5 Alternatives to Help Your Nonprofit on #GivingTuesday

Unless you’re living under a rock (or very new to fundraising), it’s likely you’re aware of #GivingTuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving). It’s a play on #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday.

By this point, I hope you’ve gotten your #GivingTuesday plans in order.

First, Consider Your #GivingTuesday Emails

If you are planning to participate, give some thought to how you’ll stand out amidst the flood of typical #GivingTuesday emails.

When crafting your email subject lines, remember most organizations participating in #GivingTuesday will be promoting some sort of match. If this is the key motivational plan for your campaign, you’ll be one of the thousands promoting a match.

TIP: Tweak Your Subject Lines

Additionally, a huge number of email subject lines will contain #GivingTuesday. I can’t think of a faster signal to delete that email. So if you’re planning a #GivingTuesday campaign, I hope you’ve got some enticing subject lines in mind — all having to do with your mission.

There’s still time to do them better, so go ahead and do a quick Google search for how to write a great subject line, and run your current subject lines through ChatGPT, prompting it to improve them for increased open rates.

5 #GivingTuesday Alternatives for Your Nonprofit

If you really want to stand out from the crowd or if you haven’t started to prepare for #GivingTuesday, here are 5 alternatives to the standard #GivingTuesday campaign.

1. Start Your Campaign on #BlackFriday

In an annual NY Times article — Choose a Gift that Changes Lives — Nicholas Kristof writes about giving to charity instead of buying typical gifts. You might encourage your supporters to make a donation in lieu of other types of gifts this year. A great example is the Heifer Holiday Gift Guide.

2. #ThanksgivingTuesday

Instead of asking for gifts on #GivingTuesday, take the opportunity to thank your donors. This idea has been circulating for several years, so we’ll see how many organizations run with it. Use the day to host a thank-a-thon in writing, over the phone, and even by video. Try to make each thank-you specific and personal.

3. Countdown to Year-End

While some organizations do raise lots of money on #GivingTuesday, unless you have email addresses and a long list of donors, as well as a well planned campaign, it’s unlikely you’ll raise more than a few dollars. Instead, use the time to make a plan for the rest of the year. There are five more weeks until year-end. Use them wisely to create connections with your best donors.

4. Test Your Systems

If you’re not planning a special effort for #GivingTuesday (or even if you are), you may want to take the day to test your systems, assuming you’ve not already done so this year.

Go online and make a gift to your organization. Then evaluate the process:

• Is it easy to do?
• Does the thank you email look the way it should?
• Does the donation get entered into your donor database?
• If you choose making a monthly gift, does it go as planned?
• Does your site encourage donors to make a monthly gift?
• What needs fixing before year-end giving?

5. Commit to Doing Better Next Year

When all else fails, you can always commit now to doing better fundraising next year. Start by signing up for Mastering Major Gifts, so you’re prepared to raise major gifts all year long and aren’t so stressed when #GivingTuesday rolls around.

And, if you’re not already an active member of AFP, go ahead and join now. I credit AFP with giving me all the basic fundraising knowledge and colleagues I needed for a successful career in development.

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Whatever your #GivingTuesday plans are, I hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving.