What is Giving Tuesday? Except for December 31st, Giving Tuesday is the most charitable day of the year.
Giving Tuesday is a global movement that encourages people everywhere to give to the nonprofits and causes they care about most.
It began in 2012 and has since grown into a measurable driver of generosity worldwide.
In the U.S. alone, donors contributed an estimated $3.6 billion on Giving Tuesday 2024 — a 16% increase over 2023. Participation reached 36.1 million people. The movement isn’t just about money; many donated goods, volunteered their time, or otherwise engaged.
It’s a turning-point moment: Because it’s time-bound and highly visible, it can help you energize your community and raise awareness.
It opens channels for new donors, as people are actively looking for ways to give in that “moment.”
But it also requires careful integration: a good Giving Tuesday campaign should tie into your year-end strategy rather than stand alone.
Decide what you’ll highlight this year: a specific fund, an urgent need, a matching gift, a referral drive, etc. Make it clear, compelling, and distinct.
Pro Tip: If you can arrange a matching gift, even for just a couple of hours, it can boost urgency. Studies show that knowing one’s gift will be doubled motivates at least 1 in 3 donors to give more.
Bring together internal stakeholders, including your Executive Director, Development Director, Community Events Manager, Donor Services, and possibly board members. Having diverse voices and buy-in helps you generate fresh ideas and avoid silos.
Social media remains a dominant channel: leverage #GivingTuesday across platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok).
But don’t limit yourself: your email lists, website, direct mail, and even in-person events can all play a role.
Plan your timeline: you'll need distinct touchpoints before, during, and after the day.
Choose impactful photographs and recognizable branding elements (your logo, colors, and location) so donors immediately know who they are supporting.
Let the visuals convey your mission in an emotional and direct way.
Whether on your website or via a third-party giving platform, design a streamlined Giving Tuesday-specific page with:
Suggested donation amounts
Clear description of where the funds go (e.g., “80 % will support the new youth-program expansion”)
Option to share with friends via email/social media
Strong “Donate Now” call to action
Build your campaign assets (emails, social posts, graphics, videos) ahead of time, schedule them for release, and use the actual day to monitor and engage rather than scramble.
Use email to tell stories — not just solicit donations. Share impact stories, testimonials, images, or short videos, links to your donation page, and mention any matching gifts. Ensure the messaging complements (but does not replicate) your existing social content.
A well-executed Giving Tuesday campaign is not a last-minute push. Give your team time to strategize, produce content, line up matching donors or corporate sponsors, and ensure all channels are aligned.
Whenever possible, highlight the donors themselves — show how they’re making an impact, quote them, and share pictures of them in action. This not only recognizes your supporters, it builds authenticity and community — especially important for engaging younger donors.
After Giving Tuesday, promptly thank your donors and share the results of their generosity. What was achieved? How many benefited? What’s next? Also, gather feedback: What worked? What could work better next year? That insight feeds future campaigns.
Awareness of Giving Tuesday continues to rise globally, with over 105 countries participating in 2024.
More donors are giving via digital tools, with online channels becoming the norm.
While total giving hit new highs in 2024, only a relatively small percentage of overall year-end donors give on Giving Tuesday (for example, only ~3% of December donors gave that day in recent years).
What this means: Don’t treat Giving Tuesday as the end of your year-end campaign — it’s a powerful component of it.
If you haven’t yet embraced Giving Tuesday in your year-end fundraising plan, now is the time. With strong results in 2024 and a clear opportunity to engage both new and existing supporters, this global moment of generosity can amplify your mission — as long as you treat it as a strategic part of your broader year-end giving mix rather than a one-off push.
Contact us today and request a copy of our Nonprofit Marketing Book to find everything you need to create successful marketing campaigns all year round.