end of animal cruelty and exploitation and provides spaying and neutering services to animals.
Humane Rescue Alliance provides direct rescue and care of animals in need, cruelty investigations and local animal control services, robust regional community support programs that allow pets to stay with their families and transportation services in partner communities to solve pet overpopulation.
Last Chance for Animals supports animal rights legislation and is known for its investigations into animal testing.
The NOAH Center is dedicated to stopping the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable, and treatable homeless cats and dogs through our adoption and low-cost spay/neuter programs.
Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife, shelters homeless cats and dogs for adoption and educates people to make a better world for animals.
St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center rescues and cares for thousands of animals each year and has local and long-distance outreach partnerships with other animal welfare organizations. In addition to housing animals and their adoption programs, they offer a behavior and training center, pet-assisted therapy, pet loss support and humane outreach to assist pet owners in need.
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) rescues more than 42,000 cats and dogs and expanded its national outreach and education programs.
Charities Supporting Women & Children
A Kid Again helps families who care for a child or children with illnesses enjoy their lives and embrace the moment.
Action for Healthy Kids provides education and tools to communities to encourage children to be active and have healthy eating habits.
Alliance for Children's Rights protects the rights of impoverished and abused children and youth so that they have safe, stable homes, healthcare and the education they need to thrive.
Boys and Girls Clubs of America provides mentors, enrichment activities and a safe space for children to grow and develop.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids supports anti-smoking, chewing and vaping efforts for children.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (Aparaxia Kids) provides speech therapy for kids in need.
Kids In Crisis provides counselors to help children and families cope with unsafe situations, family conflicts, substance abuse, mental health issues and school problems. The organization also provides outreach programs and therapeutic emergency shelters for kids.
Children's Scholarship Fund provides educational K-8 scholarships for children in need.
DonorsChoose provides funds for teachers to enrich their students' educations—and as the name says, you can pick exactly which projects you want to fund.
GirlsInc gives girls the tools and education to grow up to be strong, independent, confident women.
Global Kids provides educational and enrichment programs for children in disadvantaged communities to become civic and global leaders.
INMED Partnerships for Children creates pathways for disadvantaged children and families around the world to achieve well-being and self-reliance.
Marathon Kids supports kids' running clubs to keep children healthy and active.
One World Children's Fund funds grassroots organizations that provide food, health, shelter, safety, education, and opportunity for children living in poverty around the world.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids provides education and rehabilitation programs to prevent and treat childhood and youth drug use.
Prevent Child Abuse America prevents child abuse and provides families with resources to have healthier relationships.
Ronald McDonald House Charities create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
Royal Family Kids stops cycles of neglect, abuse and abandonment of children in the foster care system with programs preventing academic failure, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, sex trafficking, homelessness and incarceration.
Safe Alliance supports children and women who've been impacted by domestic violence and/or sexual assault and human trafficking.
Shriners Hospitals for Children provides specialized care to children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lips and palates.
StandUp for Kids fights child and youth homelessness.
Starlight Children's Foundation provides aid to seriously ill and hospitalized children and their families.
The Sunshine Kids Foundation improves the quality of life of children with cancer by providing them with group activities.
Teammates for Kids, founded by Garth Brooks, provides numerous services to children in need, including therapeutic play areas in hospitals. The organization's overhead is entirely privately funded, meaning all donations go to helping children.
Vitamin Angels is a global nonprofit helping nutritionally vulnerable pregnant women and children gain access to life-saving vitamins and minerals—a proven way of combating the threat of malnutrition at the start of a child’s developmental life.
WE Charity provides sustainable domestic and international youth empowerment and education programs to help end the cycle of poverty.
WINGS for Kids provides social and emotional learning and development to children through after-school activities and partner organizations.
Charities Supporting Disaster and Emergency Relief
CitiHope Relief and Development provides humanitarian aid to poverty and disaster-stricken areas.
Direct Relief is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization providing essential medical resources in disaster-stricken and emergency areas.
Heart to Heart International strengthens communities by improving health access, providing humanitarian development and administering crisis relief worldwide.
Helping Hand for Relief and Development provides aid to those in need around the world, especially those living under the poverty line.
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation trains and supports dogs to work with first responders to search for buried persons after disasters.
International Relief Teams works to alleviate the suffering caused by poverty and disaster around the world (including right here in the U.S. of A.).
World Medical Relief provides medical supplies, equipment and prescriptions to those in need.
World Relief provides both disaster relief and ongoing aid to areas stricken by poverty, violence and displacement.
Charities Supporting Environmental Causes
The Acadia Center promotes clean energy initiatives.
