The Ultimate Guide to Giving Tuesday 2024

Giving Tuesday 2024 is quickly approaching. After a year of new ideas, tech advances, and fundraising strategies, it’s valuable to catch up on the basics of Giving Tuesday and how to make the most of this season’s campaigns.

Get ready to dive into everything you need to know about:

• What is Giving Tuesday?
• When is Giving Tuesday 2024?
• What is the significance of Giving Tuesday?
• Trends shaping Giving Tuesday 2024
• How to attract Giving Tuesday 2024 donations

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What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a day of global generosity that starts the year-end holiday season with charitable giving. Led by the official GivingTuesday organization, nonprofit organizations, businesses, communities, and individuals come together to take action for causes.

The movement began in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City to encourage people to do good together.

Giving Tuesday 2024 participation can look like:

• Volunteering to support a nonprofit organization
• Making a monetary donation
• Making a physical donation (supplies, auction items, raffle prizes, technology)
• Fundraising within a community to raise money for a cause
• Advocating on social media and spreading the word about a cause
• Showcasing kindness to those in need
• Participating in a fundraising event

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When is Giving Tuesday 2024?

Giving Tuesday 2024 dates look slightly different than past years, landing on December 3 this year. It is always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, typically at the end of November or the beginning of December following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

The timing aligns with the holiday season of generosity and giving by encouraging a charitable donation as a part of that sentiment. Organizations worldwide can participate in Giving Tuesday to raise more and tap into an engaged audience of donors eager to play their part.

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What is the significance of Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday can bring attention and awareness from new supporters and support organizations to raise more in a single day than they may with a long-term campaign. That’s why nonprofits, corporate partners, and individuals join the movement and its potential to drive year-end fundraising goals.

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Giving Tuesday benefits for donors

• A sense of purpose: Donors are fulfilled when they contribute to causes they feel passionate about and become a part of the change they want to see.
• More impact: Between donation match opportunities and simple ways to donate, Giving Tuesday offers donors a way to see their donation go even further.
• Belonging and community: Giving Tuesday brings people together to foster new connections and a shared purpose among supporters and volunteers.
• An easy way to find new causes: The viral nature of #GivingTuesday on social media can help donors connect to new causes, organizations, and individuals fundraising for a reason they resonate with.
• Tax benefits: Last but not least, year-end contributions on Giving Tuesday lead to tax breaks and deductions for many people filing in the new year.

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Giving Tuesday benefits for nonprofits

• High visibility: Through their Giving Tuesday campaigns and engagement around the big day, nonprofits can reach more donors with a direct way to take action.
• Potential to raise more: When they land on a campaign or Giving Tuesday donation page, donors are already in the mindset of giving, leading to more opportunities to secure higher fundraising totals.
• A loyal community: As employees, volunteers, beneficiaries, and donors get to know one another on Giving Tuesday, their passion for a cause can grow and expand into year-round loyalty and recurring donations.
• A way to test new ideas: Giving Tuesday 2024 is a time to get creative with your theme and campaign ideas. Between supporter feedback and social media engagement, nonprofits can learn what resonates with their donor base.
• Fuel for year-end giving: Any relationships that form on Giving Tuesday can become an incredible audience to engage with a year-end fundraising campaign and holiday giving opportunities that help nonprofits reach their annual goals.

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Giving Tuesday results

With so many benefits for donors and nonprofits alike, Giving Tuesday is a fundraising day that moves missions forward in a big way. Here’s a look at the incredible results from the past few years to help us get excited about what’s to come.

• Giving Tuesday 2022 results: $3.1 billion raised worldwide, up by 25% from 2020

• Giving Tuesday 2023 results: Another incredible year of fundraising, maintaining another $3.1 billion raised 

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How did Giving Tuesday become a global movement?

What started in New York City quickly expanded to include a global network encompassing nearly 100 countries. Various nations even have custom social media hashtags to unite their people around the day, from #GivingTuesdayAUS in Australia to #MardiJeDonne in France.

The speed of information sharing and the reach of social media platforms, which allow campaigns to be launched to a worldwide audience in seconds, only grow the breadth of Giving Tuesday. Online fundraising capabilities and virtual events also help welcome people from anywhere across the globe to play a part in a nonprofit’s story. 

