Timing: 90–75 days before Giving Tuesday

Start with a measurable goal.

Set at least two targets:

• Revenue target: The amount you plan to raise
• Donor target: The number of individual donors you plan to reach
• New donor target: The number of first-time supporters you want to acquire
• Recurring donor target: The number of monthly gifts you want to generate
• Engagement target: Email clicks, volunteer sign-ups, shares, or peer-to-peer participants

Example:

> Raise $50,000 from 250 donors, including 75 new supporters and 25 monthly donors.

Avoid using a general message such as “Support our mission.” Give donors a specific reason to act.

Define:

1. The need
   What problem requires support now?
2. The solution
   What will your organization do with the funds?
3. The impact
   What will a donation make possible?
4. The deadline
   Why should supporters give on December 1?

Use one campaign message across your website, email, social media, text messages, and ambassador materials.

Keep the message short enough to repeat.

Campaign message format:

> On Giving Tuesday, help [organization] provide [specific service or outcome] for [community served]. Your gift will help [clear impact].

Do not limit participation to financial gifts. Giving Tuesday also supports volunteer action, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, sharing, and community involvement. Review the official Giving Tuesday participation guidance for additional campaign formats.

Timing: 75–60 days before Giving Tuesday

Your campaign cannot perform if the giving process is slow, confusing, or difficult to use on a phone.

Create a dedicated Giving Tuesday donation page or campaign landing page. Keep the page focused on one primary action: Donate.

Include:

• A clear campaign headline
• A short explanation of the need
• One strong impact story
• Suggested donation amounts
• Monthly giving as an option
• A visible donation button
• Mobile-friendly donation forms
• Secure payment processing
• Automatic donor receipts
• Social sharing options
• Contact information for questions

Test the page on multiple devices. Check every link, form field, confirmation message, receipt, and tracking parameter.

Add campaign tracking to each channel:

• Email links
• Social media links
• Website banners
• Paid advertising
• Ambassador links
• Text messages
• Partner communications

Use unique UTM parameters or campaign codes so you can identify which channels generated traffic and donations.

Review the Turn Your Website Into a Fundraising Engine Checklist before publishing the page. The free checklist covers mission clarity, calls to action, impact statistics, testimonials, storytelling, conversion, and user experience.

Donation page test

Complete a full test donation.

Confirm:

• The form works on mobile
• Suggested amounts display correctly
• Recurring giving is available
• The confirmation page loads
• The receipt arrives
• The gift appears in the CRM
• Campaign attribution is recorded
• The donor receives the correct follow-up message

Fix problems before the campaign enters the promotion period.

Timing: 60–40 days before Giving Tuesday

Your campaign needs assets before promotion begins.

Prepare:

• Campaign name
• Campaign URL
• Main campaign story
• Two or three supporting stories
• Email copy
• Social media copy
• Short-form video
• Website banner
• Donation page graphics
• Progress updates
• Ambassador toolkit
• Thank-you messages
• Press release or media pitch

Use real photos and videos from your programs whenever possible. Show the people, places, and activities connected to your mission. Obtain the correct permissions and protect the privacy of the people you serve.

Connect every story to impact. Do not publish a story without explaining what supporter action will make possible.

Secure a matching gift

A matching gift can provide a clear reason to give during a crowded fundraising period.

Ask:

• Board members
• Major donors
• Local businesses
• Corporate partners
• Family foundations
• Community sponsors

Confirm the match in writing. Define:

• Total match amount
• Match period
• Eligible gifts
• New donor restrictions
• Recurring gift restrictions
• Public recognition terms
• Match verification process

Then build the match into the campaign message.

> Every Giving Tuesday gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000.

Create campaign assets in advance. Do not wait until November to begin design, copywriting, approvals, or video production.

Timing: 40–15 days before Giving Tuesday

One message will not fit every audience.

Segment your database by relationship and likely response.

Recommended segments:

• First-time donors
• Repeat donors
• Lapsed donors
• Monthly donors
• Major donors
• Volunteers
• Event participants
• Parents and families
• Alumni
• Program participants
• Advocates
• Corporate contacts
• Email subscribers who have not donated

Adjust the message, suggested gift amount, and call to action for each group.

Examples:

• Lapsed donors: Reintroduce the current need and invite them back.
• Monthly donors: Thank them and ask them to share the campaign.
• Volunteers: Invite them to become ambassadors.
• Major donors: Request a match or leadership gift.
• First-time donors: Explain the organization and show the immediate impact of giving.

Recruit ambassadors at least four weeks before Giving Tuesday. Ambassadors may include board members, staff, volunteers, donors, local leaders, alumni, and community partners.

Give each ambassador:

• A personal campaign link
• Three sample social posts
• One email template
• Campaign graphics
• A short campaign explanation
• Key facts and impact numbers
• Instructions for sharing
• A day-of schedule

Ask ambassadors to use their own voice. Personalized messages usually provide more value than identical copy published by every participant.

Timing: Begin now. Increase frequency in November.

Use a staged communications schedule.

90–60 days out

Objective: Internal alignment

• Approve the goal
• Confirm the campaign message
• Assign responsibilities
• Select the donation platform
• Begin match outreach
• Create the project calendar
• Identify stories and visual assets

60–40 days out

Objective: Campaign development

• Build the donation page
• Finalize the match
• Prepare email and social copy
• Recruit ambassadors
• Set up tracking
• Create the campaign toolkit
• Add the date to newsletters and website calendars

40–15 days out

Objective: Audience preparation

• Publish a save-the-date message
• Share educational and impact content
• Introduce the campaign need
• Begin ambassador communications
• Promote the matching opportunity
• Schedule email and social content
• Confirm board and staff assignments

Final 14 days

Objective: Campaign activation

Prepare at least three core emails:

1. Preview email
   Explain the campaign, goal, match, and date.
2. Giving Tuesday morning email
   Provide one clear story, one impact statement, and one donation button.
3. Final email
   Share progress and request a final gift before the campaign closes.

Add social media posts, short videos, stories, website banners, and text messages where appropriate. The official Giving Tuesday toolkit includes planning ideas, messaging guidance, and additional resources.

Giving Tuesday schedule

Use a simple day-of operating plan:

• Morning: Launch email and campaign announcement
• Late morning: Share the first progress update
• Afternoon: Publish a supporter, volunteer, or program story
• Early evening: Share the current total and remaining goal
• Final hours: Send the last-call message
• After close: Thank donors and report initial results

Assign one person to monitor donations, one person to manage communications, and one person to respond to comments and questions.

Update the progress total when possible. Thank donors publicly only when they have provided permission.