Giving Tuesday is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect opportunity for your nonprofit to inspire donors, strengthen your impact, and raise awareness about your mission. With the right strategies, your organization can stand out, build meaningful relationships with supporters, and make this Giving Tuesday your best one yet. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up ten creative ideas that can help your nonprofit shine.
#1. Create a Matching Gift Campaign
Matching gifts can double or even triple the donations you receive on Giving Tuesday. Partner with a local business, foundation, or major donor to match every dollar raised. Be sure to promote the match heavily leading up to the big day—donors love to know their gift will go even further.
Tip: If you’re a current OneEach customer, ask your Account Manager to assist you in creating donation forms that offer a matching gift option.
#2. Host a Virtual Fundraising Event
Virtual events are a great way to engage supporters from anywhere. Whether it’s a live-streamed concert, a virtual trivia night, or an online auction, you can create an event that’s fun and interactive while raising funds. Promote the event on social media and encourage attendees to share the event with their networks.
Tip: If you’re a current OneEach customer, ask your Account Manager about Qgiv Auctions. If you aren’t a customer, schedule a consultation today to learn more!
#3. Run a Social Media Challenge
Encourage your supporters to participate in a social media challenge to spread awareness about your mission. Create a unique hashtag, and ask participants to complete a simple task like sharing why they support your organization or posting a photo of them in your nonprofit’s merchandise. The challenge can help expand your reach while creating excitement around your cause.
Tip: Use free tools like Canva to create shareable graphics for participants to post, and make sure to feature and/or share user-generated content to encourage others to join in.
Example of an embedded slide deck made in Canva:
Town-by-Town Impact | Middlesex United Way
#4. Leverage Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Empower your supporters to become fundraisers for your cause through peer-to-peer fundraising. Equip them with the tools they need to create their own fundraising pages, share their stories, and ask their friends and family to donate. This can help you reach new audiences and expand your donor base.
Tip: Provide easy-to-use fundraising toolkits that include email templates, social media graphics, and personalized messaging ideas to make it simple for supporters to spread the word.
#5. Launch a Giving Tuesday Countdown
Create a sense of urgency by launching a countdown campaign leading up to Giving Tuesday. Each day, share stories, milestones, and impact stats that demonstrate your nonprofit’s work. This type of campaign helps keep your organization top of mind and reminds supporters of the importance of Giving Tuesday.
Tip: Use a countdown timer on your homepage and social media platforms to build anticipation, and include calls to action encouraging early donations or pledges.
#6. Tell Your Story With Impact Videos
Video is one of the most engaging ways to tell your nonprofit’s story. Create a series of short, impactful videos leading up to and on Giving Tuesday that highlight your nonprofit’s mission, the people you serve, and the impact donors have. Share these videos on your website, social media, and in email campaigns to create an emotional connection with your audience.
Tip: Keep your videos short (under two minutes) to maximize engagement, and use captions so that they are accessible to all audiences, including those who may watch without sound.
#7. Incorporate an In-Kind Donation Drive
In addition to monetary donations, in-kind donations can make a huge difference to your nonprofit’s day-to-day operations. Use a platform like our Mindful Giving in-kind donation platform to create a wish list of the items your organization needs. Donors can purchase these items directly from your wish list, making it easy for them to contribute to your cause.
Tip: Regularly update your wish list with the most urgent items and share it on all digital platforms to keep donors engaged and aware of your ongoing needs.
Stuff The Bus | Catawba County United Way (ccunitedway.com)
#8. Engage With Local Media
Reach out to your local newspapers, TV stations, and radio shows to spread the word about your Giving Tuesday campaign. Share press releases, invite them to cover your events, or even offer a spokesperson from your nonprofit to discuss your work and the importance of Giving Tuesday.
Tip: Craft a compelling, press-ready story that highlights the local impact of your nonprofit and why community support on Giving Tuesday is critical.
Press release info can be found at:
#9. Host a Donor Appreciation Event
Show your donors how much their support means to you by hosting a donor appreciation event. Whether virtual or in person, you can thank your donors for their contributions, share updates on your organization’s work, and build deeper relationships that will keep them engaged long after Giving Tuesday.
Tip: Personalize the experience by featuring stories or videos showcasing the impact of donor contributions, and offer small tokens of appreciation, like thank-you cards or branded gifts.
#10. Create a Giving Tuesday Toolkit
Make it easy for your supporters to spread the word by providing them with a Giving Tuesday toolkit. Include email templates, social media posts, images, and talking points that they can use to encourage their friends and family to give. The more tools you provide, the more likely they are to promote your campaign.
Tip: Create both digital and printable versions of your toolkit to accommodate all types of supporters, and offer rewards or recognition for those who share the most.
Campaign Toolkit | United Way of the Coastal Bend (uwcb.org)
Maximizing Fundraising With Mindful Giving
In-kind donations can be a game-changer for your organization’s fundraising success. With the Mindful Giving in-kind donation platform from OneEach Technologies, you can easily create wish lists that allow donors to purchase items your nonprofit needs directly from your list. It’s a convenient way for supporters to contribute, and it helps you get the resources that will make the biggest impact.
Check out these two exciting Customer Success Stories to learn more about their Mindful Giving experiences:
Want to see it in action? Request a Demo today to discover how Mindful Giving can help you connect with donors and create a seamless in-kind donation experience for Giving Tuesday and beyond.