Love it or not, Giving Tuesday is a potential goldmine of donor acquisition.
To help reduce overload, here’s how to build your Giving Tuesday plan in just 3 easy steps.
I’ve put together a set of strategies + tactics built upon insights from the most recent Giving Pulse Q1 2024 report. So you can quickly align and launch Giving Tuesday 2024 within your current fundraising plan.
Why? “Giving Tuesday generates more traffic than any other day, it results in the largest influx of new donors.”
This year, that’s December 3rd.
Let’s dive in.
- Make It Personal. The Giving Pulse survey found that campaigns with a clear, specific goal—like funding a local project—brought in 35% more new donors.
Tactic: Create a “Project Countdown.” Launch a daily social media series leading up to Giving Tuesday, revealing compelling facts about your project.
Tactic: Utilize an existing story to show the need for the project.
Tactic: Take a recent local news headline and tie your project to the solution.
2. Donors like to give locally. 65% of respondents indicated their most recent act of generosity was intended to help their own community.
Tactic: Create a “Local Impact Showcase” to show how donations directly benefit the community.
Tactic: Incorporate well-known local landmarks or popular community spots into your campaign visuals.
Tactic: Organize a community event or volunteer opportunity alongside your Giving Tuesday campaign. Bonus: volunteers remain your most consistent donors.
3. New Donors like Social Proof. The survey says 43% of new donors were influenced by testimonials from other donors or beneficiaries.
Tactic: Add a special “Donor Stories” area to your Giving Tuesday webpage. Feature stories and testimonials from a variety of donors.
Tactic: Share a series of short and real video testimonials from both donors and people who have benefited from your organization. Post these videos on your social media in the days leading up to and during Giving Tuesday.
Tactic: Ask your current donors to share their stories on social media using a specific hashtag for your campaign. Give them a template or prompt to help them quickly join in.
4. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising. The report noted peer-to-peer as one of the most effective ways to attract new donors, with ambassadors bringing in an average of 10 new donors each.
Tactic: Equip ambassadors with ready-to-use resources like personalized fundraising pages and social media templates.
Tactic: Pair new ambassadors with experienced ones to provide guidance, share best practices, and foster community.
Tactic: Share shoutouts and links to each of your ambassadors’ campaigns.
5. Convert and Retain. Donor retention drives long-term sustainability. We know new donors are more likely to give again if they get a personalized thank-you within 48 hours. The auto-reply acknowledgment does not count.
Tactic: Form a dedicated committee within your board to oversee and implement a robust thank-you call strategy. Each new donor gets a thank you call within 48 hours. Voice mail counts. Bonus: lovely way for your board to engage in fundraising without an ask.
Tactic: Create a “New Donor Welcome Series” – a sequence of tailored communications over the first three weeks post-Giving Tuesday. Include impact stories, volunteer opportunities, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content to deepen their connection to your cause.
Tactic: Set up an automated system to recognize donors on the one-day and the one-month anniversary of their Giving Tuesday gift. Use this touchpoint to showcase the impact of their donation.
Which tactics best align with your current fundraising plans and capacity?
Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to create and build lasting relationships with new donors. But you don’t have to add to your overload to make it successful.
Here’s your 2024 Giving Tuesday plan – in just three easy steps.
- Your Goal: Giving Tuesday is a donor acquisition event for our organization.
- Your one clear, specific, and local project.
- Pick one tactic from each of the five strategies.
Congratulations! You now have your 2024 Giving Tuesday Strategy and Plan.
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