It’s never too early for nonprofits to start thinking about their GivingTuesday strategy. We’ve put together a list of effective GivingTuesday ideas and templates for rolling out your best GivingTuesday fundraiser yet. 

Follow these steps to set the groundwork for success

Before you start your marketing campaign, take a few key steps to make sure your organization is primed to meet its goals:

1. Prepare early.

Because there are many different parties involved in a GivingTuesday campaign—your organization, your donors, a matching fund partner, your cause and future donors—it’s important to get as much of a head start as possible to make sure everything goes smoothly. 

2. Set clear goals.

Having clear fundraising goals is important, but that’s not the only kind of goal you should have for GivingTuesday. This day is about more than just donations. It’s about getting your community involved and being part of a global movement for generosity. 

Goals to consider:

• What do you hope to accomplish with the money you raise?
• Other than raising money, what else do you want to achieve? Common examples are increasing awareness for your cause or organization, onboarding new volunteers, adding more long-term donors, or getting support from brand new donors.

3. Tell a story.

Abstract ideas don’t get people excited about a movement, but stories do. To drum up more enthusiasm for your mission, tie it to a specific story. For example, you could share a personal story of a person (or animal or community) your organizations has helped.

Organize your story using the milestones of storytelling: Introduce a character, explain their problem, present the solution (your organization!) and reveal the happily ever after. If you haven’t already, you can download the Storytelling Checklist for nonprofits to shape your story. 

4. Promote your GivingTuesday campaign.

Get the word out about your GivingTuesday goal and the impact it will have for your cause. Here are some key ways to promote your campaign:

• Launch a social media campaign using the GivingTuesday hashtag.
• Send an email drip campaign to your donor and community list for GivingTuesday.
• Pitch the local press with your story and GivingTuesday goals using our sample press release.

GivingTuesday promotional timeline example

GivingTuesday has shared a promotional timeline example that nonprofits can use to launch their GivingTuesday campaigns. 

The promotional timeline goes beyond email and social media. Highlights of the full timeline for 2023 include:

• Week of October 9: Set goals, determine a target audience, and pick your internal GivingTuesday team.
• Week of October 23: A month for collaboration. Identify potential partners (corporate/nonprofit) and start pitching them. Research potential city/state campaigns your organization can be a part of. Confirm your campaign plan and goal. Draft and approve internal timelines, creative assets, communications plans, and your evaluation stratetgy. Schedule weekly social media posts, strategize targeted emails for different types of people on your list. 
• Week of November 6: Announce to your community, pitch the local press, send a “save the date” to major supporters and talk to your local government officials about proclaiming GivingTuesday.
• Week of November 20: Double your social media frequency, email reminders to your community, and continue pitching the press.
• November 27: Send a “1 day to go” reminder on email and social. Make sure all stakeholders and larger community know about the final countdown.
• November 28: It’s GivingTuesday! Update you community about your campaign throughout the day. Share where you are against your goal and build excitement for your campaign.
• November 29: Share a personalized thank you and post some #ThankYouWednesday on social.

GivingTuesday email examples for nonprofits

Email is an important tool for alerting your community about GivingTuesday and keeping them engaged all the way until Nov. 28. Your email strategy can take on different forms, but we suggest a minimum of four core GivingTuesday email examples to send to your list.

Announcement email

The announcement email should:

• Explain the purpose of GivingTuesday and when it occurs.
• Explain how your community can participate. 
• Highlight your mission.
• Offer a soft call to action to follow your organization on social media. 

Here’s an example that you’re welcome to customize for your own organization.

Hi [recipient’s name],

[Organization name] has some big news: This year we’re participating in GivingTuesday! 

GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that takes place November 28 this year. That’s right — following Black Friday and Cyber Monday! What better way to start getting into the holiday giving-back spirit? 

We’d love if you participated with us. The best way to do that is to share our cause on social media using the hashtag(s) GivingTuesday [and any other branded hashtags your organization is using for GivingTuesday] and to join millions of global givers on November 28 by donating at [link to your donation platform]. 

Your donation will help [information about your organization’s impact or plan for your GivingTuesday funds]. 

To stay updated about our progress toward our GivingTuesday goals, follow us on [social media accounts]! 

One month until GivingTuesday email

The one-month email should:

• Get specific about your GivingTuesday goal.
• Share the impact GivingTuesday funds will have for your cause.
• Share if you have a matching funds partner (or another type of partnership).

