Ah, Giving Tuesday. One of the most anticipated – and sometimes dreaded – days of the year for nonprofits.
Whether you’re a nonprofit staff member, volunteer, or donor (or even if you are just active on social media), we’re sure you’ve heard about #GivingTuesday.
But do you know how to best use this worldwide day of giving to your advantage? Or if your nonprofit should even participate? We’ve got these answers – and more – for you in this guide to Giving Tuesday 2024.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday is a global movement with a goal of inspiring people from around the world to give back and celebrate generosity.
It started as a single day that encouraged people to do good following the major sales days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but has since grown into an independent nonprofit: GivingTuesday.
This nonprofit provides resources and tools other nonprofits and individuals can use to raise funds and awareness for the causes they care about.
When is Giving Tuesday 2024?
Giving Tuesday always falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. This year, that is Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
Should My Nonprofit Participate?
Although the total donations raised on Giving Tuesday remained flat from 2022 to 2023, we still highly recommend participating in some way.
After all, this number was $3.1 billion – you want to be sure to have a piece of that pie this year!
That’s because many people are now in the know about what Giving Tuesday is and are prepared to give to a nonprofit (or a few!) on that day.
You want to make sure you’re getting your nonprofit’s message in front of them so that you are the organization they choose to support.
Plus, using #GivingTuesday on social media is a great way to join a larger conversation and boost awareness for your mission.
Does that mean you should put all of your eggs in one basket? Nope. We recommend making Giving Tuesday a part of your overarching year-end campaign. It’s often best used as a kick-off to the digital portion of your end-of-year outreach, giving you a big boost in awareness and dollars right at the start.
7 Dos and Don’ts of an Effective Giving Tuesday Campaign
So, you’ve decided you should participate in Giving Tuesday 2024. Now what? Here are four Giving Tuesday strategies you should do to be successful…and three mistakes you should avoid.
Do Make a Plan
You can just wake up on December 3, make a couple of posts, and call it a day right?
Not so much.
It’s important to plan ahead so that you can create a cohesive campaign that produces results.
Knowing what you’ll say, how you’ll say it, and when ahead of time will also keep you and your team from feeling too overwhelmed when the big day arrives.
Discover more about planning an impactful giving season fundraising campaign in this blog.
Do Set a Goal
As with any campaign, it’s important to determine what you are working towards. Knowing your goal will help you plan everything from messaging to communications channels.
Most nonprofits focus on fundraising on Giving Tuesday, setting a monetary goal such as dollars raised or number of gifts collected. If this is the case, you’ll center your campaign’s message around a call to action to give.
You might choose, however, to shift the focus of your Giving Tuesday campaign towards awareness or gratitude. That’s right – you don’t have to use Giving Tuesday to fundraise!
It can be just as effective to use this day as a way to prime your supporters for the rest of the giving season by showing gratitude or talking about your impact. Consider setting goals such as number of “thank you” calls made to donors in one day or number of views on a new video about your mission.
Do Aim to Stand Out
On Giving Tuesday, it’s critical to make an effort to stand out from the crowd. Especially when so many other nonprofits are vying for attention!
It’s also important to answer the question, “Why do you need my support now?” You want to show your audience why it’s important they support your organization on Giving Tuesday (and beyond).
This can be done with:
- Branding – To make your outreach more memorable, develop a campaign theme and brand. Use similar messaging, graphics, and images throughout each piece of communication to connect everything together. This theme and brand can be unique to Giving Tuesday or you can use it across your year-end fundraising campaign.
- Matching Gifts – Reach out to your major donors and see if they’d be willing to present a matching gift challenge for Giving Tuesday. Letting your audience know that their gift made on December 3 will have twice the impact will instill a sense of urgency.
- Immediate Impact – If possible, show how your donors’ dollars go to work for your mission right away. Will funds provide blankets for animals during cold weather? Will they purchase food or gifts for local families this holiday season? Donors are often more likely to give if they know their help is needed right now.
