This GivingTuesday planning information comprises 12 steps your nonprofit can take to set targets and develop a fundraising technique for GivingTuesday. Should you haven’t already, register now for #GivingTuesday on Mightycause to entry fee-free fundraising on your nonprofit, together with free webinars and fundraising assets. When you’ve registered, you possibly can shift your focus to begin #GivingTuesday planning for the massive day on December 1st, 2026.
We’ve developed this helpful #GivingTuesday planning information that will help you get began!
1. Construct your GivingTuesday staff
Choose a workers member or volunteer as some extent individual , somebody who has sturdy management and organizational expertise and may decide to the whole marketing campaign timeline and course of. This individual doesn’t need to do the entire Giving Tuesday planning themselves, however might be organizing your workers and volunteers to ensure all the pieces will get performed, so select somebody who understands what steps have to be taken to get the job performed at each stage. You’ll wish to be sure this individual is comfy delegating work and multitasking. A Growth Coordinator or volunteer with fundraising expertise could be nice picks for this position!
2: Decide your fundraising priorities
Earlier than you begin setting fundraising targets or creating marketing campaign supplies, take a step again and outline what success seems like on your group.
Whereas many nonprofits focus solely on how a lot they wish to elevate, GivingTuesday may also allow you to strengthen donor relationships, entice new supporters, and construct momentum for year-end fundraising. Begin by reviewing your fundraising information from the previous 12 months. Search for tendencies, establish your greatest alternatives, and take into consideration the place your group can develop.
Ask your self:
- Did we retain donors from final 12 months’s GivingTuesday marketing campaign?
- Are we making an attempt to accumulate new donors?
- Can we wish to develop our recurring giving program?
- Are there company companions or main donors we should always have interaction?
- What suggestions have we obtained from donors, volunteers, or workers?
By figuring out your priorities first, you’ll create a GivingTuesday marketing campaign that’s aligned along with your group’s broader fundraising targets – not only a one-day occasion.
3. Determine on a GivingTuesday purpose
How a lot are you seeking to elevate on your GivingTuesday fundraising marketing campaign? Ensure that your monetary purpose is achievable – when you have an amazingly profitable day, you possibly can all the time set a stretch purpose to maintain donations coming in, however you wish to set your self up for achievement. Take into account the dimensions of your current base of donors when setting your purpose.
4. Select a transparent marketing campaign focus
One of many greatest errors nonprofits make is making an attempt to boost cash for all the pieces. As an alternative, construct your GivingTuesday marketing campaign round one clear, compelling focus.
Your marketing campaign ought to reply one easy query:
“What are we asking donors to make doable?”
Relatively than asking supporters to “assist our group,” join their present to a particular consequence.
For instance:
- Broaden your meals pantry.
- Fund 500 meals for native households.
- Present scholarships for youth applications.
- Rescue and look after shelter animals.
- Restore a group park.
- Assist one month of emergency companies.
A targeted marketing campaign makes it simpler to inform a compelling story, create constant messaging, and assist donors perceive the influence of their present. When you’ve chosen your focus, carry it all through each a part of your marketing campaign, out of your donation web page and fundraising emails to your social media posts and thank-you messages.
5. Craft a GivingTuesday message that conjures up motion
Your marketing campaign messaging needs to be centered round motivating your supporters to offer. The strongest GivingTuesday campaigns mix 4 important parts:
Relevance
Why does your work matter proper now? Assist donors perceive why this second is vital.
Authenticity
Share actual tales from the folks, animals, or communities you serve. Genuine tales create emotional connections and construct belief.
Urgency
GivingTuesday is barely in the future. Clarify why donors ought to act now as an alternative of ready.
Impression
Present donors precisely what their present will accomplish.
As an alternative of claiming: “Please assist our group.”
Attempt: “A present of $50 at present offers a household with groceries for a complete week.”
At any time when doable, make your donor the hero of the story. Deal with what their generosity makes doable moderately than your group’s wants.
6. Put together your marketing campaign belongings
Creating content material on the final minute results in rushed messaging and pointless stress. Getting ready your marketing campaign emails, social posts, movies, and photographs forward of time permits your staff to remain targeted on participating donors as soon as GivingTuesday arrives.
Earlier than your marketing campaign launches, collect all the pieces you’ll want to advertise your fundraiser, together with:
- Impression tales and testimonials
- Images and movies that seize your work
- Group statistics and key information
- Social media graphics
- Electronic mail banners
- Marketing campaign logos or branded graphics
- Donor thank-you graphics
Creating these belongings prematurely additionally helps preserve a constant look and message throughout your web site, emails, and social media channels.
7. Construct your communications plan
Even one of the best GivingTuesday marketing campaign gained’t succeed if supporters by no means hear about it.) A communications plan helps you attain donors a number of occasions with constant messaging earlier than, throughout, and after GivingTuesday. Establish the channels you’ll use and begin engaged on a technique to have interaction your donors main as much as and on Giving Tuesday.
Take into account creating content material for:
- Electronic mail advertising
- Social media
- Your web site homepage
- Weblog posts
- SMS or textual content messaging
- Board member outreach
- Volunteer communications
- Company companions
See Creating an Efficient Communications Plan for Your Nonprofit for ideas that may allow you to be sure your key messages come throughout on all channels! Relatively than sending one fundraising e mail, plan a collection of communications that construct pleasure all through your marketing campaign.
A easy schedule may appear like this:
| Timing | Message |
|---|---|
| Two weeks earlier than | Save the date |
| One week earlier than | Share your marketing campaign story |
| Day earlier than | Reminder to offer tomorrow |
| GivingTuesday morning | Marketing campaign launches |
| Noon | Progress replace |
| Last hours | Final probability to offer |
| Following day | Thank supporters and share outcomes |
Consistency builds familiarity, and a number of touch-points assist guarantee your marketing campaign stays prime of thoughts.
