It’s the season of giving, thankfulness and hope, all of which was on full display during this year’s GAgives on GivingTuesday, hosted by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) on Dec. 3. Georgians united in showing their appreciation for the vast amount of work that our state’s nonprofits do for the benefit of all residents. After a year marked by natural disasters and a tense political contest, this was a day to acknowledge the impact of nonprofit services, their integral role in communities, and how important it is to ensure they can continue to assist families, individuals, animals, and the environment.  

Many nonprofits used GAgives on GivingTuesday to engage donors, showing that gifts of any size can make an impact when combined with online outreach – and with official GAgives prizes, awarding funds based on the number of donations (rather than dollars raised) across a dozen different “power hours,” golden ticket contests, and leaderboard competitions. These special funding opportunities were made possible by the generous sponsorships of Aprio; Arby’s Foundation; Carr, Riggs & Ingram; Mauldin & Jenkins; and Smurfit Westrock.  

“Smurfit Westrock is excited to continue our partnership with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits to recognize and reward the important role Georgia’s nonprofit organizations have in making our communities great places to live, work, and play,” said Smurfit Westrock Director of Corporate Giving Mandy Burnette. “While we encourage our colleagues to engage in their communities year-round and recognize their commitments through our Matching Gifts and Grants for Volunteers programs, GAgives on GivingTuesday provides an opportunity for us to take a moment and reflect on the role we all play in ensuring our nonprofit partners have the resources they need to fulfil their missions."

Nonprofits participate in GAgives on GivingTuesday through a variety of fundraising platforms, including GAgives.org. The full total for the day will be calculated over the next two weeks, but we can report that nonprofits raised over $3.45 million on GAgives.org alone, thanks to more than 11,700 donors – topping the 2023 GAgives.org total of $3.06 million by 13 percent.  

This year, many organizations used GivingTuesday to showcase their work with special activities, including: 

• FurKids, hosting puppy playdates at Perimeter Mall, where donors got a chance to win a mall gift card, as well as a Drink for a Cause event at Cherry Street Brewing  

• Adopt a GoldenAtlanta, hosting pictures with Santa  

• 3D Girls Inc., holding a grant opening of their new center

• Food Well Alliance, which offered tours, cooking demos, and volunteering at the Atlanta Harvest Farm and Farm Stand in Ellenwood

• Tommy Nobis Center, putting on a pep rally 

• The Good Mews Foundation, mounting a live feed of their kitten room and giving randomly selected donors the opportunity to name a kitten of their choice 

• Blankies 4 My Buddies, hosting a blanket-making event at Morehouse College in memory of a student

Since its launch in 2012, GAgives on GivingTuesday has rallied Georgians to demonstrate their generosity in overwhelming numbers. Given the chance to showcase the true measure of their Southern hospitality, Georgians have responded by breaking records year after year, both in the number of individual gifts made and in total dollars donated.  

“Georgians have faced a lot this year: continued inflation, political turmoil, and the housing crisis, to name a few, as well as a number of community-shaking disasters,” said GCN President & CEO Karen Beavor. “But regardless of the crisis, nonprofits are always ready to help their communities. While division has been a major focus of our media and our politics over this past year, nonprofits have never stopped working to unite our communities. Through GAgives, Georgians showcased once again how much they value that work and the impact it makes on all of us. And the chance to give back isn't over: These nonprofits still need your support, and you can help make a difference for them before the end of the year” 

"We are thrilled with the incredible response we received from donors for GAgives on GivingTuesday! We were able to meet our $25,000 match from our board and Tito's Handmade Vodka and raised over $50,000," said Kate Conner, Executive Director of Food Well Alliance. "These funds will go directly to provide resources and services to local growers at hundreds of urban farms, orchards, and community gardens in metro Atlanta: labor support, volunteers, plants, trees, compost, grants, and more. Thank you!" 

"The Georgia Tree Council looks forward each year to Georgia Gives Day because it not only gives us a chance to raise funds but also to share information about our programs and services to Georgia’s communities.  We are so excited to be a Golden Ticket winner,” shared Georgia Tree Council Executive Director, Mary Lynne Beckley. “All of the deeply appreciated funds raised on Georgia Gives Day help support our ongoing mission of sustaining Georgia’s green legacy by partnering with individuals, organizations, and communities in raising awareness toward improving and maintaining Georgia’s community forests."

Created, executed, and overseen by GCN for the direct benefit of Georgia nonprofits, the GAgives on GivingTuesday campaign is enhanced by generous sponsors, media partners, and participating organizations. Together, their contributions and creativity amplify the impact for nonprofits, allowing nonprofits in turn to continue operations for, and enhance their offerings to, the communities of Georgia.  

GCN considers it an honor to champion Georgia’s largest giving movement and serve as the official state lead for GivingTuesday, a generosity campaign covering all 50 states and more than 150 countries.