Does it feel like #GivingTuesday snuck up on you this year? No worries, we’ll help you look like you’ve been carefully planning for months.

If you’re new to nonprofit fundraising, #GivingTuesday is a recent development in the last couple of years that follows Thanksgiving. After shopping for gifts for friends and family on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, people support their favorite nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. Often times, this is the way nonprofits kick off their biggest giving season — the stretch between Thanksgiving and Dec. 31.

How to multiply your #GivingTuesday effectiveness

Tip 1: Find a matching donor

Find a donor who can provide a matching fund challenge for the day or week of Giving Tuesday. Even a small donation can help inspire others by helping their gift go further.

Tip 2: Use peer pressure for good

Have an email from an alum or influencer that asks constituents to give. While multiple emails for a couple weeks leading up to the event is ideal — in a pinch — having the email go 24 hours before Giving Tuesday or 6 a.m. the day of will also work.

Tip 3: Get content today for social media

This means grabbing your phone to take photos or video today. Ask whoever is impacted from the gifts to say a personal message to donors. This is a great way to capture material for 3-4 posts. Also, it makes life less hectic on the big day.

Themes you should center posts around:

  • “Why giving matters” post online 24 hours before Giving Tuesday
  • “Now’s the time to give” post on Giving Tuesday (6 a.m.)
  • “Thank you for giving today!” post on Giving Tuesday (2-4 p.m.)
  • “Your gifts make a difference and here’s how much was raised!” post online Wednesday (6 a.m.)

Tip 4: Send personalized thank you emails

If you don’t have an automated emailing system in place, make sure to have a thank you email template ready to go, so you can email people individually throughout the day. Everyone expects instant responses through text messages, emailed receipts, and Google. Keep your givers engaged with an immediate, personal response.

Tip 5: Tell donors the results right away.

It doesn’t matter if every dollar has been processed or not. Give your most accurate estimates on the total gifts as soon as possible the next day. You gave your donors an immediate deadline, so they expect immediate results.

  • If you’re on Instagram stories, Facebook stories, or Twitter, try providing 2-4 video updates throughout the day. It’ll help your competitive donors become advocates and encourage their friends to give, while serving as a good reminder for people who have been meaning to give to your organization, but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

(Bonus!) Tip 6: Want to be ready next year?

If you work in K-12 education, check out FACTS Giving — a brand-new, inexpensive fundraising platform — to increase donations, track goal progress, and easily rally your supporters.

That’s it. Now go out there and be a rock star!