8. Recruit fundraisers and marketing campaign ambassadors
You don’t need to run your GivingTuesday marketing campaign alone. Recruiting supporters to assist unfold the phrase can dramatically develop your attain and introduce your group to new donors.
Take into account inviting your:
- Board members
- Volunteers
- Employees
- Loyal donors
- Group companions
- Company supporters
These advocates can share your marketing campaign with family and friends, put up about your mission on social media, and even create their very own fundraising pages by way of a peer-to-peer marketing campaign. Peer-to-peer fundraising is very efficient as a result of persons are extra probably to offer once they’re requested by somebody they know. It additionally helps small nonprofits attain fully new audiences with out growing their advertising finances.
Wish to study extra? Learn our information, All the pieces You Ought to Know About Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, and learn to launch a profitable peer-to-peer fundraising marketing campaign.
9. Get your board concerned
Your board will be one in every of your best fundraising belongings on GivingTuesday, however provided that you give them a transparent position. Relatively than merely asking board members to donate, invite them to actively take part in your marketing campaign. They may help develop your attain, encourage new donors, and construct momentum all through the day.
Listed here are a couple of methods to have interaction your board:
- Create a Board GivingTuesday fundraising staff.
- Ask every board member to make a private fundraising ask to family and friends.
- Flip fundraising right into a pleasant competitors with prizes for probably the most donors or {dollars} raised.
- Encourage board members to share your marketing campaign on social media and e mail their networks.
- Ask a board member to supply or assist safe an identical present.
Offering board members with ready-to-use e mail templates, social media posts, and speaking factors makes it a lot simpler for them to take part and will increase the probability they’ll truly do it.
10. Safe an identical present
An identical present is likely one of the only methods to encourage donors to offer on GivingTuesday. When supporters know their donation might be matched, they’re extra probably to offer and infrequently give extra generously.
Begin by figuring out people or organizations which may be keen to sponsor your marketing campaign, resembling:
- Main donors
- Board members
- Native companies
- Company sponsors
- Foundations
When you’ve secured a match, make it a central a part of your marketing campaign messaging. Point out it in your emails, social media posts, and donation web page to create urgency and encourage supporters to maximise their influence whereas the match is offered.
In search of sponsors? Our information, Securing Company Partnerships for Your Nonprofit, shares sensible ideas for constructing relationships with native companies and company companions.
Wish to dive deeper? Obtain our free GivingTuesday Matching Grants Information to learn to safe, promote, and maximize matching items on your marketing campaign.
11. Put together for GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday can transfer shortly, so having a plan for the day itself helps your staff keep organized and responsive. Earlier than launch day, assign obligations so everybody is aware of their position.
Your GivingTuesday plan ought to embody:
- Who will monitor donations?
- Who will reply to feedback and messages on social media?
- Who will put up marketing campaign updates all through the day?
- When will fundraising emails be despatched?
- How will you have a good time fundraising milestones?
- Who will thank donors in actual time?
Don’t neglect to check your donation web page earlier than the marketing campaign begins. Ensure that all donation hyperlinks work correctly, your web page shows accurately on cellular units, and any matching items or fundraising targets are clearly communicated.
12. Steward your donors after GivingTuesday
Your GivingTuesday marketing campaign doesn’t finish when the donations cease coming in. Following up with donors is likely one of the most vital steps in constructing long-term relationships and inspiring future giving.
Begin by thanking donors as shortly as doable, ideally inside 24 to 48 hours. Then proceed the dialog by sharing the outcomes of your marketing campaign and demonstrating the influence their generosity made doable.
A easy follow-up plan may embody:
- An instantaneous thank-you e mail
- A marketing campaign recap with fundraising outcomes
- Images or tales displaying donor influence
- A personalised thank-you for main donors and fundraisers
- An invite to remain concerned by way of volunteering, recurring giving, or your year-end marketing campaign
One of many greatest advantages of an enormous giving occasion like Giving Tuesday is that you just’ll have the chance to choose up new donors and unfold your message to new audiences. Develop a technique for guaranteeing that the brand new donors you choose up on Giving Tuesday keep engaged in your nonprofit’s work and are available again to donate to your group once more! Considerate stewardship helps flip one-time donors into long-term supporters.
When ought to nonprofits begin planning for GivingTuesday?
The most effective time to start planning your GivingTuesday marketing campaign is 3 – 4 months earlier than GivingTuesday. Beginning early offers your staff time to set fundraising targets, recruit supporters, create advertising supplies, and safe matching items.
What makes a profitable GivingTuesday marketing campaign?
Profitable GivingTuesday campaigns have:
- A transparent fundraising purpose
- A compelling story
- An optimized donation web page
- A number of e mail appeals
- Quick donor thank-yous
How a lot ought to a small nonprofit attempt to elevate?
Relatively than evaluating your self to bigger organizations, set a purpose primarily based in your donor base and former fundraising efficiency. A practical, achievable purpose builds momentum and retains supporters engaged.
Do we want an identical present?
No, however matching items can considerably improve donor participation by creating urgency and inspiring bigger donations.
Can a nonprofit take part with out a big finances?
Completely! Many profitable GivingTuesday campaigns depend on genuine storytelling, e mail advertising, social media, peer-to-peer fundraising, and volunteer ambassadors.
Need extra ideas for #GivingTuesday planning? Make sure you register for GivingTuesday on Mightycause to entry fee-free fundraising on your nonprofit and different useful assets.
