Unlocking Giving Tuesday: Insights from Zeffy's Donor Data and Trends

Taking place the week after Thanksgiving each year, Giving Tuesday has become one of the most impactful opportunities for fundraising. This raises an important question: What drives donors to give? We analyzed three years of donor data to uncover the strategies that make campaigns successful. In this article, we share key trends and actionable insights to help nonprofits maximize their fundraising efforts.

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Key takeaways

• The average Giving Tuesday donation was 6% higher in 2024 than in 2023.

• 41% of Giving Tuesday donations in 2024 were small (less than $50), 43% were medium ($50 to $200), and 16% were large (over $200).

• Giving Tuesday 2024 displayed an overall repeater trend: 38% of donations came from repeat donors, while only 30% of donations throughout the year came from repeat donors.

• Match-focused messages yielded the highest average donation on Giving Tuesday in 2024 ($301).

• Urgency-focused messages had the highest conversion rate on Giving Tuesday in 2024 (23%).

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How Giving Tuesday donations have grown

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Study Insights:

• The average Giving Tuesday donation was 6% higher in 2024 than in 2023.

• On average, individual organizations received 4.56 donations in 2024, slightly lower than in 2023 (4.92); the average GMV (gross merchandise value) per organization also slightly decreased ($554 from $562).

• The top donation causes for Giving Tuesday 2024 by Percentage Share of GMV:
  • Education (19%)
  • Community Service (14%)
  • Religion (11%)
  • Culture (7%)
  • Social Service (6%)
  • Animal Welfare (6%)

• Religion saw the most significant increase in percentage share of GMV from 2023 to 2024 (4%).

• Education saw the most significant decrease in its percentage share of GMV from 2023 to 2024 (-3%).

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Study Insights:

• 41% of Giving Tuesday donations in 2024 were small (less than $50), 43% were medium ($50 to $200), and 16% were large (over $200).
  • For comparison, 39% of Giving Tuesday donations in 2023 were small, and 45% were medium.
  • Large Giving Tuesday donations made up 65% of total GMV in 2024.

• Giving Tuesday 2024 saw a more significant percentage of GMV come from returning donors (39%) compared to 2023 (35%).

• Giving Tuesday 2024 displayed an overall repeater trend: 38% of donations came from repeat donors, while only 30% of donations throughout the year came from repeat donors.

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Study Insights:

• A larger share of Giving Tuesday GMV in 2023 came from 4 to 6 days before Giving Tuesday (28%) than in 2024 (25%).

• Giving Tuesday GMV % by Time of Day:s
  • 2023:
    • 12 AM to 12 PM - 13%
    • 2 PM to 12 AM - 65%
    • 2 AM to 8 AM (next day) - 21%
  • 2024:
    • 12 AM to 12 PM - 15%
    • 2 PM to 12 AM - 67%
    • 2 AM to 8 AM (next day) - 18%

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Forms driving the best results on Giving Tuesday

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Study Insights:

• Donation (65%), Event (18%), and P2P (7%) form types yield the largest share of donations on Giving Tuesday in 2024.
  • Event forms saw a 2% increase in donation share from 2023, P2P forms saw a 3% decrease, and Donation forms saw a 2% decrease.

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Messages that matter: Insights on content, urgency, & match CTAs

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Study Insights:

• Match-focused messages yielded the highest average donation on Giving Tuesday in 2024 ($301).
  • It yielded the highest average donation on Giving Tuesday in 2023 ($248), but 2024 saw an increase.
• Urgency-focused messages had the highest conversion rate on Giving Tuesday in 2024 (23%).

• Overall, average donations have increased significantly in 2024

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Key Recommendations about Messaging Types:

• Prioritize urgency-based messaging for the highest conversion rates

• Use match-based messaging for higher-value donations

• Deploy support-focused messaging for broad appeal and volume

• Consider combining elements (e.g., urgency + matching) for optimal results

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Top Performing Call-to-Action Types:

• Match/Double Impact CTAs

• Urgency-Based CTAs

• Support-Focused CTAs

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Top Performing CTA Messages on Giving Tuesday in 2024:

• ‍"Giving Tuesday"‍
  • Average donation: $187.38
  • Message category: Standard
  • Total transactions: 94

• ‍"HFGDR's #GivingTuesday 2024 Fundraiser ❤️"
  • Average donation: $136.32
  • Message category: Emotional appeal
  • Total transactions: 54

• ‍"Giving Tuesday 2024: We did it!"
  • Average donation: $128.41
  • Message category: Social proof
  • Total transactions: 94

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Year-over-Year Insights:

• Most Effective Message Types:
  • 2023: Challenge-based messaging led to high performance
  • 2024: Simple, direct messaging showed strong results

• Language Patterns:
  • 2023: Heavy use of action verbs and urgency
  • 2024: More emotional and community-focused language

• Emotional Triggers:
  • 2023: Focus on impact and matching opportunities
  • 2024: Emphasis on community and shared achievement

• Message Evolution:
  • Shift from complex to simpler messaging
  • Increased use of emojis and personal touches
  • More focus on community achievement

• Successful Formulations:
  • Clear, direct calls to action
  • Community-focused language
  • Achievement-oriented messaging

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Language Pattern Insights:

• Most Effective Verbs:
  • "Double" (highest average donation)
  • "Give" (highest conversion rate)
  • "Support" (highest total value)

• Impact of Word Count:
  • 2-3 words: Highest conversion rates
  • 4-5 words: Highest average donations
  • A clear correlation between brevity and conversion

• High-Converting Phrases:
  • "Double Your Impact"
  • "Give Today"
  • "Support Our Mission"

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Key Recommendations about CTAs:

• Most Effective Message Structures:
  • Lead with action verbs
  • Include community impact
  • Incorporate matching opportunities when available

• High-Converting Phrases:
  • "Double Your Impact"
  • "Support Your Community"
  • "Join Our Success"

• Language Patterns to Replicate:
  • Action verb + Community focus + Timeframe
  • Personal pronouns + Impact statement
  • Achievement + Social proof

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Methodology

For this study, we leveraged Zeffy's internal data from 2023 and 2024 to understand the donation landscape, frequency, and methods of success for Giving Tuesday.

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About Zeffy

Zeffy empowers nonprofits to change the world—completely free of charge. Founded by François and Thibaut as a volunteer-matching platform, it evolved into the only fundraising and donor management solution that never charges nonprofits a single dime.

In seven years, Zeffy has helped over 50,000 nonprofits across the U.S. and Canada raise more than $800 million, saving them $40 million in fees. Driven by the belief that generosity should be accessible to all, it provides intuitive tools for managing donations, events, and campaigns.

A Certified B Corporation, Zeffy supports over 200,000 fundraising campaigns and remains committed to helping nonprofits thrive without extra costs.

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