GivingTuesday is approaching faster than that half-marathon you registered for. While it might seem daunting to plan a successful campaign, or run 13.1 miles, it doesn’t have to be. Read on for insights about how to make your GivingTuesday stress-free and impactful. You’re on your own for the half-marathon, though.

About GivingTuesday

The first GivingTuesday was in 2012 and it had one goal in mind: a day dedicated to doing good for others, especially at a time of year heavy with commercialized days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Since those humble beginnings, it has grown into an annual global movement that “inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity” (GivingTuesday). There are no selfish “i”s in “GivingTuesday.”

Our 2025 giving season theme: innovation & community

Everyone’s talking about it: These are tough times for nonprofits. In the face of significant economic, legal and social turbulence, many standard operating procedures are no longer applicable. Nonprofits have been reimagining their fundraising practices and exploring ways to expand their circles of community, particularly among the people who are most directly impacted by their work.

That is why we’ll focus this giving season on INNOVATION and COMMUNITY. Another theme of this article, however, is sports (because why not?).

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Put me in, coach! 

Great game plans are written with the help of great coaches. So we’re grabbing our metaphorical visors and whistles and sharing all our fundraising wisdom with nonprofit teams like yours before the big game. Join us Thursday, October 16, at 1pm EDT, for a 60-minute webinar about creating your GivingTuesday Game Plan and turning one big day into year-end success.

Our goal is to provide you with an actionable playbook:

• 🗓️ A four-phase plan to guide you through the end of the year.
• ❤️ Strategies to engage and inspire donors without overwhelming them.
• 🤝 Simple ways to empower your board and volunteers as fundraising champions.
• 🎁 Pro tips for using our free products, like Campaign Pages and Text-to-Donate, to boost your results.
• 🌱 Stewardship strategies that keep the GivingTuesday energy going strong.

Can’t make it on October 16? Register and we'll send a link to an on-demand replay that you can watch anytime.

Let’s plan your game plan!

Early October is the perfect time to put together your game plan. It’s game plan… planning season! 

Here’s what your game plan should cover:

Board participation

Your board of directors and board of advisors are integral to successful fundraising. They can play big roles on GivingTuesday if you give them their own plays to run, beyond making a personal donation, which is a good start. Make sure they know GivingTuesday is coming and that they’ll be asked to be a crucial part of your fundraising strategy.    

Matching gifts

Finding and a way to match donations, even for limited amounts, is an incredible way to boost giving season fundraising while demonstrating broad endorsement of the important work your nonprofit does. Now is the time to coordinate matching gifts with especially generous donors, both individual and corporate.  

Communication channels 

Determine where your donors are found and reach out to them through those channels. Email is nonnegotiable, but do you also want to use Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or a combination of social media? Is there a place they congregate in person? Leverage your resources around the ways to be seen by the people most likely to respond.  

Narrative oomph

Review the type of funds you aim to raise and build messaging around it. For example, if you’re looking for general support, identify a diversity of stories that highlight more than one specific program. Choose two or three stories about your successes, constituents or programs that will make a big impact. If you expect to focus on something more specific, pull out the stops on that.

Creative assets and content 

Design your creative imagery and write your content. This means completing final drafts of emails, writing social media captions, and compiling photos and videos that contribute to a larger conversation at the right time and in the right way.

Email segmentation

Do you have an email list? If no, can you assemble one? If yes, is it segmented in useful ways: by donation history (one-time, recurring, lapsed), interests (advocacy, specific projects) and engagement level (event attendance, email interactions)? If you want to get into even more specifics, take that ball and run!

Fundraising goals

Can you believe we got this far into a sports-themed article without any goal metaphors? Well, hitting (scoring) goals is critical. Your fundraising goals should be credible and achievable, but also leave room for overtime accomplishment. What goal amount raised would be a touchdown for your GivingTuesday campaign? 

Success metrics

Keep in mind that success isn’t always measured in dollars, especially by nonprofits with limited means. Community and/or corporate engagement, number of donations, powerful testimonials, new partners and media visibility are all metrics to be celebrated. 

Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture 

Athletes know that the end of one game is the beginning of the next. They review the tapes, take care of their bodies and adapt their strategies for the next game. Your GivingTuesday game plan should incorporate a nurture sequence that ensures a seamless transition into the holiday giving season. Actively prepare a bridge from GivingTuesday to the mid-December end-of-year push and beyond. Don’t leave that planning for after GivingTuesday.

With a solid GivingTuesday game plan in place, you'll be well-equipped for that GivingTuesday home run. Remember, every swing and hit depends on pre-game prep. Get your game plan ready and kick off your year-end fundraising with the confidence that you will continue to make a real difference to your community.