NRC: Upgrade Your Giving Tuesday Campaign

What is GivingTuesday?

GivingTuesday is a global day of generosity that inspires people to support organizations making a difference. The Grundy Library’s Nonprofit Resource Center (NRC) offers free tools, expert resources, and professional guidance to help you strengthen your GivingTuesday campaign.

GivingTuesday 2025 is Tuesday, December 2. Here’s how the NRC can help you prepare.

NRC Resources to help you get ahead

What can you do to optimize your GivingTuesday campaign?

Leverage social media

GivingTuesday is a day dedicated to online giving, making it essential for nonprofits to primarily reach out through digital platforms. Specifically, social media will be your most effective tool for sharing updates about your GivingTuesday campaign. Use these tips to make the most of your social media presence:

• Recruit social media advocates. Organize a group of influential social media users who are passionate about your cause and have them spread the word. They can post about your campaign and donate to support your efforts.
• Use each platform’s unique features to their fullest potential. Each social media platform has slightly different strengths. For example, Instagram is useful for sharing immediate updates via Stories, while Facebook is effective for sharing your online giving form. Create customized strategies for each platform to reach your audience effectively on those channels.
• Make your GivingTuesday appeal very specific. One way to set your GivingTuesday appeal apart from other campaigns is to make an ask to support a very specific purpose, rather than an unrestricted donation. Consider making Giving Tuesday all about one project or need—something tangible, compelling, and urgent, like a building repair or rushing emergency aid after a natural disaster. Donors will be able to better visualize the tangible impact of their gifts.

Want more social media marketing inspiration? Check out these NRC resources!

Conduct email marketing specifically for GivingTuesday

Along with social media, email is another useful platform to contact supporters online. Optimize your email outreach with these best practices:

• Clearly state that the email is about GivingTuesday. Including GivingTuesday in the subject line immediately shows supporters what the rest of the content will be about.
• Use the donor’s name in the introduction. This personal touch establishes a connection with your supporter right off the bat.
• Define GivingTuesday in the message body. Briefly explain what GivingTuesday is for supporters who may not have participated in this type of campaign before.
• Ask for a specific gift amount from supporters. Supporters are more likely to contribute when they know how much your organization needs from them.
• Explain the impact of a donation. Highlight their potential donation’s positive effect, giving supporters a compelling reason to contribute.
• Give supporters a link to your donation page, providing an immediate opportunity to act on your message.
• Use eye-catching subject lines so your emails stand out in recipients’ inboxes. Urgent, personalized appeals tend to be effective for inspiring immediate giving. For instance, a subject line saying “Rebecca, only 12 hours left to get your GivingTuesday gift matched by a generous donor!” is more engaging than one saying “Donate to our GivingTuesday matching gift drive today!”
• Follow up after the campaign to boost retention.

Check out these NRC titles for more email marketing tips!

Explore More GivingTuesday Campaign Ideas

Check out these books to kickstart your fundraising campaign!

Click on book to check it out!

Want more nonprofit tips and tricks?

Check out the Nonprofit Resource Center

Grundy Library’s Nonprofit Resource Center provides exclusive resources to help your non-profit thrive, including special in-person and virtual events, grant-writing tips, Candid’s Foundation Directory, and much more!

Explore the online NRC