2 min read

It’s a crowded field on Giving Tuesday, but there’s no reason to sit that day out. Here are steps towards pulling off a successful Giving Tuesday that doesn’t overwhelm you.

You’ve heard the critiques of Giving Tuesday . . .

Giving Tuesday is not a huge money-maker . . . Giving Tuesday is a waste of staff time . . . social media is flooded with thousands of nonprofits making their pitch . . .

While you may not solicit a six-figure gift from Giving Tuesday, it is certainly a good idea to participate if you have a simple and actionable strategy that you can implement without too much time and attention. Giving Tuesday is a good touch point with your donors before your big end-of-year asks, and you can fight for a small slice of the $2.47 billion pie that has become one of the most lucrative days of charity of the year.

To ensure success, get all of your ducks in a row at least one week prior to Giving Tuesday. Here are four strategies to consider.

  1. Set up a themed email campaign with no fewer than five emails, starting with a “Save the Date” on the Friday before Giving Tuesday. Here’s a basic recommended email schedule. You can do more or less, but this is a useful template.
    • Friday email announcing campaign and monetary goal
    • Monday email
    • Tuesday morning email
    • Tuesday night last-chance email
    • Wednesday morning thank you with an update towards goal
  1. Finalize your email list, draft all emails and creative subject lines, and set up your email program (e.g., MailChimp) so that everything is automated. Prepare a thank you email that is generated automatically once a donor gives. (If an automatic thank you already exists, tailor it to Giving Tuesday gifts for a few days, then change it back.) Ensure that your website allows donors to give without any technical errors or difficulties.

  2. Add a temporary pop-up to your website. While they are irritating, pop-ups have proven to be successful for campaigns. And make sure any accompanying messaging and branding—such as a pop-up or social media post—is consistent across all communications channels.

  3. Think outside the box when it comes to how best to solicit your audience. Seek a matching gift from a donor to help drive gifts; include a solicitation in the Wednesday thank you email; use a specific story from someone your organization serves. These extra touches may make your campaign stand out from the crowd, motivating more donors.

If you are spending more than a couple of days putting together a Giving Tuesday campaign, then yes, your ROI will not be that great. But success on Giving Tuesday depends on having a strategy in place—so use these strategies to head into December with a win to kick off your end-of-year giving!


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *