8 Best Giving Tuesday Ideas for Your Next Big Fundraiser

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With Giving Tuesday just around the corner, the possibilities for success are endless – and we’re here to help you with Giving Tuesday ideas.

But before that, let’s know what Giving Tuesday actually means.

GivingTuesday (often stylized as #GivingTuesday) is observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the United States and has evolved into a global movement that encourages individuals and organizations to give back.Launched in 2012 by Henry Timms at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Giving Tuesday has evolved into a global movement of generosity.

In 2024, Giving Tuesday campaigns raised about $3.6 billion in the U.S.—a 16% increase from 2023. This year, that number is predicted to rise to $4.01 billion.

With record growth in participation and donor activity, you’ll need an updated strategy and fresh ideas to reach your full potential—and we’re here to help you get there.

Is Giving Tuesday campaign for you?

Before jumping into campaign ideas, it’s worth asking whether the Giving Tuesday campaign aligns with your organization or not. Here’s how to assess that:

1. How do you measure your goals

If your organization tracks clear outcomes—like:

The number of new donors acquired
Total funds raised
Volunteer sign-ups

Giving Tuesday can serve as a focused, measurable event to test what drives results.

Tip: If your main fundraising focus is year-end giving, a Giving Tuesday campaign can act as a momentum builder—a timely push that boosts visibility and warms up your audience for your larger December goals.

2. How your audience and donors are engaged

Consider how active your audience is.
Do you already have an email list, phone contacts, or a social following that responds to your outreach?
If so, Giving Tuesday is a perfect activation moment—your supporters are already primed, and you can use the day to reignite their excitement.

On the other hand, if the engagement is low, Giving Tuesday can still serve as an entry point. Here, use smaller calls-to-action like:

Pledges
Shares
Micro-donations to re-engage your base.

3. Your budget

A successful Giving Tuesday campaign needs three main things:

Staff/volunteers to plan, promote, and manage communications.
Creative assets (graphics, videos, or stories) to make your appeal compelling.
Digital tools, like CallHub, for outreach, tracking, and help to find volunteers, too.

Alright, now we need a giving Thursday campaign, but how can we make it fully effective? Let’s see that

How to benefit from Giving Tuesday

Here are strategic tips to maximise the opportunity—before we dive into the specific ideas:

1. Have a fundraising goal: Giving Tuesday ideas

There are primarily two reasons why all your Giving Tuesday ideas are incomplete without a goal:

Studies show that having a defined goal to reach motivates people more effectively and leads to improved performance.
The goal proximity effect comes into play when you’re closer to your goal.. People are more likely to donate to reach a set target rather than a vague number.

Here’s an example of Charity: Water using it in their emails.

Tip: Set a fundraising goal for your Giving Tuesday campaign based on your performance in the previous years.
For instance, if you raised $10,000 in 2021, you can set a target of $15,500 (approximately a 30% increase from last year). The target is slightly more ambitious than your current growth trend, but not too much to seem impossible.

3. Have a dedicated landing page: Giving Tuesday ideas

When you launch your Giving Tuesday campaign, having a campaign-specific landing page makes it easy to do two things:

Promote your campaign: Regardless of the channel, share the link to this landing page, which contains all the relevant information and call-to-action buttons.
Attribute the funds to your Giving Tuesday campaign. This will help you track the success of your campaign.

Here’s an example of Volunteer New York implementing this Giving Tuesday idea.

Small tip: With tools like Unbounce and Instapage, building a landing page is extremely easy.

3. Show your progress with a thermometer.

The fundraising thermometer is a classic feature for your Giving Tuesday campaign. It visually represents the campaign goal and the progress you’re making. Humans are visual creatures who process images faster than text. The fundraising thermometer:

Provides people with visual confirmation of the work (i.e., funds being raised).
It also induces the goal proximity effect, compelling more people to donate.

You can add the thermometer to your Giving Tuesday landing page and even share it on social media whenever you make significant progress.

Here’s an example of Joya Scholars using a fundraising thermometer for their Giving Tuesday campaign.

4. Create a calendar event for the campaign: Giving Tuesday ideas

Among all the hype of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc., there’s a good chance some people might miss out when your Giving Tuesday campaign goes live, which could lose potential donors.

Businesses often send Cyber Monday and Black Friday texts and emails to remind people. You can do something similar: send people a calendar invite and get them to block their calendars for the day. Your calendar invite should include:

Link to the campaign landing page.
Specific instructions for the campaign (different options to give, how to give, etc.). Keep the instructions concise and link out to resources in the invite.

You can send these invitations via email, text, or even follow up with a text after a call. Adding it to your email signature is also a good idea.

