6 Creative Ways to Fundraise on Giving Tuesday

In just over a month, Giving Tuesday 2021 will take place and it’s projected to be one of the biggest Giving Tuesdays yet.  Year over year, the amount raised on Giving Tuesday has multiplied. Even in 2020 when Covid-19 hit, there was a 94% increase in giving on November 30th. We have no doubt that it will grow this year and we want your mission to benefit from this exciting and impactful day. 

After releasing our Giving Tuesday checklist, we thought it would be helpful to dive into actual examples of just how to fundraise on Giving Tuesday. You can use these ideas to plan out your fundraising events on the day and for future events as well. 

Giving Tuesday Online Donation Page

Okay, so you might have a regular donation page, but do you have a #GivingTuesday donation page? One simple and straightforward way to fundraise is to have a specific landing page branded for the big day that supporters can go to learn about your mission, recent accomplishments, how to take part in your Giving Tuesday campaign, and stay involved in the future. 

We list this first because this is the most important tool to have before Giving Tuesday. Having the donation page is the bare minimum and anything after that is icing on the cake!

Tips: 

• Make the link easy to find on the homepage and share on social media
• Be positive and share the love and excitement for Giving Tuesday
• Make sure the donate call to action is easy to find
• Give donors the option to stay tuned for the end of campaign results

Find Your Matching Gift Partner

One way to get people excited about your event is to inform them of a matching gift campaign. If your donations have been winding down, don’t be afraid, matching gifts can help you bounce back.

This is something you can do all year round and if you have already, it shouldn’t be too difficult to set up. If this is your first time, it may take a little longer to set up as you will have to find a partner early on who will partake. 

Tips: 

• Find the matching gift partner early and finalize 
• Let potential supporters know how much further their gift will go this year
• Create specific social posts on your matching gift program 

Virtual Livestream

Want to connect with your supporters across the globe in a more intimate and exciting way? Put yourself in their shoes. Wouldn’t it be even more fun to be right there with the organization you are passionate about? Most social platforms these days have the LIVE feature. Instagram, Facebook, and even Youtube now have the option to go live. Host a live stream to answer questions and keep supporters updated all day on your Giving Tuesday progress.

Tips:

• Consider organizing a raffle for the event that encourages people to stay involved and donate more
• If the day of is too hectic, pre-record your “live” event and stream it the day of.
• Give shoutouts to donors, ask questions, and thank them all online at the end of the live stream
• Create a challenge (Ex. Get someone on the team to do a certain amount of laps, do something silly, or change their appearance for every x dollars raised)

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

If you want to maximize this chance to take advantage of the influx of givers on this day, you should involve people who may have never given to the cause. Peer-to-peer fundraising gives family and friends the chance to help out. This is a proven strategy that works all year and one that you should utilize on Giving Tuesday as well. 

You could even start peer-to-peer fundraising on an internal company level. Have teams compete to see who can get the most donations! This could also be something you live-stream and will really get donors excited about your event. This should be a fun day for everyone!

Tips and Ideas: 

• Have the team create individual fundraising pages on Facebook or onsite
• Have the team do a walkathon and get their friends and family to support
• Offer donors the opportunity to do their own fundraiser by setting up their own page with your mission and logos. This could loop in new donors as opposed to relying on recurring givers. 

Text-to-Donate 

Mobile fundraising is still very popular because of how automated giving can be. Many people are on their phones and may not have time to attend your live event in order to stay up to date. If you are new to this campaign idea, don’t worry, it’s pretty simple and one of our partners, Rally Corp, offers the perfect platform to execute an SMS campaign.

Tips: 

• Pick your texting provider that will set up your keyword and number. We suggest using Rally Corp. They offer the SMS service, plus strategy and support along the way 
• Create a social post with a call to action like “Text “Give” to 55555.”
• Provide easy step-by-step directions for donors who may have never done this

Social Media 

This may be an obvious outlet, but it really is the last and surely not the least. 

By being loud on social media, you will have the chance to create a strong community with your donors. Donors want to give, you just have to offer the reasons why they should give to you.  

• Create a hashtag for your nonprofit and invite supporters to tag you on social 
• Change all your profile photos to have Giving Tuesday branding
• Shoutout donors and volunteers before and on Giving Tuesday. This will help raise awareness and morale
• Offer small giveaway incentives to people who share your cause on social media that day 

Well, we hope this helps. If it is too overwhelming, pick one thing and roll with it! We can not wait to see what you accomplish on Giving Tuesday. 

Maria Sadusky