Asked & Answered: Giving Tuesday Fundraising Tips

In 2024, Giving Tuesday supporters in the U.S. donated $3.6 billion in a single day, a 16% jump over the previous year. The awareness is there. And the opportunity is huge. But so is the competition.

We asked Heidi McMahon, FrontStream’s Director of Account Management and Professional Services, to share her Giving Tuesday playbook honed over 13 years advising thousands of nonprofits. Here are her top Giving Tuesday campaign tips.

1. Follow the Three S’s of Giving Tuesday

Heidi’s core advice? Simple. Story. Supporters.

Keep it simple.

Start with the basics: a clean donation page, a compelling email, and text messages if you can. Spend the vast majority of your time communicating with your supporters.

Tell your story.

The format of your Giving Tuesday campaign matters less than the “why.” Instead of calling it “Our Giving Tuesday Campaign,” connect it to the tangible impact of the gift:

• For example, “Fuel 1,000 School Breakfasts” is more motivating than a generic name.
• Highlight the urgency — after all, this is a "one-day" campaign! (More on that below.)
• And explain exactly how gifts will be used, such as “$25 provides 12 fruit bowls”.

Mobilize your supporters.

People give to people. Ask board members, top volunteers, and passionate donors to personally invite new supporters to your cause. Even a short Zoom briefing with your board can spark personal outreach that drives donations.

2. Get Creative With Your Campaign Format

A Giving Tuesday fundraiser doesn’t have to be “just” a donation page. Heidi has seen innovative ideas like:

• Peer-to-Peer Challenges: One university rallied its athletic teams to compete for donations, raising $150,000 in its first year.
• Auctions & Raffles: Offer game tickets, VIP experiences, or “intangibles” like a day of service.
• Volunteer or In-Kind Drives: Use the day to collect food, supplies, or volunteer commitments.
• Pay-It-Forward Campaigns: Encourage each donor to invite five friends to give.
• Virtual Games & Livestreams: Host a bingo night, fitness challenge, or live auction to engage donors in real time.

The key is to pick a concept that fits your mission — and then keep the mechanics easy.

3. Optimize Your Donation Page for Conversions

Once you’ve captured attention, make giving frictionless:

• Use suggested giving amounts with impact descriptions (“$50 provides a week of after-school snacks”).
• Enable Apple Pay or Google Pay for one-click mobile giving.
• Keep required fields to a minimum — every extra question lowers conversion rates.
• Choose a high-contrast donate button color to catch the eye.
• Always include a heartfelt thank-you page and email follow-up, ideally with an impact story or video.

4. Move Up Your Marketing Calendar

Don’t wait until Giving Tuesday morning to start the campaign. Instead, plan a full week of communications across social, email, and text:

• Monday/Tuesday of Thanksgiving week: Launch your donation page, announce the campaign, and share your goals.
• Black Friday & Cyber Monday: Nudge supporters to balance shopping with giving. 
• Giving Tuesday: Send at least two emails (morning launch + evening progress update), plus live social updates and donation thermometer posts.
• The Wednesday after: Share final results and invite “top-up” gifts from those who missed the big day.

If you have texting capabilities, many younger donors prefer a quick text to an email. It's also a great way to send fundraising progress updates and impact stories, so you're not just constantly appealing for donations.

5. Show Impact and Gratitude

Urgency drives action, but gratitude keeps donors coming back. Share updates during the day, celebrate milestones on social media, and send follow-up emails and texts with photos or video of the impact their gifts will create.

Want more Giving Tuesday campaign tips? Watch the Q&A replay 👉 Giving Tuesday Made Simple: A Nonprofit Prep Session >