With an invitation, people automatically receive a reminder on the day of the campaign, which can prompt them to act.

5. Include donor stories in your emails: Giving Tuesday ideas

Most Giving Tuesday campaigns focus on beneficiary stories — and that’s great for inspiring empathy. Adding these donor stories to your messaging or campaign strategy can be powerful.

When supporters read about why other donors chose to give, it creates a sense of community and positive social pressure that nudges them to act.

Here’s how you can use this idea effectively:

Share short donor spotlights or quotes in your pre-Giving Tuesday emails.
Send a follow-up on Giving Tuesday featuring a donor story to inspire last-minute gifts.
Highlight what motivated the donor (“I give because…”), how they felt, and what impact they saw.

Source: Good Shephard Center.

The #UNselfie campaign had donors post such stories on their social handles to raise awareness. You could repurpose these stories (with their permission) in your emails, too.

6. Use telephone fundraising for high-value donors: Giving Tuesday ideas

The Giving Tuesday data commons suggests that one of the most effective strategies for nonprofits is to focus on recapturing recently lapsed but previously engaged donors.

Personal outreach — especially via phone — is key here. Speaking directly with donors allows you to express genuine appreciation, share updates, and remind them of their past impact. That human touch helps strengthen relationships and often leads to renewed giving.

To make this work:

Identify your high-value or previously active donors.
Reach out personally via call or text to thank them and invite them to participate in your Giving Tuesday initiative.
Use a friendly, conversational script that feels like a genuine check-in, not a solicitation

8 Giving Tuesday Ideas for 2025

Ready to inspire generosity? Use these actionable ideas—adapted for 2025, each with a practical ‘how-to’—so you can move fast and maximize results:

1. Peer-to-peer fundraisers – Giving Tuesday ideas

One of The GivingTuesday Data Commons’ recommendations for nonprofit fundraising is to keep donors engaged and closely involved with your organization.

Here’s what you need to do to organize peer-to-peer fundraisers:

Encourage supporters to set up their own donation pages and fundraise within their networks.
Offer them branding assets, sample messages, and leaderboards for healthy competition.

2. Pledge campaigns – Giving Tuesday ideas

Want to keep things entertaining and create hype around your Giving Tuesday campaign? Engage your audience with creative Giving Tuesday ideas, such as pledge campaigns. Psychological theories propose that people are more likely to follow through on their intentions when they make pledges in specific situations.

Here is how you can do it:

Set up a landing page to collect pledges for Giving Tuesday.
Use tools like CallHub to promote your pledge campaign through personalized text messages and follow-up calls, ensuring your prospects stay engaged well before Giving Tuesday
Start collecting pledges before Giving Tuesday so that prospects can commit to volunteering, donating, or fundraising.
Send reminders and follow-up texts for pledges fulfilled on the big day.

3. Wish-list campaign: Giving Tuesday ideas

Instead of purely monetary asks, highlight items you need. For example, list the equipment or goods your organisation needs and let donors purchase them directly or make a donation. Wish list campaigns can be highly effective because:

They clearly show donors precisely how the funds are being used.
It provides donors with greater flexibility in terms of donation amounts.

Here’s an example of a Wish List on Amazon created by City Wildlife, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization.

As in the example, a quick tip to enhance this Giving Tuesday idea would be to add comments that specify why you need the item and how many you currently have (and how many you need).

4. Virtual event fundraiser: Giving Tuesday ideas

Host a live or pre-recorded virtual event linked to your campaign. Registrants tune in, you engage, and you ask for donations either live or via embedded forms. Lower infrastructure cost, higher potential reach.

Here’s a brief on how you can do that:

Choose a tool to stream a live or pre-recorded video of the event.
Promote the event like your regular event to collect registrations.
Send reminders to registrants a day before the event and even a few minutes before going live.
Host your virtual event, send a link (or add a call-to-action button) to the donation form, and collect donations online.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary used this Giving Tuesday idea in 2020. It hosted a virtual event using Periscope and raised over $250,000. Here’s a sneak peek of the event.

5. Merchandise-selling fundraisers: Giving Tuesday ideas

Selling branded merchandise is an effective way for nonprofits to boost their fundraising efforts on Giving Tuesday. The tangible item they receive in return for their gift acts as a donation incentive, increasing the likelihood of people donating.

Here’s a shorter, more concise version of those pointers:

Choose branded merchandise to sell (e.g., T-shirts, mugs, or accessories).
Partner with local businesses or use platforms like Bonfire or Custom Ink.
Set up an online store.
Promote your fundraiser using outreach tools like CallHub via calls/texts and start raising funds.