Clean Air Task Force aims to curb and remedy air pollution to help everyone breathe a little easier around the world.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute promotes environmentally sustainable societies and seeks to be a catalyst moving society away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future.
Environmental Defense Fund uses science to find solutions to climate change and other threats to the environment.
The Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) supports research and education to find environmentally friendly waste management solutions.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) uses the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.
The Ocean Conservancy helps formulate ocean policy at the federal and state government levels based on peer-reviewed science.
Oceana helps to keep oceans and the life within them safe, clean and sustainable.
Earth Day Network is the world’s largest environmental movement that started Earth Day, which celebrated its 52nd anniversary in 2022. They have generated a worldwide movement to get people aware of climate change.
Charities Supporting Healthcare, Medical Research and Patients
ZERO—The End of Prostate Cancer advances research in prostate cancer and improves the lives of men and families affected by the disease.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is a pediatric cancer charity founded by Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who lived in Connecticut and suffered from neuroblastoma. It supports families affected by pediatric cancers and fundraises research into cures and treatments.
The American Heart Association provides heart health education, research and support for patients with heart disease, cardiovascular conditions and strokes.
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America provides support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias nationwide and funds research for better treatment and a cure.
The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) is a community of patients, caregivers, survivors, advocates, and medical and research professionals united in support of people touched by bladder cancer.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation provides funding for research for a cure for breast cancer, as well as raises awareness of the disease.
Can Do Canines trains and provides service dogs for patients with numerous physical and psychological ailments, disabilities and conditions.
The Cancer Research Institute supports cancer immunotherapy research—the most promising cancer treatment of our time—giving patients a new path, a new norm and a new chance at life.
Colorectal Cancer Alliance provides funding for research into potential cures, prevention and treatments for colorectal cancers.
Emergency Medicine Foundation provides continued and further education in emergency medical care.
The Epilepsy Foundation provides aid to families affected by epilepsy, as well as to research into treatment, care and a cure.
Globus Relief provides medical supplies and healthcare throughout the world to those in need.
Love Has No Limits helps families across Los Angeles County who have defaulted on costs related to medical expenses.
The Lustgarten Foundation funds pancreatic cancer research and treatments.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) provides aid to those suffering from neuromuscular diseases through innovations in science.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse provides assistance to families affected by substance abuse and addiction.
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation fund raises for research into pediatric cancer prevention, causes, treatments and potential cures.
NEADS World Class Service Dogs trains and provides service dogs for people with disabilities.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders is an American non-profit organization aiming to provide support for individuals with rare diseases by advocating and funding research, education, and networking among service providers.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance provides funding for research into potential cures, prevention and treatments for ovarian cancer.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network provides support to pancreatic cancer patients and caregivers, as well as raises awareness of the illness.
Take Control of Your Diabetes provides educational programs and services to diabetes patients.
The Skin Cancer Foundation provides education and research into skin cancer prevention and treatments.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provides pediatric cancer care free of charge to families.
Charities Supporting First Responders, Military, Veterans and Their Families
The Air Force Aid Society offers financial help to Air Force members and their families to reach educational goals.
Army Emergency Relief provides interest-free loans, scholarships and grants to army soldiers, veterans and families.
Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation provides educational aid and scholarships to children who've lost a parent in the line of duty.
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance provides financial assistance to Coast Guard members and their families in times of need.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust provides physical and psychological rehabilitation to ill, injured and disabled veterans.
Freedom Service Dogs of America trains and provides service dogs for veterans.
Homes for Our Troops provides mortgage-free homes for injured veterans.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provides aid to families of firefighters who died in the line of duty.
The National Military Family Association aims to improve the quality of life for families of military personnel.
The National Veterans Foundation grants aid to veterans and their families in times of crisis.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides emergency financial assistance, be it interest-free loans or scholarships or even just financial education, to active duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families.
Operation First Response serves wounded and disabled American veterans.
Operation Support Our Troops-America provides comfort and care packages to troops as well as support for families of active duty, retired and fallen military personnel.
Our Military Kids provides educational opportunities, sports, art and enrichment activities to children of deployed military personnel.
Paralyzed Veterans of America gives support to veterans who've lost mobility in the line of duty.
Patriot Paws Service Dogs trains and provides service dogs to veterans and others with PTSD and limited mobility.
Soldiers' Angels benefits VA hospitals, provides aid to military personnel and families and hosts adopt-a-soldier and adopt-a-family programs.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation provides unique and urgently needed services for veterans, military personnel and their families all the while supporting positive citizen involvement for the betterment of local communities.
Want to do even more? Check out these 30 amazing ways to give back.
