How to Help Veterans This Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is an annual day of generosity that encourages people to give money, time, goods, or their voice to causes they care about. What started in 2012 as a single day of giving has grown into a year-round global movement.

For donors who care about veterans, Giving Tuesday is a meaningful opportunity to give back to those who served, and to the families who share that commitment. Knowing where the day came from and the different ways to take part makes it easier to give in a way that truly helps.

In this article, we’ll explore the following:

• What is Giving Tuesday?
• How did Giving Tuesday start?
• How much money is raised on Giving Tuesday?
• How to help veterans on Giving Tuesday (and beyond)
• What does a gift to VFW National Home support?
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement built around one annual day: the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. On that day, people around the world are encouraged to give back to their communities and the causes they care about, and many organizations carry that energy into the rest of the year.

Donors give directly to the organizations they choose, through each group’s own website. Today, the movement has country-level campaigns in 110 countries, along with local efforts led by communities, schools, and businesses.

How did Giving Tuesday start?

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, where it was incubated by the organization’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact. Then-executive director Henry Timms led the effort, and the United Nations Foundation signed on as a founding partner. The goal was a day that encourages people to do good, placed right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The idea spread quickly, with national movements forming in other countries by its second year. Giving Tuesday has since become an independent nonprofit, supported by a network of grassroots leaders who run country movements, city campaigns, and cause coalitions of their own.

How much money is raised on Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday broke its own records again in 2025. That year, an estimated 38.1 million Americans took part and $4 billion was donated in the U.S. alone, bringing total Giving Tuesday donations to $22.5 billion since the movement launched in 2012.

Giving Tuesday 2025 (U.S.)	Total	Change from 2024
Dollars donated	$4.0 billion	+13%
Total participants	38.1 million	+6%
Gave money	19.1 million	+3%
Gave goods	13.5 million	+4%
Volunteered	11.1 million	+20%
Spoke out about causes	20.9 million	+26%

In 2025, volunteering and advocacy outpaced financial giving, which shows how many people see generosity as more than a checkbook. That’s good news for anyone who wants to support veterans but can’t make a large gift.

How to help veterans on Giving Tuesday (and beyond)

The most effective ways to help veterans combine a gift with ongoing involvement: donating to a vetted nonprofit serving veterans, giving monthly, volunteering, donating needed goods, and speaking up for military families. 

Some ideas to get you started:

Give to a veteran-serving organization

A donation is the most direct way to support veterans and their families. It funds services families often can’t find in one place, like childcare, case management, help with VA benefits, and stable housing.

Before giving, confirm the organization is a registered 501(c)(3), check its ratings with independent watchdogs, and look at how it serves veterans and their families. Here’s a simple checklist:

• Confirm tax-exempt status. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search shows which organizations are eligible to receive tax-deductible gifts.
• Check independent ratings. Charity Navigator scores accountability, finances, impact, leadership, and culture. CharityWatch digs into how efficiently a charity uses donations. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance reviews governance, finances, results reporting, and transparency.
• Research programs and finances. Candid profiles cover a nonprofit’s mission, programs, and financial trends, with detailed profiles available through free registration.
• Match the exact name and EIN. Confirm that the organization’s legal name and EIN match what’s listed in the IRS search and on its rating profiles before donating.
• Look at the program model. Ask who the organization serves, how its support is structured, and how it tracks results. For donors focused on military families, it’s worth asking whether support extends to spouses and children, not just the veteran.

Turn one gift into ongoing support

Giving Tuesday is a natural day to start giving, but the need doesn’t end when the day does. A monthly gift spreads support across the whole year, so families can count on consistent care and services, not just a one-time boost.

Monthly giving is also easy to manage:

• Automatic: Gifts are processed each month on the date the donor chooses, with no reminders needed.
• Flexible: Donors can change or cancel at any time by phone, by email, or through an online donor portal.
• Tax-friendly: Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and donors receive one annual statement summarizing the year’s giving.

At VFW National Home, even a $25 monthly gift can help give children safe, welcoming spaces to learn and grow, and $100 a month can help cover daycare, educational support, or veteran resource programs.

Volunteer time and skills

Volunteering gives veterans and their families something a donation can’t: a visible community standing beside them. Many veteran-serving organizations rely on volunteers for hands-on work, and at VFW National Home, that help typically takes three forms:

• Special events: Helping run activities and gatherings that bring families and supporters together.
• Campus projects: Pitching in on work that keeps the campus a safe, welcoming place for families to live and grow.
• Professional skills: Sharing expertise that helps families as they work toward stability and independence.

