GivingTuesday campaigns: fundraising tips for success!

The end of the year is just around the corner, which means GivingTuesday is only a few weeks away! Sound familiar? GivingTuesday is a global movement dedicated to generosity, commitment and solidarity. It brings together millions of people in over 75 countries. 

This year, GivingTuesday takes place on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024. On this day, change-makers representing all kinds of causes are rolling out actions and campaigns to work towards a generous and equitable world.

Since 2014, the UK has been an official partner of the worldwide Giving Tuesday initiative. It has united a growing number of charities, businesses, and organisations, all rallying behind the fundamental principles behind the expansive global movement.

Starting in 2022, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising has assumed leadership of Giving Tuesday in the UK, and they are committed to further nurturing and advancing the campaign to benefit charities of all kinds.

Your charity can also take part and use this opportunity to amplify its mission and launch an appeal for donations. In this article, we offer you fundraising tips and ready-to-use templates to make GivingTuesday a successful fundraising occasion!

1. Combine GivingTuesday with your year end fundraising campaigns

Don't panic, you don't need to create a new fundraising campaign just for GivingTuesday. If you don't have the time to create a separate campaign, you can integrate it into your already planned year-end or Christmas fundraising campaigns. The extra exposure linked to GivingTuesday is a good way of launching an end-of-year campaign on time.

Incorporating the GivingTuesday logo into your online donation page, registering with the GivingTuesday branch in your country and publicising your participation in the movement are a good start. At the end of this article, you'll find links to Giving Tuesday branches by country.

2. Prepare personalised and convincing email appeals

Eye-catching, personalised emails are a great way to raise awareness of Giving Tuesday among your supporters and donors. So tell inspiring stories and provide hard-hitting statistics on the impact of donations. Remember to insert a clear call-to-action to your campaign page or donation form.

Incorporate visuals in the colours of GivingTuesday into your communication materials. Don’t have time or the resources to make your own visuals? Don’t worry! On the different GivingTuesday sites you can find visuals and kits that can be easily downloaded and are ready to use!

For example: 

• Email 1: Highlight the fundraising goal of your Giving Tuesday campaign, the cause it will serve and the impact donations will have, to encourage generosity.You can also use storytelling to build a narrative around your project. Learn how to leverage the power of storytelling in your communications, read our article!

Subject: Join us this GivingTuesday! Help us [insert your mission here: e.g. protect forests and participate in reforestation efforts].

Dear [First Name],
Giving Tuesday is fast approaching, and we're delighted to invite you to join us in a day of solidarity! This year, on December 3rd 2024, we're committing to [insert your project: i.e. raise funds to protect forests, restore them and ensure that they are used sustainably.
Every contribution counts! For example, a donation of €1 can help plant 1 tree. For every euro donated, we will plant a tree in areas threatened by deforestation].
So join us for this exceptional day of generosity. Make a donation now and help us [preserve forests and biodiversity]!

[CTA: Give Now!] 

• Email 2 : highlight statistics and concrete information about your achievements this year. You can even insert your end-of-year video if you've made one.

Subject: GivingTuesday is coming up, your donation can change lives!

Dear [First Name],
As GivingTuesday approaches, we wanted to share with you the incredible impact that the support of our valued donors has had on our cause. Thanks to you, here's what we've achieved over the past year:
[Include statistics on the charity's achievements, for example: "We planted 2,000,000 trees in areas threatened by human activity this year"].
[Include an image or video showing your charity’s work].
We cannot continue this vital work without your continued support. GivingTuesday is the perfect opportunity to make an even bigger difference. Make a donation now and continue to change lives!

[CTA: Give Now!] 

3. Create engaging content for social media

Don't forget to leverage social media as part of your Giving Tuesday campaign.
Every year, the official hashtag for #GivingTuesday attracts literally billions of impressions on social media! In 2022, engagement with this hashtag was recorded in every country in the world!*
*source: GT impact report

You can spread awareness of your actions on December 3rd 2024 by using the hashtag #GivingTuesday on social media networks such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X!
By following this hashtag, you can even keep up to date with all the projects launched on Giving Tuesday and use them as inspiration to launch your own fundraising campaign.
Do you want to stand out from the crowd on this special day? Here are a few ideas for actions you can take on social media to engage your community:

• Launch a video challenge on TikTok and Instagram: encourage your supporters to share a video of themselves carrying out an act of solidarity or generosity, and tag/mention your charity. Your followers should then encourage their network to take part, and so on. Thanks to the viral nature of these platforms, you can reach a wide audience.
• Create an Instagram or TikTok filter with your organisation's image and the GivingTuesday logo. How do you do it? You can easily create the visual for your filter on your computer, using Spark AR Studio software.

A filter like this is a fun way of promoting your GivingTuesday campaign as well as spreading awareness for your charity! Get your followers to use it and you'll gain visibility in their community.

Learn how to reach a younger audience with our article on how to connect with Gen Z! 

So think about creating engaging content to activate your community on social media, including attractive visuals and videos.

Here are some social media post examples to help you get started:

• Social media post example 1:

🌟 Join us this GivingTuesday! 🌟

This December 3rd, 2024 is GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to generosity and solidarity. As a charity dedicated to [your charity's cause], we are proud to be part of this global movement.

Make a donation today and help us make a difference: [link to online donation form] #GivingTuesday #DayofGiving

• Social media post example 2:

🌟 Make a difference this GivingTuesday! 🌟

On December 3rd, 2024 join our GivingTuesday [name of challenge] Challenge! On this day dedicated to generosity and solidarity, share a video of yourself doing something generous for someone else [or insert your challenge idea here]! Tag and challenge two of your friends and family to follow your example.

Then go an extra step and make a donation to help us make a difference: [link to online donation form] #GivingTuesday #[challenge name]

4. Collaborate with companies to amplify your impact and maximise your donations

Remember that our community is much bigger than any one organisation, and that cooperation is essential to building a fair and generous world! So why not take advantage of this day to collaborate with companies? This will enable you to reach new audiences and, above all, raise more donations.

• Matching gift programmes, enabling companies to match the donations their employees make to your charity, by doubling or tripling them, for example.
• Enabling companies to organise a day of volunteering for your cause, by getting their employees involved.

By communicating about these initiatives, you can capitalise on the reputation of companies that will highlight your cause, spread the word, and attract new donors. To increase your collective impact and visibility, don't forget to identify all the companies you'll be working with on your social networks and invite them to do the same!

As you can see, you can take advantage of Giving Tuesday campaigns to attract potential donors and collect more donations from your existing ones. Once the day is over, don't hesitate to show your gratitude to those who have chosen to support your cause. You may find inspiration in our article: 13 creative ways to thank your donors.

Visit this page to find the local Giving Tuesday site for your country.