Giving Tuesday is a can’t-miss opportunity. It is – quite literally – a worldwide effort to raise money for worthy causes while amplifying the good that charitable donations produce. It presents a tremendous moment to engage donors and get a solid start to your year-end fundraising efforts.

Last year, a record $2.7 billion was raised in the US. This year on November 29, a goal has been set to reach $3.4 billion in the US. How will you and your nonprofit help reach that mark? What are some quick and easy tips to remember about how to create a memorable and record-setting Giving Tuesday for 2022?

Show Impact Now

An effective Giving Tuesday campaign doesn’t start on Giving Tuesday. Your success depends on your communication with donors all year, but especially in the weeks leading up to Giving Tuesday. Use the next several weeks to communicate the impact your donors have had with their gifts all year: e-newsletters, social media, and blog posts should be utilized to show donors that gifts to your organization have changed lives.

Matching Gifts

Studies consistently show that matching gifts increase the conversion of donors and average gift size. The gift doesn’t need to be from one donor; it can be from a group of donors or a company that are willing to participate with a matching or challenge gift. Large matches are better, but don’t hesitate to use a small matching gift if that’s what you have. Announcing a matching gift or challenge grant on Giving Tuesday can give people a reason to give quickly.

Setting up a corporate matching gift is super easy, too. All you need to do on your giving form is select "Enable" in the Corporate Matching option within the giving form builder. iDonate already utilizes Double the Donation for matching gifts. From there, the donor just has to type in their company name to see if their gift will be matched.

Outcome-Oriented Messaging

Communicate with donors the outcome of their generosity. Your donors give to benefit others — the more you can connect their gifts to a particular outcome, the better your campaign will do.

For example:

• “We need to raise $25,000 for clean water on Giving Tuesday” will get a lackluster response.

Alternatively, you will see a better result with a more outcome-oriented message:

• “Your gifts on Giving Tuesday will change lives. Girls in Africa will see increased opportunities for education, and they will no longer have to walk to retrieve water each day. This will greatly reduce the potential for illness in their families and villages that are caused by dirty water. $25,000 on Giving Tuesday provides access to clean water and changes the lives of 500 people in need.”

Both state the same goal, but one shows the impact if that goal is reached.

Multi-Channel Messaging

The most successful campaigns will engage donors in every communication channel available with a consistent message. Be active on social media and in email on Giving Tuesday. Additionally, text messages, voicemails, and social advertising should be utilized. Encourage your team members to be active and post on their own social media channels and email and text their own friend and family group.

The lasting impact of Giving Tuesday is about community, and it should be a community effort to spread your message as far as it can go.

Recipe for Success

Communicate your goal and the matching gift amount early in the campaign. Make sure people know what you are trying to achieve so that they can prepare to help out in any way they can. On the day of Giving Tuesday, continue this messaging by using a goal meter to show progress and momentum all day long. A goal meter provides social validation for potential donors when they see other donors giving. With each donation that comes in, the goal meter fills up and shows immediate progress. When donors see the total amount change because of their gift, they will know they are contributing to something worthwhile.

Keep reading for even more of our Giving Tuesday guides and content at this link. →