How to Plan a Powerful Giving Tuesday Fundraiser
Giving Tuesday falls on November 29 and is one of the most important days of the year if you’re fundraising for a good cause —and a great time to start a GoFundMe fundraiser.
Started in 2012, it’s a day of widespread giving designed to kick off the holiday season on a less commercial note than the consumer fest that is Black Friday.
Online fundraising on Giving Tuesday
In the years since its founding, we’ve seen a lot of crowdfunding done on GoFundMe in connection with Giving Tuesday. It makes sense—people use our crowdfunding platform to raise funds for personal, medical, and charitable causes, and we have a 0% platform fee for organizers.
If you’re wondering how to get rolling with a Giving Tuesday campaign, it’s as simple as starting a fundraiser for the cause of your choice.
Determine your approach
For Giving Tuesday, people often raise funds for something they plan to do themselves (such as delivering meals to people in need) or to give to an organisation already doing charity work (for example, Cancer Research or the Trussell Trust). Alternately, you might decide to promote your fundraiser for yourself or a loved one in conjunction with this day of giving. The approach you take will vary depending on which of these camps you fall into.
- If you’re running a fundraiser for an action you plan to take, say deliver meals to people in need or to organise a playground cleanup, be very clear about exactly how the funds you raise will be used. Unlike known charity organisations with established reputations, which people already trust, you’ll need to inspire trust in potential donors. A few simple ideas to build trust are being vulnerable by telling a personal story that connects you to your cause or by matching donations to your cause. Make sure to explain how you’ll keep covid-19 secure too!
- If your Giving Tuesday fundraiser plan is to raise money to donate to a well-known organisation, then the focus of your donation page shifts away from legitimising your effort and toward revealing your personal investment in the cause. Why is this particular need important to you? Make a clear and compelling case to inspire donations. Try to play off of the cause when thinking of fundraising ideas. For example, if you’re raising funds for an animal shelter, consider hosting a dog wash.
- If your Giving Tuesday fundraiser is to raise money for yourself or a loved one, think about how you might tie it to an event, online or in person, on that day. Examples might include issuing a “local challenge” such as running around a landmark, or promoting a 24-hour “mini-goal” for donations within a larger fundraiser for a loved one fighting cancer.
Best practices for a Giving Tuesday fundraiser
If you’ve never run a crowdfunding fundraiser before, here are some guidelines for crafting a successful Giving Tuesday fundraiser.
Assemble your team
We recommend teaming up with others—friends, family, anyone you know who shares a passion for your cause. Fundraising is more fun when you aren’t overburdened and can divide tasks like posting updates and writing thank-yous among your team. Also, when it comes time to share your fundraiser, you’ll have far more reach with your combined social networks. Read our guide How to Build a Winning Fundraising Team.
Tell your story with images
One way to do that is to use photos and videos, which are a great way to tell your story honestly while adding legitimacy and interest. For more tips on telling your story effectively, see our post Writing Your Fundraiser Story: A Comprehensive Guide.
Keep donors posted with updates
As with any fundraiser, it’s important to post frequent fundraiser updates to make donors part of the story. Show what their donations means to you and to the beneficiaries, and you keep people connected to your fundraiser. You’re also more likely to inspire repeat donations and shares—including shares related to #GivingTuesday.
Create a fundraiser hashtag
Speaking of hashtags, consider creating one for your fundraiser, then pair it with #GivingTuesday when you share it socially. Hashtags help other people find your fundraiser and link to it.
Express your thanks
Last but definitely not least, don’t forget to thank your donors. If people feel good about the contribution they made this year, chances are lots of them will be ready to donate again.
Giving Tuesday fundraising ideas
If you want to add even more fuel to your Giving Tuesday fundraising fire, consider these proven methods for raising funds:
1. Spark interest with a challenge
If there’s a cause you care about, issue a challenge to like-minded people to start a similar fundraiser in their area. A great example of this is the #BlackPantherChallenge started by Frederick Joseph. Once his fundraiser Help Children See “Black Panther” took off, he challenged others to follow suit and ended up starting a movement.
2. Raise funds at work
Start a fundraising challenge at your workplace with a virtual fundrraiser.
3. Use your social network
Start a social media contest and support it with other social media fundraising tools. This can be especially effective if you’ve teamed up with others and can tap into your combined social media networks to spread the word.
4. Go viral
Boost the exposure of your Giving Tuesday fundraiser with these viral fundraising ideas and tips for building awareness of your cause.
Start your Giving Tuesday fundraiser now
Whatever ideas you use to make your Giving Tuesday fundraiser success, their methods should reinforce each other and connect back to your cause in a way that feels right. We’re here to support you every step of the way with tips and ideas.
Giving Tuesday is only once a year. Dive in, get friends onboard, and make it happen.