A quick guide to GivingTuesday communications for nonprofits + Email templates included!

‍GivingTuesday is an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate radical generosity around the world. And, even though GivingTuesday happens on the same day every year (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States), it always seems to sneak up on us.

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- GivingTuesday email and social media communication strategy 

    - Before getting started… 

    - A nonprofit-friendly email strategy for GivingTuesday

    - A nonprofit’s guide to social media on GivingTuesday

- GivingTuesday email templates for nonprofits

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Simplify your nonprofit’s GivingTuesday email and social media communication strategy.

There are a lot of Giving Tuesday resources available online. And, even though that can be a helpful thing, it can also be difficult to cut through the clutter and figure out exactly what will work best for your nonprofit.

We know that you may not have the time and resources to spend days planning your next Giving Tuesday communication strategy, so we decided to help out with a bit of advice that will help you meet your fundraising goals.

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Before getting started with your Giving Tuesday email and social media strategy 

Before you jump into strategizing your Giving Tuesday email and social media communication plan, there are a few things you should keep in mind that will help you attract and retain your donors.

Collect a few stories about your nonprofit.

Think about some of the reasons why donors—both new and recurring—might give to your cause. It’s pretty likely that a lot of those reasons overlap with why you care deeply about your nonprofit’s mission.

You can encourage people to donate by telling stories about the good your nonprofit does. Ask your team members, volunteers, and those who have benefited from your work.

Sharing testimonials of how your cause has impacted the lives of others will likely draw more donors in. People want to know how their money is being used and the best way to show them is by telling the stories of your organization’s impact.

Make sure your nonprofit’s brand pops.

With all of the organizations that will be promoting their causes on Giving Tuesday, you will want to stand out from the crowd. The best way to do this is by using strong, consistent visuals that will make your nonprofit pop. Be sure to include both your logo and the Giving Tuesday logo to signify to supporters that your organization is participating in the event!

For more inspiration or to see Giving Tuesday visuals that your organization can repurpose, check out these examples from Zeffy!

Make sure your nonprofit’s website and fundraising forms are working.

Before you launch your nonprofit’s Giving Tuesday campaign, be sure to run a quick tech check to make sure your organization’s website and fundraising forms are up and running.

If you need any help preparing your Zeffy-powered Giving Tuesday campaign, check out our Help Center or contact our customer support team. We’re always happy to help!

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A nonprofit-friendly email strategy for GivingTuesday.

Timing your nonprofit’s emails.

A big part of a successful Giving Tuesday email strategy is planning when you will send out your communications.

While you want to get the word out about your nonprofit’s Giving Tuesday campaign, you also want to respect that people are already having their inboxes inundated with other emails. So, start by taking a look at the emails you are already sending and go from there.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Can you add your Giving Tuesday message to an existing newsletter or email?
• Keep it simple. Send out an email a month or two (depending on the complexity of your event), a week, and a day before Giving Tuesday.
• Remember to follow up after Giving Tuesday with a thank you email letting donors know how it all went.

What should go in the emails your nonprofit sends?

What you put inside your Giving Tuesday emails is just as important as when you send them. You can break your content into three categories:

• A friendly reminder.
• The call for donations.
• The VERY important thank you.

Your first email should be a reminder + information email.

Send a reminder email a month or two before Giving Tuesday to prepare donors for your campaign or fundraising event.

• Include images of last years event.
• Remind people how last year went and what was accomplished.
• Let them know what you’re planning this year.
• If you’re hosting an event or peer-to-peer campaign, make sure to include a clear call-to-action that donors can click on and share.

The second email should be a short heads-up.

Send another reminder email a week or so before Giving Tuesday. November is a busy time for a lot of people and a quick reminder won’t hurt!

• Remind them what’s happening this year.
• If you’re hosting an event or peer-to-peer campaign, make sure to include a clear call-to-action that donors can click on and share.

Send a third email the morning of.

On the day of the event, send an email with any additional info. and a clear call to action to encourage donations.

• Any event information, such as time, what to bring, etc.
• Any directions, addresses, etc.
• A clear call to action to encourage donations.

Finally, after the event is over, be sure to thank your donors.

Saying thank you is a great way to engage donors, volunteers, and team members.

Encourage donors to open your emails with a clear and clever subject line and pre-header

Two details that are easy to overlook when you’re writing your Giving Tuesday emails (or any emails for that matter) are the subject line and pre-header.

Your subject line should make it clear who the email is coming from and grab the donor’s attention right away. If it doesn’t, they may not even open your email. Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing:

• GivingTuesday is coming and [nonprofit’s name] needs you!
• This GivingTuesday, [nonprofit’s name] needs your help.
• [Nonprofit’s name]’s [event name] is back for GivingTuesday [year].
• Giving Tuesday is a month away. Have you signed up for [event name]?

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A nonprofit’s guide to social media on GivingTuesday.

If there is one thing that changes almost every year, it’s what is possible on social media. So, we won’t get into too many details here. But, let’s take a look at some big-picture approaches your nonprofit can take to stand out on social media during Giving Tuesday.

Use the platforms your nonprofit is already on.

There are so many social media platforms out there these days—and they’re always introducing new features. Whether it’s via images on Instagram, video on TikTok, short blurbs on Twitter (Do we call it “X”, now?), or a combination on LinkedIn and Facebook, there are more than a few ways to get your message out there.

So, rather than trying to spread your resources thin by promoting your Giving Tuesday campaign or fundraising event on all of them, choose the platforms your organization currently has. Look at your followers, where they are active, what creative resources you have (images, video, copy, etc.), and the skills of your team members.

Make your nonprofit’s content shareable.

One of the things people like most about Giving Tuesday is the ability to easily share their impact with friends, family, and colleagues via outlets like social media. People want to be able to share that they took part, and that they helped your cause.

Not only does it feel gratifying for them to give back to a cause they care about, but the fact that they choose to support your cause in particular also says something unique about their personality and interests. Plus, nothing encourages people to be radically generous like the people they know and like being radically generous.

That means it’s important to make sure that the promotional content that you share on social media is shareable. The more your current network of supporters shares the content, the more chances you have to widen your Giving Tuesday online presence.

Keep your nonprofit engaged with your followers.

Be sure to designate a volunteer or team member to respond to comments and messages on social media before, during, and after Giving Tuesday.

Engaging with your supporters will be key to encouraging donations, making sure the information gets out there, and just generally getting people to participate.

Many people will see your social media channel(s) as a way to reach your organization quickly and directly, so be sure to prepare for whatever messages may come your way.

Some FAQs from donors on Giving Tuesday:

• How do I give?
• How do I register?
• Where is the event? What time should I show up?
• Do I need to buy tickets?
• What can I do to help?
• Can I bring a friend?
• What will you do with the money I donate?

Your nonprofit can and should use GivingTuesday’s official hashtag. (#GivingTuesday)

This will probably come as no surprise, but Giving Tuesday does have an official hashtag! Well, two.

• #GivingTuesday
• #GivingTuesday[Year]

So, don’t be shy! Boost engagement by using official hashtags. The GivingTuesday hashtags get billions of social media impressions every year. Make sure your organization’s campaign is among them!

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Giving Tuesday email templates for nonprofits.

We won’t get to carried away here. All we will say is that we whipped up some GivingTuesday email templates (in English) to help your nonprofit get started. Remember to add a visual element or two.

Oh, and you can find our thank you letter templates here.