Harness GivingTuesday to thrive in tough times

Use GivingTuesday with our platform to send down roots and secure the nutrients needed for determined and purposeful nonprofit growth, if not survival.
October 7, 2025
Ethan Gelber
Head of Content Marketing

Nonprofits are often at the front lines of upheaval. The very nature of what they do places them there to work with marginalized or underserved populations, address issues troubled by political or economic disturbance, and confront the challenges of elevating community voices. 

Nonprofits’ reliance on individual and institutional generosity adds a heavy layer of complexity as well. How can they continue to fulfill their missions when positive attention turns elsewhere?

GivingTuesday plays a valuable role

That is, in large part, one purpose of GivingTuesday and why Give Lively urges nonprofits to take full advantage of it. GivingTuesday focuses energy on philanthropy by fostering a sense of urgency and social proof, the psychological phenomenon through which “correct” action is determined by perceived group consensus.

Case in point, in 2024, a record-breaking $3.6 billion was raised in the U.S. on GivingTuesday. Impressive in its own right, this also sets the tone for the month of December, aka “giving season,” when approximately 30% of annual charitable donations are typically made. 

Acknowledging the obstacles

Unfortunately, nonprofits have faced unusual hardship on the front lines in recent years. They’ve had to endure prolonged uncertainty pitted against intractable forces: the pandemic, social uproar, political turmoil, anti-nonprofit legislation, funding cuts and economic instability.

Just since 2020, nonprofits have repeatedly come up against major financial and staffing hurdles. During COVID, retrenchment was common; but now even nonprofits’ good intentions are being cast in doubt and federal funding is being choked, potentially leading to similar program cutbacks, stunting positive community impact. The COVID health crisis has morphed into a time of political COVID.

What’s a nonprofit to do? 

Get smart, get innovative and get going!

Get smart – keep messaging simple

With GivingTuesday and the giving season fast approaching, focus on core essentials. There’s no single meaning of “smart” in this situation. Each nonprofit must tailor its strategic thinking and game plan to its unique situation.

That said, one special emphasis should be on formulating clear messaging and keeping it direct and simple. Many organizations try to communicate too much information, especially during giving season. Sharing news about multiple programs and including different asks can lead to confusion. Donors welcome clarity.

As an exercise, try picking one evocative story with a strong human angle. Show how it impacts the people involved. Pair the narrative with a clear call to action and then put energy behind spreading word of that campaign. Focus on supporting only one program (or at least only one program per campaign), so donors can quickly identify the need for their support and the direct impact of their generosity.

Get innovative – mobilize community

As we reported earlier, in the face of so much social, economic and political turbulence, many nonprofits’ standard operating procedures no longer apply. They have been reimagining their fundraising practices and exploring how to expand their circles of community, particularly to reach the people most directly impacted by their work. 

Even more important than identifying community members is mobilizing them. At a minimum, they can be (re)introduced to the mission and asked to support it. Better yet, ask them to represent the work, perhaps as an ambassador or a peer fundraiser.

Some specific, high-priority community members to engage with:

  • board of directors and board of advisors
  • previous program participants 
  • family and friends of previous program participants
  • volunteers 

In all cases, reach out to them as soon as possible with a personal note. Let them know that GivingTuesday is coming and that their active support is requested. Provide them with all the materials they need to make it very easy for them to participate.

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Get going – develop a game plan

As mentioned above, one power of GivingTuesday is the urgency it creates around giving on a particular day. It should be fully leveraged!

Start building a GivingTuesday game plan today that incorporates the advice above into a broader approach and build momentum toward GivingTuesday and beyond.

Want to learn more about all of this? Join our GivingTuesday Game Plan webinar on Thursday, October 16, at 1pm EDT. We’re hosting a 60-minute webinar about how to turn one big day into year-end success.

‍Our goal is to provide an actionable playbook:

  • đŸ—“ïž A four-phase plan to guide strategy through the end of the year.
  • ❀ Strategies to engage and inspire donors without overwhelming them.
  • đŸ€ Simple ways to empower board members and volunteers as fundraising champions.
  • 🎁 Pro tips for using our free products, like Campaign Pages and Text-to-Donate, to boost results.
  • đŸŒ± 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 to watch anytime.

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A strong root securing a determined plant

Now more than ever, it is a time to send down roots and secure the nutrients needed for determined and purposeful growth, if not survival. Nonprofits must use formidable tools and key moments to make it happen. We believe our powerful and practical fundraising platform is the right tool – free for nonprofits, fueled by values and intuitive for donors. And we believe that a day like GivingTuesday is an important moment, both on the day and for the month(s) ahead.