Volunteering also works well as a group activity, which makes it a good fit for workplaces, civic clubs, and VFW posts looking for a team service day. 

Donate goods that families truly need

In-kind gifts work best when they match a real need. Donated items that don’t fit what an organization uses can end up stored or set aside, so it helps to start with a published list.

At VFW National Home, the Amazon Wish List is chosen to meet families’ everyday needs, including:

• Household essentials for families living on campus
• Children’s items for kids growing up in the program
• Program supplies that keep activities and services running

Each purchase ships directly to the Eaton Rapids campus, where it’s put to use right away. Giving this way lets donors see exactly what their gift provides and choose items that feel personal to them.

Spread the word about a veteran-serving organization

Advocacy was the fastest-growing form of participation on Giving Tuesday 2025, and it’s one of the simplest ways to help. A personal recommendation can introduce a veteran-serving organization to people who might never find it on their own, including families who could use its support.

At VFW National Home, supporters spread the word in a few ways:

• Sharing the story: Talking with friends, family, and community groups about why the mission matters.
• Posting on social media: Using #GivingTuesday to introduce the organization to new audiences.
• Hosting a fundraiser: Turning a birthday, anniversary, memorial, or club event into a Giving Tuesday campaign.
• Handing out materials: VFW National Home offers tri-folds and eligibility cards to share, which can help connect a military family with support.

What does a gift to VFW National Home support?

A gift to VFW National Home supports military and veteran families on two fronts: an on-campus residence program in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, and nationwide support for families across the country. The organization has supported military and veteran families since 1925.

On-Campus Residence Program

On our rural campus in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, qualifying military and veteran families with children get the time, space, and support to rebuild together through the On-Campus Residence program. Families live in fully furnished single-family homes, surrounded by playgrounds, green spaces, and neighbors who understand military life.

During their stay, families take part in the Red, White & Blue Program, a structured, phase-based program built around long-term independence. Along the way, they have access to:

• A dedicated case manager who helps each family set goals and connect with the right resources
• On-site accredited daycare and school-age programs, plus after-school and summer programming for kids
• Education and job training, along with life skills workshops and financial classes for adults

Each adult works toward goals around finances, education, career, and family well-being, with the aim of leaving campus ready for the next chapter.

Nationwide Support

Military and veteran families don’t need to live in Michigan to get help. Through the Nationwide Support program. VFW National Home’s veteran services team works with families across the country, with no VFW membership required, on challenges like:

• VA benefits: Understanding, accessing, and filing for the benefits they’ve earned
• Financial hardship: Finding programs and resources that fit their situation
• Mental health care: Connecting with providers who understand military families
• Next steps: Sorting out options after a major change, like a medical discharge or the loss of a spouse

Families reach out by phone, text, chat, or email, and our team listens to their full situation, connects them with resources that fit, and follows up to make sure the help worked.

Veterans in the area don’t need to live on campus to take part in VFW National Home’s on-site programs. Heroes to Hives teaches beekeeping and business through monthly classes, and Guitars for Vets, whose Mid-Michigan chapter meets on campus, pairs guitar lessons with camaraderie among fellow veterans. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is Giving Tuesday only in the United States?

No. Giving Tuesday started in the U.S., but it’s now a global movement with grassroots campaigns in more than 110 countries. In 2025, new national movements launched in Guatemala, Gambia, Mozambique, and Qatar.

How can people help veterans without donating money?

Volunteering, donating needed goods, and speaking up all make a difference. People can volunteer with a veteran-serving nonprofit, give items from an organization’s wish list, share its story on social media, or help a veteran they know connect with earned benefits. Hiring veterans makes a difference too.

Are Giving Tuesday donations tax-deductible?

Often, yes. Under federal tax rules that took effect in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 in cash contributions to eligible charitable organizations ($2,000 for married couples filing jointly). Gifts to donor-advised funds generally don’t qualify for this deduction, and those who itemize follow separate rules, so consult with a tax professional about your personal situation.

Does a Giving Tuesday donation have to be made on that day?

No. Gifts are welcome any day of the year, and Giving Tuesday’s own network works year-round to inspire generosity. Monthly giving is one of the easiest ways to keep supporting a cause long after the day itself.

Can donors give to VFW National Home with stock, an IRA, or a donor-advised fund?

Yes. VFW National Home accepts gifts of appreciated stock, qualified charitable distributions from an IRA, and grants from donor-advised funds. It also accepts cryptocurrency and planned gifts through a will or trust.