The Countdown to #GivingTuesday is On! 

While #GivingTuesday and end-of-year appeals might feel far away, the busiest time of the giving calendar is just around the corner. Now is the time to finalize your strategy, make your plans, and create your messaging templates.

Donors are paying attention, and many are looking at their spending for the rest of the calendar year. Dedicate the time and capacity to get your organization’s story out there. Engage potential donors and steward those relationships before they are specifically asked to give to your organization.

Read on for our expert-curated checklist (feel free to copy and paste it!) to ensure this year’s #GivingTuesday is a hit. 

September 

Countdown from September 1: 93 days 

Establish your goals 

Start building content for your online campaign   

• Donation form copy, settings, and calls-to-action 
• Turn on recurring giving
• Hero image 
• Copy, including branded and volunteer testimonials 
• Features (videos, sponsors, peer-to-peer, membership drive) 
• Create graphics and gather photos 

Establish a marketing plan  

• Emails  
• Segment donor lists to establish targeting  
• Social media (organic and paid)
• Direct mail with your specific QR code or text-to-give short code 
• Text messages 

Create a unique hashtag to include in all your #GivingTuesday promotional materials 

Send in-person event invites or share a countdown to #GivingTuesday, just like a save-the-date    

As you check off these to-dos, communicate your plans with your board, stakeholders, and volunteers so they can be ambassadors for your mission.     

Set expectations with your board and hold them accountable. Can they be peer-to-peer fundraisers? Will they “author” an email or record a video for social media? Would they, as a board or individuals, provide a matching gift for #GivingTuesday? Can they put an H-stand sign in their yards?    

They are an integral part of your team, so include them!  

October 

Countdown from October 1: 63 days 

Start implementing your marketing plan, particularly the storytelling pieces  

• Build awareness and share teasers 
• Publish a blog  

Finalize your messaging calendar and schedule posts and emails 

Invest time and energy in refining your storytelling. Your potential donors should know a bit about what you accomplished, what you need funding for, and how you make a difference in the community. Then, when the day comes, they’re already educated and the path from call-to-action to donation is short and easy.     

November 

Countdown from November 1: 32 days 

Evaluate your open rates, click-through rates, and opt-out rates to improve your promotions  

Increase the frequency of your marketing 

• Continue sharing countdowns

Deploy any tangible campaign components  

• T-shirts 
• H-stand signs 
• Table stands 
• QR codes 
• And more! 

Countdown: 1 Week 

Schedule, send, and post personalized appeals 

Introduce an engagement challenge 

Send reminder texts, posts, and emails 

Ensure anyone who is part of deploying your communications has what they need  

Countdown: 1 Day  

Fine-tune any last-minute campaign elements  

Send final reminders or countdowns  

December 3, 2024  

It’s #GivingTuesday! 

Fundraise!  

Reinforce urgency in your calls to action   

Be active on your social media throughout the day    

• Share live updates, milestones, and progress to goal  
• Real-time celebrations 
• Livestream 
• Like other’s posts, share their stories, and measure engagement 
• Start saying personal thank yous  
• Last chance push at the end of the day 

Send text messages throughout the day encouraging giving opportunities and updating on progress 

After #GivingTuesday 

Steward and segment your donors  

Welcome new donors   

Thank ALL donors within 24 hours to increase potential donor retention   

Implement your long-term thank you plan   

• Phone calls  
• Handwritten notes 
• Email beyond the tax receipt  
• Impact report or fundraising outcomes 

Beyond #GivingTuesday

You and your team worked hard to encourage donors to give to your #GivingTuesday campaign. How can you encourage them to become long-term supporters of your mission?  

Include them in future asks both monetary and non-monetary (volunteer asks, calls for social engagement, event invites, and more)    

Include them in future segmentation efforts – where would they fit in with your other donors and how else can/will they participate and support your mission? 

Share updates with them including your programming, mission deliverables, and annual report 

The two top reasons donors choose not to give again are first, that they were not properly thanked, and second, they didn’t have a sense of how their donation was integral to an organization’s mission. Those are things you and your team can control.  

#GIvingTuesday is just one day, but it can make a difference in the lives of your beneficiaries and can be a cornerstone day of giving at your nonprofit or school. Are you looking for more resources to support your team, as you navigate #GivingTuesday?  GiveSmart’s #GivingTuesday Success Toolkit is the only thing you’ll need to reach your goals.