- Storytelling – Even if the dollars you raise won’t be applied immediately, you can still tell a powerful story about the recent impact supporters have had. Talk about a young woman who received life-saving medical treatments this past year or show a natural habitat that your team transformed over the last few months. Then, emphasize how much more you could do next year with additional support.
Whatever you do, be sure to avoid creating false urgency or guilt your audience into offering their support. Remember to stay authentic – it’ll shine through in your message!
Do Offer More Than One Way to Support
With the state of the economy today, it can be difficult for some individuals to offer monetary support – even though they really want to help!
If your primary goal is raising funds, you’ll definitely want to use your Giving Tuesday communications to let your audience know how to make a donation. But, you should also include other ways these supporters can make a difference.
This could be as simple as becoming an advocate by telling a friend about your mission through an email or phone call. Or, ask supporters to share your Giving Tuesday posts on social media!
You could also consider using Giving Tuesday as a volunteer appreciation day, as long as this aligns with your goals. Share your volunteer sign-up form in all communications to encourage more people to dedicate their time and talents.
Don’t Forget Your Giving Tuesday Fundraising Page
You could develop a solid Giving Tuesday strategy and have fantastic content prepared, but it won’t matter if your donors don’t have anywhere to give!
As the #GivingTuesday movement is primarily digital, it’s critical that you have an online fundraising page available to accept secure donations.
Be sure to include a few details about your mission and a powerful call to action. And your giving form itself should be easy to use and mobile-friendly.
If you have a specific fundraising goal for Giving Tuesday, you might even consider creating a unique giving page specifically for this campaign. This allows you to include campaign-specific messaging as well as a fundraising thermometer that will update throughout the day.
Or, if Giving Tuesday is a part of your overall year-end fundraising campaign, you could choose to build a donation page that is used throughout the giving season. Include a link to it in fundraising appeals, social posts, emails, and any other outreach planned for your end-of-year push.
Don’t have a fundraising platform? We recommend Donorbox! You can set up a fundraising campaign in minutes and access tools like a fundraising goal thermometer, donor wall, subscriber updates, and so much more.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
The best news? Giving Tuesday is just one day! Consider using it as a day to experiment and try something new.
This might be targeting a new audience. Do your research and see if you can uncover an untapped demographic that may be interested in your nonprofit, then craft a campaign centered around reaching them.
Want expert help curating a new donor prospect list? Reach out to MVP Advisors! Our team of experienced fundraising consultants is ready to unlock potential donors for you.
You could also test out a new communications channel. Maybe you’ve been curious about TikTok or YouTube. Or, you’re already using Facebook and Instagram but haven’t tried Stories or Reels yet. Make a plan that involves these tactics and see what happens!
Just be ready to collect the appropriate data and learn from it. You might just uncover an effective way to reach your supporters!
Don’t Skip the Thank You!
You probably already know this one, but it’s always worth mentioning.
Don’t. Forget. To. Say. Thanks!
Throughout Giving Tuesday, post social media updates thanking donors who have given so far (and share the total amount raised towards your goal). The day after, send out a thank-you email to all those who donated with a note about the impact their dollars will have. If you have the capacity, consider calling a few as well!
And you don’t have to only thank those who gave a monetary gift. If someone shares one of your social posts or writes one of their own, comment with a quick word of thanks. Did someone volunteer to email or call their friends and family about your mission? They deserve a call of their own.
Your supporters are significantly more likely to continue donating, sharing, or volunteering if they feel their support was both needed and appreciated.
Bonus: Don’t Do It Alone!
Surprise! One final don’t for you: don’t feel like you have to run a Giving Tuesday campaign alone. Recruit fellow staff members or volunteers to discuss potential impact stories, call donors about matching gifts, and even make a few posts the day-of.
If you’re shorthanded, the consultants here at MVP Advisors would love to join your team! We’re offering a Giving Tuesday Campaign Planning Package, complete with a one-hour discovery call plus a detailed calendar filled with suggested outreach and timing as well as sample email and social post copy. We can also help with donor prospect lists, fundraising appeal reviews, and more.
Interested? Email us today or set up a call to learn about pricing and what’s included.