How to Tie In Giving Tuesday to Your Fundraising Efforts

Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is an international day of philanthropy, and for many charities, serves as the informal “kick-off” to their holiday giving campaigns. In 2017, over $300 million was raised online and 2.5 million people worldwide participated by making a gift.   

The official Giving Tuesday website provides some examples of how local nonprofits used Giving Tuesday to successfully raise funds. For Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies, Giving Tuesday represents a wonderful opportunity to reach out to parents and others in the community to raise awareness of the many services you provide beyond referrals.  

Giving Tuesday Email Ideas

You can use the template below to email your community and possible funders:

In 2017, (your agency) ___connected over _____ families with child care. But we do so much more. We provided training to (number) ____ providers on topics like outdoor play, child nutrition, and preparing for emergencies.  We’re also speaking out in our state capital for more public investment in child care.  But we can’t do it alone. We rely on private contributions for over __% of our budget. Your support can help us not only continue this work but make progress. This Giving Tuesday, consider a gift to (your agency). Your support makes a difference. Thank you!

You may consider your “ask” to be for a specific purpose such as toys or educational supplies for providers working with low-income children for your state advocacy day. For instance:

Your voice helped make a difference this year for child care in (your state). This Giving Tuesday, help us lay the groundwork for a successful 2019 and our work with newly elected officials by making a gift to ____________.  Your financial support will help with transportation and other costs tied to our 2019 State Advocacy Day, so we can have our largest crowd ever. Thank you!  

Other Online Ideas

Besides the email example above, you can also try using these online tips to support your Giving Tuesday campaign.

• Create a link back to your donor page or use Facebook to collect donations. (Did you know that in support of Giving Tuesday, Facebook is partnering with PayPal to match up to $7 million in donations made on Facebook on November 27 to eligible US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits? Learn more here!)
• Add the Giving Tuesday logo to the homepage of your website. Make sure the logo is linked to your donation form so that visitors can easily make a donation.
• Recognize the impact of social media. You can add the Giving Tuesday logo (Or copy the logo above) social media.  There’s even a Facebook frame you can use to surround a photo of your choice.

Be sure to end your ask by posting a social media message on “Thank you Wednesday” (November 28) thanking donors for their support. You may even want to mention how much you raised and what you’ll be able to do with this funding.

One important thing to keep in mind is that there will be thousands of other organizations participating in Giving Tuesday. How can you stand out?