{"id":69747,"date":"2023-10-25T09:17:52","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T16:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog?p=69747"},"modified":"2026-08-18T01:13:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T08:13:11","slug":"giving-tuesday-for-churches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/giving-tuesday-for-churches","title":{"rendered":"Giving Tuesday for Churches: 7 Effective Ideas to Fund Your Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founded in 2012, Giving Tuesday<\/span><\/a> is a global movement that encourages generosity and charity during the holiday season. It takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. This year, Giving Tuesday will fall on December 1, 2026, but it’s important to start planning weeks ahead to maximize your church’s fundraising potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to make the most out of Giving Tuesday for your church, I’ll share ideas and tips to help you raise more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Can Churches Participate in Giving Tuesday 2026?<\/h2>\n

Yes, churches and places of worship can leverage the increased generosity of Giving Tuesday<\/a> to support the local community or fund a ministry project. Run a Giving Tuesday campaign to fill a need in your community, or raise money for your ministry or upcoming mission trips.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, I’ll explain how to create a successful Giving Tuesday campaign for your church.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Giving Tuesday Church Campaign Checklist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Task<\/th>Description<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Confirm your campaign focus<\/td>Decide what your church's Giving Tuesday campaign will fund (e.g. ministry program, mission trip, etc.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Decide on a fundraising goal<\/td>Set a clear goal to let donors know how much you need to raise.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Assign specific roles to team members<\/td>Decide who will manage the campaign landing page, communications, social media, and donor follow-up<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prepare your campaign landing page<\/td>Create a shareable Giving Tuesday campaign page with a clear purpose, story, goal meter, and visuals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Craft your communications<\/td>Create and schedule emails, social media posts, and other appeals in advance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plan your follow-up outreach<\/td>Prepare thank-you messages and your follow-up plan to share the impact of gifts with donors and inspire continued engagement.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
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How to Create a Giving Tuesday Campaign for Your Church in 7 Steps<\/span><\/h2>\n
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1. Decide why you\u2019re fundraising <\/span><\/h3>\n

Determine why you\u2019re fundraising before you plan the rest of your campaign. <\/span>Many churches use Giving Tuesday to raise funds for a specific initiative, like a new Sunday School or outreach program. <\/span><\/p>\n

Giving Tuesday is also ideal for raising funds for your community before the holiday season begins. For example, raise funds to purchase Christmas gifts for families in need. Or, use Giving Tuesday as a kick-off to a larger year-end campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

See how Life Community Church Alexandria<\/a> <\/span>used Donorbox Crowdfunding to raise more for their preschool program. They’ve included a <\/span>compelling video<\/span><\/a> to share why they\u2019re fundraising. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

Get Started with Donorbox<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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2. Get buy-in from your church community <\/span><\/h3>\n

Secure buy-in from your church leaders and <\/span>volunteers<\/span><\/a> to increase the success of your campaign. Share details on why you want to fundraise, how you plan to do it, and what support you\u2019ll need to make it happen. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, you may have a volunteer interested in building your campaign landing page and another who can draft the copy for your communications. Share the workload to avoid one person being too overwhelmed. <\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Set a clear fundraising goal <\/span><\/h3>\n

Once you have your fundraising purpose and team in place, decide on a fundraising goal to work toward. A clear, realistic goal will guide your outreach and enable you to scale your campaign. <\/span><\/p>\n

Your fundraising goal should be ambitious and achievable. Review any major campaigns you\u2019ve run or your 2025 end-of-year giving numbers <\/span>to determine a Giving Tuesday fundraising goal for your church.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>Consider what\u2019s reasonable for your donors for this one day of giving and then add 5% or 10%. <\/span><\/p>\n

For help setting a goal, read <\/span>this blog post<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Build your campaign landing page <\/span><\/h3>\n

Next, it\u2019s time to build your campaign\u2019s landing page \u2013 the page your donors will \u201cland\u201d on when it\u2019s time to donate. Use i<\/span>ntuitive fundraising tools to create a compelling <\/span>Giving Tuesday landing page<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Platforms like Donorbox<\/a> Crowdfunding<\/a> enable you to easily create a Giving Tuesday landing page that includes your fundraising story and engaging visuals. Plus, add a goal meter to build campaign momentum and let supporters know how much you need to reach your goal.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To build social proof and instantly acknowledge gifts from consenting donors, include a donor wall<\/a> on your church’s Giving Tuesday campaign page.<\/span><\/p>\n

See how the Catholic Connect Foundation<\/a> <\/span>highlighted their supporters on their donor wall:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Donor<\/p>\n

Your chosen fundraising platform<\/a> should streamline the giving experience for donors while allowing you to easily create and manage your Giving Tuesday campaign.<\/p>\n

Here are some key features to look for:<\/p>\n