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Trends shaping Giving Tuesday 2024

Understanding Giving Tuesday’s history and growth can inform how nonprofits continue to rise to the occasion and launch strong and creative campaigns yearly to attract, engage, and retain donors. Below, we’ll look at a few key trends shaping Giving Tuesday 2024 and can guide you in developing highly effective fundraising strategies.

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Social campaigns

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Nearly three million Giving Tuesday social media posts on Instagram use the #GivingTuesday hashtag as more people turn to their phones first to discover new causes and feel connected. Social media naturally centers around community, making two people on different continents feel like best friends through regular story updates, posts, interactions, and direct messages.

Giving Tuesday 2024 will not just be about getting on social media for the big day but instead thinking ahead to awareness campaigns that live entirely on popular platforms and link to a mobile-friendly donation page.   

While emails and in-person interactions are always important, consider how to turn your Giving Tuesday narrative into a series of posts that begin a month before and continue engaging potential donors and loyal supporters as a strong community coming together for your cause.

A few ways nonprofits lean into the social aspect of Giving Tuesday include:

• Partnering with influencers to reach entirely new audiences with unique and engaging content
• Bringing donors behind the scenes of the mission to understand the work they’re making possible
• Hosting a challenge for supporters to invite them to take action and share their efforts with their networks directly
• Posting real-time updates and creative progression toward fundraising goals to recruit support when it's needed most to hit milestones

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Mobile-first giving

The reality of current giving behaviors and younger generations getting involved in Giving Tuesday is that mobile is a must. Still, there’s a difference between mobile-optimized and mobile-first donation experiences. 

Any obstacles, from an image that won’t load to text that’s hard to read, can cause someone to abandon a donation page before they can donate. It’s more important than ever to test your mobile giving experience, from finding a campaign link on social media or online to filling out the form and completing payment. 

The number of transactions completed through mobile devices has increased by 50% in recent years. The process of giving should be quick and straightforward yet offer some personalized aspects of storytelling or imagery that pull on the emotional appeal of a donation, too.

Mobile-first payment options can also support nonprofits fighting for attention during a holiday weekend's craziness. Think about how easy it is to pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay instead of trying to remember card numbers or waiting until you’re near your wallet.

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Next-level personalization 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere and is slowly becoming a norm for the modern transaction experience. While some variables can feel a little unknown or scary, donors are more drawn to personalization than ever before.

Giving Tuesday is when donors find new causes and have endless options in front of them, calling on their generosity. It makes a big difference when they feel like they’re not just another number on such a high-volume giving day and are valued for who they are in the big picture.

People will immediately flag generic email templates and robotic language. The best way to build trust and long-term relationships is to learn how to tailor your message, pull details from a donor management system, and maybe even try a few AI tools.

‍Boosting personalization with AI might look like:

• Turning to ChatGPT to create Giving Tuesday message versions with tailored tones, lengths, and formats to match social media channels or emails per donor segment
• Leveraging tools like Grammarly to sharpen writing skills
• Bringing your ideas to Canva and using its magic design functionality to present high-quality and on-brand visuals for your entire Giving Tuesday campaign or donation page

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Emphasis on community

Giving Tuesday has always been about community, but what that means is shifting. This year, donors want so much more than being a passive member of something greater or a one-time donation. 

People want to show their generosity and connect with the impact it will make. There’s also an increased interest in supporting organizations that align with a donor’s values, which is a beautiful opportunity to meet others who share those values.

Nonprofits should think about ways to engage donors as individuals and as a community that can unite around the cause. Whether it’s rallying fundraisers to attract more supporters that help them achieve Giving Tuesday goals or hosting events with a networking opportunity, retention is far easier to maintain with those who feel deeply engrained in a cause.

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Collaborations

Nonprofits have become smarter and more strategic year after year on Giving Tuesday, recognizing that extra resources and collaborations can make a big impact without having to do it all alone. Organizations and influencers are also looking for ways to align with charitable causes and use their networks to get involved.

Corporate partners can support nonprofits with donation matches to drive more impact, funding for significant events and campaigns, and workplace giving that introduces the cause to a vast network of employees and their friends and families. Corporations may also provide volunteers and resources to run a large-scale Giving Tuesday campaign.

