Sometimes, tackling everything that needs to get done before Giving Tuesday can feel impossible. Donorbox is here to be your perfect fundraising partner, with the tools, tips, support, and uptime you need to raise more than ever before. Read on for our handy Giving Tuesday checklist that lists everything you need to take care of before the big day!
Nonprofits are expected to raise a whopping $3.5 billion this Giving Tuesday. But to raise as much as possible, your organization needs a stellar campaign, powerful fundraising tools, and compelling materials.
If you feel like you’re in over your head, don’t worry! We have you covered with a Giving Tuesday checklist detailing everything you need to complete before December 3rd. Plus, we’ll share tips, tools, and resources to help you along the way.
Feeling overwhelmed during the Giving Season rush is totally normal for us fundraisers. With year-end appeals, always-on daily donor communication, staff management, and more, it’s easy to feel like our to-do list is one stressful game of Whack-a-Mole.
A checklist ensures you know exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it. It does the organizing for you so you only have to check things off as you go.
A checklist gives you the perfect bird’s-eye-view of each task and action you need to complete, meaning you’re always one step ahead. This forward planning helps you set up your campaign strategically, and maximize your fundraising potential. If you don’t have the bandwidth to think through everything you need to do, this checklist will help!
We’ve covered tools, tips, and more to help you grab your piece of the Giving Tuesday pie.
We’ve all been there. It’s Giving Tuesday and you realize you forgot to add your campaign landing page to your LinkTree – after publishing your Instagram post stating “link in bio.”
A checklist keeps you from forgetting something crucial – and setting yourself back.
Here’s everything you should consider doing one month before Giving Tuesday. If any of these items don’t apply to you, just skip them!
Any campaign insights you have from last year will help you design a data-led Giving Tuesday strategy rooted in facts and established donor behavior. What your donors responded to last year will help you decide how to frame your campaign this year.
Looking over past data can help you:
Pro tip: Donorbox makes it easy to sort donation data using a variety of filters, including campaigns and dates. Use this to pull accurate numbers for your team to review.
Crowdfunding is the name of the game on Giving Tuesday! Donorbox Crowdfunding makes it easy to create a dynamic, engaging landing page for your Giving Tuesday campaign.
Donorbox Crowdfunding pages include:
Check out Families First’s Giving Tuesday campaign, which raised over $12,000!
Build Your Giving Tuesday Crowdfunding Page
Not sure how to get started? This blog will help you craft the perfect Giving Tuesday landing page.
If you have an in-person component to your Giving Tuesday campaign, you’ll need a sleek way to collect cashless donations.
The Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app makes it easy to collect donations made with cards or digital wallets via smartphones and smartwatches. Simply download the app on your tablet and pair it with a card reader.
With Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, you can:
No more missing out on donations because your in-person donors don’t have any cash in their pockets.
Ready to see it in action? Watch this short video!
Giving Tuesday is all about telling an effective story. That’s why you should consider pulling program or beneficiary stories ahead of time, including emotive images and videos that help share your organization’s impact. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’ll share with your donors on the big day.
Learn how to ethically interview your beneficiaries in this blog. Then, head over to this blog to see how to craft the perfect fundraising story for your campaign.
The most successful Giving Tuesday campaigns provide as many ways to give as possible. Text-to-Give makes it easy to give by smartphone with just a few steps.
Share your memorable, custom keyword and the shortcode number with your audience. Donors simply send a text and receive a link to your online donation form, where they can give in seconds by card or with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal.
When donors are ready to give again, all they have to do is send a text in the same thread – no need to reenter the number or their payment information!
Ready to get inspired? Check out these successful text-to-give campaigns!
Looking for an easy way to multiply your fundraising? Asking your top supporters to create their own Peer-to-Peer fundraising page is an effective way to boost donations this Giving Tuesday.
With Peer-to-Peer, you can:
Behind the Book leveraged Peer-to-Peer fundraising to supercharge their Giving Tuesday campaign. They allowed anyone to sign up right from their campaign page and showcased how much their top supporters raised.
Knowing who you’re reaching out to on the big day will save you stress and time in the long run.
Start by looking at your usual outreach lists and checking for any gaps. Typically, you’ll want to include the following donor segments in your Giving Tuesday outreach:
Consider creating a different communication approach for each of these segments. Remember, personalizing your outreach as much as possible will increase your response.
Did you know: Donorbox CRM uses powerful AI-powered list-generating technology that simplifies segmentation based on giving habits, affiliations, relationships, and more! Learn more about all Donorbox CRM has to offer in this blog.
