Giving Tuesday - always the Tuesday following Thanksgiving - is a global movement meant to inspire giving, volunteerism, and acts of kindness. Following the popular shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday offers an opportunity for individuals to give back in meaningful ways.

For ten years, beginning in 2015, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and its affiliate foundations hosted Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan to help local nonprofits participate in the campaign at no cost. Over that decade, more than $2.1 million was raised in support of 162 nonprofits throughout our service area. Grant, the Giving Tuesday Golden Goose, was introduced in 2017 as a way to inspire friendly competition among the participating organizations, becoming a beloved mascot of the Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan campaign.

In 2024, CFNEM celebrated its 50th anniversary, honoring five decades of giving, granting, and growing. During their 50th year, CFNEM staff and its Board of Trustees developed and adopted a new, four-year strategic plan that focuses on the Foundation's asset development, proactive grantmaking, and strengthening nonprofit partnerships. To be able to focus on the important work laid out in that new plan, the Community Foundation has concluded its role as host of the Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan campaign.

Giving Tuesday remains a global movement, and we encourage nonprofits to explore resources for participation in that greater movement:

Giving Tuesday resources for nonprofits

For all nonprofits

Explore resources such as givingtuesday.org, Facebook fundraisers, or classy.org. These websites offer ideas and ways to participate in Giving Tuesday campaigns.

For Community Foundation Fund Holders

If your organization holds an Agency or Designated Fund with CFNEM or any of its affiliate foundations, please reach out to Development and Marketing Director, Christine Hitch at chitch@cfnem.org for information on promoting your fund on Giving Tuesday. As a benefit of having a fund at the Community Foundation, we will provide space around and on Giving Tuesday to help you promote giving to your fund during this time.

Don't have an Agency Fund?

Learn more about partnering with the Community Foundation through an Agency Fund

Celebrating Ten Years of Giving Tuesday Northeast Michigan

Giving Tuesday Golden Goose Winners

2024 - Friends of Hubbard Lake Center
2023 - Boys and Girls Club of Alpena
2022 - Besser Museum of Northeast Michigan
2021 - Alpena Community College Foundation
2020 - Boys and Girls Club of Alpena
2019 - Alpena County Animal Facility (fka Second Chance Animal Shelter)
2018 - Thunder Bay Theatre
2017 - CFNEM's Northeast Michigan Women's Giving Circle