Collaborating with social media influencers can yield more reach and marketing support for Giving Tuesday. Nonprofits can rely on influencers as a trusted source to share information online with their loyal audience. 

For both types of collaboration, nonprofits may create a unique donation page that is cobranded and tracks success to learn and grow from.

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Versatile fundraising technology

When it comes to fundraising software, innovation is on the side of nonprofits heading into 2024. More features are centered around a seamless donor experience, making it easier to create Giving Tuesday success with a lean team.

Launching various Giving Tuesday campaign types, sending emails to donors, managing donor information, and confirming that the process is tax-compliant from the robust fundraising platform are key. Disparate solutions can lead to a choppy experience for you and your donors, and there are so many ways to keep things simple.

Some fundraising features to look out for this Giving Tuesday:

• Raffle management 
• Customizable Giving Tuesday donation forms
• Peer-to-peer campaign management
• Donor management
• Tap to pay options 
• E-commerce tools
• Membership management
• 100% free (no transaction fees)
• Online forms for ticketing and events
• Unlimited customer service
• Top-rated security

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How to Attract Giving Tuesday 2024 Donations

Ready to create Giving Tuesday magic? We’ll leave you with a few tips to raise the most this Giving Tuesday with a campaign you can’t wait to launch.

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Campaign planning

There are so many campaign options for Giving Tuesday, so narrowing in on the types of campaigns you want to host and how many will help you maximize your potential. 

Giving Tuesday 2024 campaigns can look like:

• A straightforward Giving Tuesday donation page linked to a creative social media campaign
• A recurring donation campaign to secure loyal support year-round
• A campaign inviting supporters to a membership program
• A peer-to-peer fundraising campaign
• A crowdfunding campaign
• An eCommerce campaign selling merchandise
• A ticketed event, auction, or raffle to engage supporters 

You may host a few campaigns side by side for Giving Tuesday or choose to focus on one and give it your all. There’s no wrong answer, but knowing the type of campaign can help you bring your imagination to the table in the preparation stage.

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Campaign preparation 

Once you choose a campaign type, it’s time to set your goals based on past years or your fundraising analytics. Your goals can be related to dollars raised, including donor-acquired or engagement metrics showcasing growth.

It will help you lay out everything you’ll need to launch the campaign from the start, as well as determine roles, responsibilities, and milestones that will keep you on track.

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Promotion and awareness

We already touched on the importance of social media for Giving Tuesday 2024, and timing is another factor to plan for. The sooner you can announce your Giving Tuesday campaign or build excitement around a launch date, the more likely participation will be.

As donors receive so many emails and ads about sales heading into the Black Friday weekend, it’s helpful to see the value of getting your message out ahead of it all. In past years, it might have worked to launch a campaign the week before or days leading up to Giving Tuesday, but nonprofits will likely follow the lead of brands launching their promotions as early as October. 

Considering a pre-launch period and moving things up earlier can also help nonprofit teams fully focus on engagement during Giving Tuesday instead of putting together the final touches on a campaign. Don’t be afraid to send emails and build awareness in the months proceeding, as long as they have that personal touch that sparks relationships.

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Day-of engagement 

Giving Tuesday is known for the hype of watching global progress toward charitable giving increase minute-by-minute. There are more ways for donors to stay tuned on real-time updates; they’ll likely expect them from organizations they’re invested in.

It will be necessary to pre-plan the timing of updates and which milestones will be posted on various channels. Equally important will be keeping up with comments and messages on social media, emails, and phone lines, as donors may have questions or want a quick link to support.

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Appreciation and follow up

Retention is a huge focus for nonprofits as economic fluctuation and more options lead to donor churn. Maintaining a solid revenue stream will come from relationship building that must extend past Giving Tuesday.

As you think about your donors this year, it’s critical to have a plan in place for post-campaign nurture. Many nonprofits will bring their Giving Tuesday campaigns into the holidays, while others may have New Year plans that involve a lot of appreciation for supporters. 

It’s never too early to think about retaining donors so that they can return next Giving Tuesday and stay connected.

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Additional FAQ: Giving Tuesday 2024