You don’t have to be a professional videographer to make a compelling fundraising video! Your smartphone camera is perfect for creating a quick, intimate video. Ask someone high up in your organization to talk about the impact Giving Tuesday donations can make on your mission.
Learn more about fundraising videos and start filming!
Pro tip: Your Giving Tuesday campaign video is the perfect opportunity to share your Text-to-Give info. That way anyone who encounters your video will have a quick and easy way to donate!
One week to go! Keep in mind this week includes Thanksgiving, so if you celebrate you may need to plan around any time spent out of the office.
Thinking up posts on the day of Giving Tuesday will put a lot of pressure on you and your team. That’s why it’s a great idea to plan, write, and build any social media posts ahead of time.
Leave some room on your social media schedule to post updates throughout the day. Updates can include things like major donations, how close you are to your goal, and any notable donors.
Use scheduling apps like Hootsuite or Loomly to build your posts and get one step ahead!
Similarly, having your emails drafted and ready to go will relieve stress on the day. Don’t forget to factor in any on-the-day updates and remember to create emails that speak to all the segments on the lists you pulled earlier!
Feeling stuck? Donorbox’s Jay·AI can help you craft donor-ready emails, social media posts, and more in seconds. Simply type your prompt in and use the given tools to customize your copy to match your branding and intent.
Chances are you haven’t made it this far (in the year or in your Giving Tuesdeay campaign) all by yourself. Send a thank-you note to the people who made a difference in your organization this year.
If you’re in the U.S., Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to share your gratitude and build momentum for your Giving Tuesday campaign!
There’s still time to tweak your donation process on your website to attract and retain more donors.
A Sticky Donate Button anchors to the side of the screen when someone scrolls through your website, acting as a constant reminder to give. Choose a color that contrasts with the rest of your website to draw your donors’ eyes.
Plus, Donorbox makes it easy to combine a Giving Reminder with your Sticky Donate Button. This reminder pops up after someone has interacted with your donation form and navigated away, compelling them to complete their donation.
These tools together boost your Giving Tuesday income – without much effort from you.
The week before Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to ensure your tools are set up and in good working order.
Check your donation form and crowdfunding page to ensure you have included all the necessary information. Make a test donation on your donation kiosk and with your Text-to-Give campaign so you know how it works and can easily answer any questions donors might have.
Donorbox is here to help you with 99.99% uptime, leading the industry with fundraising tools you can count on when you need them. If you have any issues the day of, contact our world-class support team!
It’s here! Don’t panic – here’s what you need to do on the big day.
You should already have your kick-off email written and built, but now is the time to add any last-minute additions and hit send to get the momentum going! Remember to link to your campaign page and share your Text-to-Give information.
Review those posts you’ve scheduled and add any crucial updates throughout the day. This ensures you keep any momentum you’ve gained!
Remember to also share stories that demonstrate your impact throughout the day.
Log in to your Donorbox account to see how close you are to your goal. Remember that you may need to adjust your strategy on the day. A drop in donation momentum is the perfect time to send additional outreach. This could take the form of emails, going live on Instagram or TikTok, or increasing the urgency in your social media messaging.
It’s over – phew! Congratulations on all of your hard work. Here’s everything you need to do in the days and weeks after Giving Tuesday.
Dive into your data to see how you did. Whether you met your goal, surpassed it, or generated a lot of exciting conversation, know that your efforts to support your mission were worthwhile.
Gratitude is everything! Send thank-you notes to everyone who gave or fundraised on your behalf. Share final stats like the overall amount raised and the total number of donations.
Need some thank-you inspiration? Check out this blog.
Now it’s time to start thinking about next year. (Yes, already!)
A SWOT analysis helps you analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your campaign. Do this now so you have it to refer back to as you plan for next year.
Pro tip: Download our free SWOT Analysis Template to guide you!
Who you choose to fundraise with matters. Donorbox has you covered with tips, tools, support, and uptime to help you make the most of Giving Tuesday.
Sign up now and build your Giving Tuesday campaign in just fifteen minutes! For an enhanced fundraising experience, sign up for Donorbox Pro or Premium.
Giving Tuesday shouldn’t feel like a burden for your organization. It’s an exciting opportunity to connect with new and existing donors, share the impact of your mission, and bring in some significant funds for your cause.
This checklist is designed to keep you organized during the lead-up to Giving Tuesday. Refer to it again and again to make sure you don’t miss any critical tasks.
For more Giving Season tips, check out our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the best of the blog in your inbox every month.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower