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12 Giving Tuesday Ideas to Help Nonprofits Crush Their 2024 Fundraising Goals

Updated

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The holiday season isn’t just a time for shopping, it’s a time for charitable giving, and having a strong online fundraising campaign is more important than ever.

A new study by Dunham+Company found that 65% of donors have donating using online platforms, and 40% have used a smartphone to make a donation.

One of the biggest drivers of online giving is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving that was launched in 2012 to encourage people all over the world to give back to causes and issues that matter to them. In 2022 and 2023, Giving Tuesday raised $3.1 billion in online donations, up from $511 million in 2019.

Giving Tuesday falls on December 3 this year, so it's time to put your holiday fundraising campaign into action. Follow these tips to make this Giving Tuesday a success for your nonprofit.

  1. Use hashtags. Use #GivingTuesday in your social media posts to raise awareness about your nonprofit, encourage new donors and volunteers, and draw attention to your holiday fundraising efforts.
  2. Update your images. Change your social media profile photos and main website home page graphic to an image that conveys the idea of charitable giving.
  3. Set a giving goal. Nothing motivates people like a goal. Set a fundraising objective and provide regular updates on your website and social media pages to encourage your supporters to help you reach your target.
  4. Don’t forget email. Giving Tuesday is primarily driven by social media, but be sure to include calls for donations in your emails to customers. According to the 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study, 16% of all online giving in 2023 was sourced to email, and according to Dunham+Company, the email response rate for online donations is 20%.
  5. Consider fundraising via text message. According to the 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study, nonprofit mobile messaging subscriber list size increased by 5% in 2023. Fundraising mobile messages generated $92 in revenue for every 1,000 messages sent.
  6. Spread the word. Ask your staff members, partners, and beneficiaries to spread the word about your Giving Tuesday goals on social media and by word of mouth.
  7. Be mobile-friendly. Make sure your website is providing a good experience for mobile users—a 2023 Dunham+Company report found that 40% of donors donated via their smartphone.
  8. Create content. Write a blog about how people can make a difference by donating to your nonprofit on Giving Tuesday. Highlight the work your organization has done and detail how Giving Tuesday donations will be used to further your cause.
  9. Add “donate” buttons. Make sure your website has an easy-to-find “donate” button and a landing page that tells potential supporters all the ways they can donate, volunteer, or otherwise get involved.
  10. Explore social media donation. Donating on social media is on the rise. In 2023, nonprofit audiences increased 6% for Facebook, 11% for Instagram, and a whopping 112% for TikTok.  
  11. Tell your story. Share success stories and behind-the-scenes photos and videos that show the good work you’re doing to inspire your audience and get them in the spirit of giving.
  12. Say thank you. Once Giving Tuesday is over, don’t forget to express your gratitude to everyone who contributed, tell everyone whether you met or exceeded your giving goal, and provide a preview for what those donations will mean to your organization and the people it helps.

For more ideas, see the Giving Tuesday website, which includes a sample press release, campaign timeline, communication plan, and downloadable Giving Tuesday logos that you can adapt with your nonprofit’s branding.