Example:

Hi [recipient’s name],

There’s only ONE MONTH LEFT until GivingTuesday arrives on November 28! Here’s what we’re doing to have the most impactful holiday giving season ever.

– We set a GivingTuesday goal of $[dollar amount].

– All GivingTuesday funds will go to [information about your plan for your GivingTuesday funds].

– [Matching fund partner] has partnered with us to MATCH the funds we raise on GivingTuesday! That means your donation will go twice as far. 

Thank you for being a part of this giving journey with us! 

Day-of-event email

The day-of email should:

• Remind recipients that GivingTuesday is a global day of giving.
• Alert readers of the 24-hour deadline for donations.
• Remind readers of your fundraising goal and the potential impact.
• Offer a strong CTA to donate now.

Example:

Hi [recipient’s name],

GivingTuesday is here! For the next 24 hours, we’re joining thousands of organizations around the world on this day of giving. 

As a reminder… 

– We’re raising funds for [details about your cause and impact].

– Our goal is $[dollar amount].

– [Your matching fund partner] will MATCH what you donate.

If you haven’t already, you can make a donation here [link to donation portal]. 

(And don’t forget to share that you’re participating in GivingTuesday and tag [your organization handle] so we can celebrate with you!)

Thank you so much for being on this journey with us! 

Matching ends at midnight ET. today! [Insert “Donate Now” button]

Thank you email

This email goes out on Thank You Wednesday and should:

• Thank donors for participating.
• Share the funds you raised.
• Remind readers how you’re using the funds to make an impact.

Example:

Hi [recipient’s name],

Wow! A HUGE thank you from everyone at [your organization]. It means so much that you helped us REACH OUR GOAL! 

This GivingTuesday, donations like yours contributed to a total of $[total funds raised] for [cause]. This means we can [impact]! 

We couldn’t have done it without you.

Have a happy holiday season!

It should be noted that we highly recommend taking the GivingTuesday ideas and templates above and customizing them for your own organization, as well as for your email recipients. Personalization like swapping out names goes a long way in promotional success!

GivingTuesday toolkit for social media

GivingTuesday could not have become the global event it is today without the help of social media. Social media is an important part of any nonprofit’s GivingTuesday campaign. Not only does social media increase awareness for your mission, it also allows your donors and community to feel like they’re a part of something bigger even if they can’t be in a physical space together. 

Tips for GivingTuesday social media campaigns: 

• Use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and your own GivingTuesday hashtag (for example, #GivingShoesDay by Dress for Success or #MoveAMillion by GlobalGiving.) 
• Encourage participation on all major platforms, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Use multimedia posts including special GivingTuesday images and videos.
• Link to your GivingTuesday landing page.

Twitter sample GivingTuesday copy

Best practices: Keep it brief (within 280 characters), include a link, include images or a video and use relevant hashtags.

You’re invited to join millions in a national day of giving on Nov. 28 for GivingTuesday! Our goal is to raise [$XX] for [cause]. Donations will be matched. Learn more at [link]

Facebook sample GivingTuesday copy

Best practices: Invite people to a GivingTuesday Facebook event and include photos and videos in your posts.

We’re proud to be joining thousands of changemaking organizations on Nov. 28 for GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is a global day of giving with the ultimate goal of building a more just and generous world. 

The funds we raise on GivingTuesday will go to [cause] so that [impact statement]. We’d love if you would consider supporting our mission & helping us reach our goal of $[goal]! Each dollar you give will be [matching arrangement].

Learn more at [LINK]. 

Instagram sample GivingTuesday copy

Best practices: Switch your link-in-bio to a link to your GivingTuesday landing page, and post special GivingTuesday graphics and logos. 

GivingTuesday is only one month away on Nov. 28! Last year, you stepped up in full force to spread the word and help us reach our goals. As a result, [impact statement]. For 2023, all GivingTuesday donations will go to help [cause]. Plus, every dollar you give will be [matching arrangement].  Will you be with us for the BEST GivingTuesday yet? Click our link in bio to learn more! [personalized hashtag]

Resources for GivingTuesday graphics, logos, and images

Using logos and graphics created specifically for GivingTuesday is an easy way to tie in your organization’s branding with GivingTuesday. Not to mention, special GivingTuesday graphics are eye-catching, and spice up regular text posts or emails.

Here are simple ways to get GivingTuesday images and graphics:

• Download GivingTuesday logos and graphics.
• Use Canva or Snappa to easily create your own images.
• Use photo editing apps like VSCO or Snapseed to make live smartphone images even better.