What it is
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving held on the Tuesday after US Thanksgiving, which in 2026 is 1 December. It is usually linked to a US initiative from around 2012 that wanted to answer the shopping rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a day for generosity.
Today people and businesses use it to donate, volunteer or give time and skills, and it works best when a brand picks one cause and explains clearly how it helps.
Symbols: A heart, open hands, a donation box, a gift tag, a hug
Emoji: 💛 🤝 🎁 🌍 🙏 ✨
Colours: Sunny yellow, deep teal, white
Hashtags: #GivingTuesday #UnSelfie #GiveBack #Community #Charity
What to aim for
- Trust: show that your values are real by choosing one cause and being transparent about it
- Community: invite customers to take part in giving, not only to watch
- Engagement: collect ideas and stories from followers about helping others
Post ideas by format
Post
- A clear announcement: which cause you support, what you will do and how followers can join
- A thank-you post to people who helped in previous campaigns, with real results described honestly
Carousel
- “How we will help today”: slides for the cause, the amount or action, the partner and how to join
- “Five small ways to give”: time, skills, items, money and kind words, one per slide
Reel / short video
- Hook: “We are giving something back today.” The team packs items for a local organisation
- Hook: “Our team’s favourite way to help.” Each person says one thing they do for others
Stories
- A poll: “What would you like us to support?” with a few options to guide your choice
- A donation or volunteer sign-up link with a short explanation of where it goes
Ready-made post examples
Layouts we wrote as examples. Replace the details with your own business before you publish.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and we are putting our coffee to work. We will pack warm meals and hot drinks for a local shelter and invite you to bring a coat or a warm item to our counter. Everything collected goes to the partner organisation. Tell us in the comments what cause you would like us to support next.
On Giving Tuesday our team is offering something we are good at: a few hours of marketing help for a local non-profit. Money matters, but skills do too. If you work at a charity that needs help with content or planning, message us and we will see what we can do. If you are a business, consider giving skills as well as funds today.
On Giving Tuesday we want you to help us decide. We are going to donate a share of today’s sales to one local charity, and we have three options in the poll below. Pick the cause you care about the most, and we will publish the final amount and receipt after the day ends. Thank you for being part of the community.
Meme and trend formats that fit
- Before and after kindness. Two panels: a small act of generosity and the smile it creates. Keep it gentle and avoid making fun of anyone in need.
- Behind the scenes of giving. A short video of your team packing or sorting donations with light, warm captions. Show the effort, not the self-praise.
What to avoid
- Do not use a charity as a marketing prop: be transparent about the amount, the partner and the date it is paid
- Do not promise a donation you will not keep, and do not pressure followers to give
- Avoid making the post only about your brand; the cause and the people it helps come first
When to post
- Choose the cause and partner at least two weeks ahead, and confirm how donations are handled
- Publish the main post on the morning of 1 December and update progress in stories during the day
- A few days later, publish the final result and a thank-you with real details
What to check afterwards
- Comments and shares, which show how many people joined the idea
- Participation: donations, items collected or volunteer sign-ups
- New followers and replies from people who share your values
Add one line about your business: the free generator gives three captions with hashtags for the network you choose. No sign-up.
Around the same days
- Thanksgiving (US)
- Black Friday
- Small Business Saturday
- Mother’s Day (Russia)
- Cyber Monday
- St Andrew’s Day
- First Day of Winter
- World AIDS Day
- Banker’s Day (Russia)
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Lawyer’s Day (Russia)
- Informatics Day (Russia)
- National Cookie Day
- International Volunteer Day