Answer: Good Deed
Clues: “Action” and “Kindness”
43% of Americans say they’re actively doing more good deeds before the end of 2024, to make up for the rest of the year. That includes stuff like volunteering or donating.
This sentiment is more common among the younger generations. 59% of Gen Z’ers and Millennials are planning on doing more good as we approach 2025, compared to 37% of Gen X’ers and Boomers.
But the younger generations also report to have done more charity earlier in the year. 19% of them say they’d give themselves an “A” for the good deeds they’ve done so far this year, compared to just 10% of older folks.
The average person plans to spend eight hours a week on “pursuits of good” from now through the end of the year.
Here are a few stats for Giving Tuesday:
- Giving Tuesday has been around for 12 years. It was launchedin 2012 as a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities.” It was actually started by three tech companies: Mashable, Skype, and Cisco.
- 36% of people say they’ve heard of Giving Tuesday, and 15% of people have participated. And 15% of people claim they drop more money on Giving Tuesday than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- 33% of people admit they haven’t given any money to charity in the past year, for various reasons.
About 22% have been able to part with a small amount, up to $100, another 29% have donated between $100 and $1,000 over the past year, and another 16% have given more than $1,000.
- 13% of people have donated more to charity this year than last, 29% have given less this year, and 58% say they’re on track to give the same.
- There are a lot of reasons to give: The two most common are: “It makes me happy,” and “it aligns with my values and beliefs.” But 10% of people admit they just do it for the tax deduction.
- People were asked what they’d give money to if they were given $1,000 to donate and the most popular response was charities involving animals.
Health-based organizations was second, followed by food insecurity, human services, disaster relief, religious organizations, education, the environment, community development, civil rights, international aid, arts and culture, and “political organizations.”
- 56% of Americans thinkthey are more generous than their friends. 7% of Americans say they would not consider themselves generous.
- Posting about Giving Tuesday on social media can be good, as long as you don’t make it about yourself. Awareness can: Inspire action, “reinforce social norms of kindness” build community and broaden perspectives on giving.
- A staggering $3.1 billion was raised worldwideon Giving Tuesday in 2023, which was pretty much the same as the year before.
- You can use online sites Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau, Charity Watch, GiveWell, GreatNonprofits, and Candid(formerly GuideStar) to see how much of a nonprofit’s budget goes toward its mission (and its overhead costs) before contributing.
(And you can find ideas for yourself at GivingTuesday.org.)