How to Improve Your School’s GivingTuesday Campaign

This post was originally published in September 2022 and was updated in October 2024. 

It’s that time of year again: GivingTuesday is just around the corner, and nonprofit organizations are preparing for the biggest fundraising day of the year. Since 2012, GivingTuesday has occurred on the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, reminding individuals to embrace generosity amid the holiday shopping frenzy. In 2023, GivingTuesday raised over $3.1 billion in the U.S. alone.  

Online social fundraising continues to be a powerful force for educational institutions, as K-12 schools, colleges, and universities leverage platforms like GiveCampus to engage donors and build communities of support. During last year’s GivingTuesday, GiveCampus Partners collectively raised $25.1 million—an impressive feat that exceeded the previous year’s total by nearly $7 million.

As the holiday season once again approaches, many of you may be wondering how to create a GivingTuesday campaign that is meaningful, memorable, and successful. With so many nonprofits seeking donations on the same day, GivingTuesday can feel crowded and a bit intimidating. Fortunately, we’ve compiled some tips to help you distinguish your campaign, expand your reach, and maximize your impact. Read on to learn how to make the most of this powerful day of giving.

Start Early

Your community won’t show up for your campaign if you don’t get the word out early. You might think that sending an email and posting on social media the day of is enough to engage donors but sadly, it’s not that easy. The most successful GivingTuesday campaigns result from early planning, a defined purpose and goals, and a well-conceived promotional strategy. The best time to begin planning for your campaign is in September and October when you can take the time to identify prospective donors, prepare relevant content, schedule timely communications, engage advocates, and more. Once the big day rolls around you’ll be ready to rise above the noise.

Clarify Your Purpose

The purpose of your campaign goes beyond simply setting financial or participation goals—it defines the deeper “why” that motivates your community to give. While your campaign goal centers on measurable outcomes, such as the number of donors or total dollars raised, the purpose focuses on the impact these contributions will make (e.g., funding scholarships, enhancing student programs, or upgrading campus facilities).

Before setting specific goals, take a step back to identify the cause or initiative that will resonate most with your supporters. A well-defined purpose provides focus for your messaging, helping you build a campaign theme that aligns with your institution’s values and mission. Crafting a clear, emotionally compelling message around this purpose will make it easier to engage donors and inspire action.

Define Your Audience

The earlier you can identify your target audience, the better. Think about who in your community might support this specific initiative (e.g., parents, young alumni, staff, local businesses, etc.). Defining your audience will not only help you to compile the data you need for outreach, but it will make it easier for you to segment your messaging in the most strategic way. You should also start recruiting advocates from the key segments of your target audience so you can effectively leverage peer-to-peer and social fundraising. Why? A peer-to-peer ask is 300x more effective than an institutional ask, and can help to expand your reach exponentially.

BLOG: Donor Segmentation Strategies

Set Your Goals

Your campaign goals should strike a balance—they should feel ambitious enough to motivate donors, but still be achievable. A well-defined goal creates urgency, helping to sustain momentum and ensuring consistency in your messaging as you push toward (and hopefully exceed) your target.

Since GivingTuesday is the most competitive fundraising day of the year, it’s important to set realistic expectations based on your institution’s capacity and donor history. Take the timing and duration of your campaign into account as well. While many schools run their campaigns exclusively on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, others opt for a more extended approach, launching weeks or even months in advance. Some institutions continue fundraising well beyond GivingTuesday, leveraging the momentum to carry them through the holiday season or until they meet a specific challenge or matching threshold.

Expanding the campaign timeline can increase engagement opportunities, giving you more flexibility to cultivate excitement, highlight early successes, and tap into donors who might need extra time or reminders to participate. Whether your campaign is short and focused or extended for maximum reach, aligning your goals with your timeline will help you make the most of this high-impact fundraising opportunity.

BLOG: How to Set SMART Fundraising Goals

Develop a Social Media Plan and Choose Your Preferred Communication Channels

Decide which communication channels (email, video, texting, calling) and social platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok) you’ll use to promote your campaign. You want to reach donors where they are, so your outreach strategy should align with your target audience (think TikTok and Instagram for students and LinkedIn for young alumni).

It’s important to brainstorm all of the possible ways you want to communicate with constituents early in the process so you can create channel-appropriate content ahead of time. You should prepare customizable email templates, short video content, social shares, and more so that once you launch your campaign you and your advocates can hit the ground running.

BLOG: How to Create a Social Media Toolkit for Your Campaign

It should be noted, GivingTuesday is an especially noisy day. So, you’ll need to get creative with your tactics. Donors will likely receive dozens of emails from other non-profits on GivingTuesday, so a crowded inbox may not be the best channel for your message. Social media, on the other hand, may be a better outlet. Schools often have a strong following on social networks and that’s a unique advantage you will want to leverage, especially for peer-to-peer outreach. Be sure that with whatever content you promote, you include easy-to-follow steps for how to donate, to make the giving process as smooth as possible.

Set a Cadence for Communications

With so many organizations competing for attention on GivingTuesday, it’s essential to reach your donors early to ensure your message isn’t lost in the noise. Begin building awareness at least a month in advance to plant the idea of giving before donors are overwhelmed with other appeals. Whether your campaign runs exclusively on GivingTuesday or extends beyond it, consistent early outreach helps position your cause at the forefront of your supporters’ minds.

Keep donors engaged with periodic updates throughout November, ramping up the frequency as GivingTuesday approaches. A strategic mix of reminders, impact stories, and donor testimonials can build excitement and inspire action. Sending well-timed communications is key to staying top-of-mind and nudging supporters to follow through on their intentions to give.

With GC Outreach, one of the latest GiveCampus solutions, crafting these messages becomes more efficient and creative. You can build email content from scratch, use pre-built templates, or leverage generative AI specifically designed for educational fundraising. This AI draws from your existing campaign and event data already stored in GiveCampus, instantly generating personalized and targeted outreach. Whether you need early awareness emails or last-minute reminders, GC Outreach saves time while helping you create compelling, data-driven GivingTuesday content that resonates with donors. 

Learn more about GC Outreach

Make it Easy For Donors to Give

After all the planning and effort that goes into creating a successful GivingTuesday campaign, the last thing you want is to lose donors at the finish line. That’s why it’s critical to make the giving process as simple, seamless, and enjoyable as possible.

At GiveCampus, our online giving solutions are designed to meet donors where they are and enhance their experience from start to finish. Our team of engineers rigorously A/B tests every element—forms, buttons, checkboxes, and more—to streamline the process and shave off valuable seconds, ensuring that nothing stands in the way of generosity. With a mobile-first approach, we optimize every interaction so donors can give effortlessly, whether they’re at their desks or on the go.

Beyond online giving, the GiveCampus platform includes a comprehensive suite of solutions to help you achieve success on GivingTuesday and beyond. With GiveCampus, you can also text your constituents, send them personalized videos, and tap volunteers to carry out peer-to-peer outreach by email, text, phone, or social media. These are just a few of the ways you can leverage GiveCampus to maximize your impact.

If you’re ready to elevate your GivingTuesday campaign and create a better experience for your donors, schedule a demo today and see how GiveCampus can help you achieve your goals.