The Complete Guide to GivingTuesday for Organizations and Causes

GivingTuesday is among the few days of the year where people are actively seeking causes to support, rather than the other way around. On December 3, 2024, the entire world will be talking about, thinking about, and discussing ways each of us can contribute to a better society. Nonprofits have an amazing opportunity to be part of that conversation.

How you choose to participate in GivingTuesday is up to you! While many nonprofits fundraise on GivingTuesday, that’s not the only option. The goal is to create an activation that allows people to express generosity in a memorable, impactful way.  Here are a few ideas:

• Host a holiday food drive for your community, fill a gap in services, or solve an immediate need in your community.
• Host a festival so that local residents can learn about the missions of several organizations. Consider leading a GivingTuesday Community movement! 
• Use the day to rally new volunteers.
• Mobilize your community to give their voice to your cause – whether that involves signing a pledge, advocating for policy change, or simply getting the word out about your cause.
• Fundraise for your organization. 
• Fundraise for another organization. Give your megaphone to amplify historically under-funded organizations. 
• Find ways to collaborate with others. Our community is bigger than just one organization and we are not competitors. It will take all of us to work together to build the just + generous world that we seek. 
• Spend GivingTuesday thanking and celebrating your supporters.  
• Find more creative ideas for growing generosity in your community in the Generosity Toolbox!

• GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
• While GivingTuesday happens every Tuesday, the annual celebration of generosity will happen on December 3, 2024.
• GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past 11 years, this idea has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
• People can show their generosity in a variety of ways during GivingTuesday⁠⁠—whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, everyone has something to give, and every act of generosity counts.
• Generosity gives everyone the power to make a positive change in the lives of others and is a fundamental human value anyone can act on.

GivingTuesday Data Commons research definitively shows that people are very motivated to give to many different causes. The key right now, as at any time, is to ensure your relationship with supporters is experiential rather than transactional. 

We find that people want lots of ways to show support for the causes they care about, and on GivingTuesday, the vast majority of people also take some other action besides giving dollars. Providing multiple touchpoints, messages, and opportunities to show support helps make you relevant and inspiring. 

We believe, and our data show, that “donor fatigue” is a function of the quality of the message and engagement rather than a question of frequency. Think about how your organization is providing supporters with an opportunity to exercise their generosity and agency to make positive change – that approach will help focus engagement that is motivating.

• Make sure your social pages show your organization in its best light. You’re going to have lots of new people looking at your profile pages. Can they easily discover your impact within the first few seconds of scrolling? Make sure you’re posting often over the next few weeks about your organization and its impact.
  • Pin highlight stories to the top of your Instagram page that explain what you do and how to get involved in your mission
  • Pin your top 3 posts to your feed on Instagram and TikTok that highlight very clearly what it is that you do
  • Pin 1 post to your Twitter and Facebook pages that clearly explains what you do and the kind of help you need to keep doing that work.
• Launch a group or broadcast channel. Now’s a great time to launch a virtual group to build your community – people are craving a sense of togetherness. Consider a WhatsApp group for your top donors, a Facebook group for your p2p fundraisers, or an Instagram close friends list for influencers to repost your content to their own feeds. 
• Start planning for how you’ll show up virtually on Dec 3.  (Find ideas below)

We’ve ditched the copy-paste social media posts because, let’s face it, algorithms just don’t like them anymore. It’s substantially more effective to create content that speaks directly to your audience. Here are some ideas to help you kickstart your content game:

• Save the Date Post: A post announcing the date of GivingTuesday, inviting followers to mark it on their calendars and stay tuned for upcoming details about how to participate. Use Instagram’s “reminder” feature or link to a calendar invite.
• Impact Showcase: Photos showcasing the real-world impact of your work, sharing success stories, and emphasizing the importance of continued support.
• Why We Need You: Videos explaining the specific challenges your nonprofit is facing and why your community’s support is crucial to overcoming those challenges.
• How Generosity Helps Your Nonprofit Make Change in the World: tell stories about how generosity is critical in helping you achieve your mission.
• GivingTuesday Sneak Peek: Teaser posts offering a glimpse of the exciting initiatives, events, or campaigns the nonprofit has in store for GivingTuesday.
• Community Voices: Posts featuring stories and testimonials from members of the community including the people you serve, sharing why they support the nonprofit’s mission and encouraging others to do the same.
• Call to Action: Posts providing a clear and concise action plan for GivingTuesday, outlining the various ways followers can get involved and make a positive impact on the day.

• Send your supporters a calendar invite. Literally. Attach a calendar invite file to your email  (or use something like Add Event). You should provide exact instructions for what you’d like them to do on GivingTuesday including a link if you want them to donate. 
• Add your GivingTuesday plans to your e-newsletters to build anticipation.
• Over the Thanksgiving holiday make sure your staff’s email auto-responder mentions your upcoming GivingTuesday campaign with instructions for how to participate!
• Did you know that each year, an estimated $4-7 Billion USD in corporate matching gift funds goes unclaimed? Ask your donors if their employers will match their donations to your cause!