Top 7 Online Fundraising Tips for Giving Tuesday

On Tuesday, December 3, nonprofit organizations will come together for one common purpose—to celebrate and encourage giving.   

From fundraising to volunteering, #GivingTuesday is a great way to engage your community of supporters and become part of a larger, worldwide movement that promotes generosity. This year, expand your fundraising efforts with online giving, making it even easier for your donors to give on any device.

1. Kickoff Your Campaign Before Giving Tuesday  

Organizations using GiveSmart raised considerable money for their #GivingTuesday campaign BEFORE the day. Most importantly, this did not negatively affect their giving traffic on the actual day.   

Consider kicking off your fundraising with a raffle, auction, or video countdown to drum up awareness and increase giving. 

2.  Create Enablement for Your Volunteers  

Get the most out of your #GivingTuesday social media efforts by recruiting social media ambassadors from your existing network to help spread your message.   

Create unique, inspiring, and branded #GivingTuesday posts with calls to action for your ambassadors to share on social media. Send them branded merch and talking points so they can craft their message about why they care about your mission and support your organization.    

Don’t forget to send your volunteers reminders, encouraging messages, and updates throughout the day to keep them engaged.  

3. Video Storytelling  

Encourage supporters to donate on #GivingTuesday with compelling and powerful videos that feature your beneficiaries.   

You don’t need fancy production; videos can be taken on your mobile device because donors like to see more authentic content from you. Make sure videos evoke an emotional connection between the cause, benefactor, and donor.  

4. Optimize Online Giving Forms  

Set up mobile-friendly online giving forms to make it easy for donors to give anywhere, from any device. Share these forms on your website, on social media channels, via text, and by e-mail.  

Capitalize on this high-volume day. Don’t forget to turn on a recurring giving option for your donors on all of your forms. One-time and first-time donors can become sustainable supporters with the click of a button. On Giving Tuesday 2023, GiveSmart nonprofits captured $140,000 in monthly donations, with 93% continuing nearly a year later.  

5. Enable Text-to-Donate  

Text-to-donate keywords are the easiest way to give at home, work, or on the go.  

Donors simply text a unique keyword to a five-digit phone number, also known as a shortcode, and they’ll receive an instant reply with a link to your mobile-friendly, #GivingTuesday donation page. This allows supporters to donate on their mobile devices easily.  

Looking for inspiring #GivingTuesday texts? Check our text-to-donate templates today.  

Social media is a key driver of #GivingTuesday traffic and donations; don’t be shy to post frequently to break through the noise and be seen. Social media was the second largest traffic source to GiveSmart Giving Tuesday pages, and social media presumably significantly influenced the top traffic source, direct.  

A direct communication style works. Include eye-catching and heart-warming images with compelling messages, and vary the length of your posts. Facebook was the top social media driver for GiveSmart donation pages.  

Include a link to your giving page in social posts, and add the keyword and shortcode or QR code to images and electronic flyers. Announce your keyword and shortcode in videos, podcasts, and anything else you will share on social media.  

Don’t hesitate to use the time leading up to Giving Tuesday to drum up awareness and interest in your organization ahead of the day.  

7. Email Strategy 

Adopting e-mail as part of your #GivingTuesday strategy will help your organization access more donors and help streamline your giving processes for new supporters.  

You can create unique call-to-actions through e-mail, tell your story through videos or imagery, keep donors posted with updates, express your thanks to loyal supporters, and send tax receipts.  

These quick and easy tips will help you stay ahead of the game and get you closer to your end goals. On average, about 30% of annual giving occurs in the last two months of the year, and most of that giving is split between #GivingTuesday, December 30, and December 31.   

Starting to think about your #GivingTuesday plans and beginning your campaign early will allow you to make the most of this busy yet impactful time, which leads directly into End-of-Year Giving!  

You still have ample time to strategize your upcoming Giving Tuesday campaign. Want to ensure that your donors have access to the best online fundraising pages? Talk to our Giving Tuesday experts today.