'Giving Tuesday' Movement Sees Sizable Increase in Donations

The national fundraising drive known as 'Giving Tuesday' is having a growing impact for nonprofit groups. Nearly $46 million-dollars was raised for charity over a 24-hour period. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in New York City and the United Nations Foundation, to kickstart the critical holiday giving season after Thanksgiving. This effort is driven largely by social media and online giving campaigns. Research from Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the Case Foundation, provided to The Associated Press, shows the amount donated on Giving Tuesday increased by 63% over 2013, with an average gift of $154-dollars. Last year, about $28 million-dollars was raised. In 2012, about $13.5 million-dollars was raised on the first Giving Tuesday. The number of organizations participating has grown from 2,500 to 15,000. They are representing a range of small to large organizations. Analysts said the total number of donations increased by 53% this year. There were more than 296,000 contributions made to charities Tuesday.

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