Here’s an example of a T-shirt fundraiser organized by Marquette University for Giving Tuesday.

6. Matching gifts: Giving Tuesday ideas

Leverage employer matching programs or corporate sponsors so that every dollar donated is matched 1:1 (or higher). This boosts donation behavior — e.g., 84% of donors say they give more if matching is offered.

Here’s a concise version of those steps:

Create a landing page outlining your Giving Tuesday matching gift program and submission guidelines.
Embed a matching gift search tool on the donation form to help donors find their employers’ programs.
Promote the campaign across multiple channels to maximise participation.

7. Silent auction: Giving Tuesday ideas

Organise a silent auction (online) where donors bid on prizes or experiences. You can partner with local businesses, influencers, or donors to provide items.

Here is how you can do it:

List rewards – Gather exciting items or experiences from local partners and supporters.
Pick a platform – Use a tool like OneCause to host listings and collect bids.
Promote & register – Create a landing page with event details and a sign-up form.
Drive participation with CallHub – Send targeted texts, voice broadcasts, or reminder calls to invite supporters and boost bidding activity.

Shoosmiths is famous for its Giving Tuesday silent auctions. Last year, they raised over £24,000 for 12 charities.

8. Influencer marketing: Giving Tuesday ideas

Partner with influencers (not necessarily large celebrities) who resonate with your cause. Ask them to promote your campaign, demonstrate giving, or host their own mini-fundraiser for your org.

Here’s an example of an influencer promoting a Giving Tuesday campaign with Telus.

Giving Tuesday ideas timeline

A successful Giving Tuesday campaign starts weeks before the day of giving. Here’s a detailed timeline for you:

Timeline	Action steps	Key goals
1st week of november	1. Review last year’s Giving Tuesday performance. 2. Set measurable fundraising goals for 2025. 3. Brainstorm creative ideas (peer-to-peer campaigns, wish lists, etc.). 4. Identify potential influencers, ambassadors & partner organizations.	Learn from past success and build a strong campaign foundation
2nd week of november	1. Launch your Giving Tuesday landing page. 2. Announce your campaign on email, social media & website. 3. Start collecting pledges and volunteer sign-ups	Generate early awareness and momentum.
3rd week of November	1. Send “Save the Date” calendar invites to your list. 2. Coordinate matching gifts, partnerships, and auction logistics. 3. Activate peer fundraisers with toolkits and clear goals	Mobilize supporters and secure major gifts
4th Week of November	1. Test your donation forms and mobile experience. 2. Schedule reminder emails, social posts, and live event plans. 3. Warm up lapsed donors and re-engage previous supporters	Ensure all systems are ready before launch.
Giving Tuesday (December 2, 2025)	1. Go live with all activities. 2. Host virtual or in-person events. 3. Share real-time updates (thermometer, leaderboards). 4. Personalize outreach to major donors.	Drive donations and engagement throughout the day.
After Giving Tuesday(Dec 2nd week)	1. Send personalized thank-you messages featuring donor stories. 2. Share campaign impact and next steps. 3. Invite new supporters to stay connected or become recurring donors.	Strengthen relationships and convert one-time donors into loyal supporters.

How CallHub can support your Giving Tuesday success

Harness the power of CallHub’s platform to supercharge your Giving Tuesday campaign. Here’s how CallHub helps you maximize fundraising:

Mobile-first fundraising tool that ensures you reach supporters wherever they are — through text, voice, or calls.
AI-powered features, such as smart donor insights, profanity filters, and call sentiment detection, help you personalize outreach and maintain quality conversations that drive giving.
Built-in text-to-donate platform that enables instant, secure donations via SMS — perfect for impulse generosity on Giving Tuesday.
Automated, personalized voice and text outreach to re-engage lapsed donors or mobilize new supporters at scale.
Strong integrations with top CRMs like Salesforce, NGPVan, and Blackbaud for unified data and tracking.
Dedicated support and onboarding assistance so your team can launch, monitor, and optimise campaigns with confidence.
Secure infrastructure with HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance — ensuring every donor interaction stays private and protected.
Metabase analytics for complete visibility into donations, engagement, and volunteer activity.

By incorporating CallHub into your Giving Tuesday strategy, you’re better positioned to execute across channels with precision. Sign up with CallHub today to make your Giving Tuesday campaign a smooth process.

FAQs on Giving Tuesday ideas

1. What can I do for Giving Tuesday?

Host or join a fundraising campaign, volunteer your time, share stories online, or donate to causes you care about.

2. What are the 5 Ts of giving?

The 5 Ts are Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties, and Testimony—representing the different ways people can give back.

3. What are some unique donation drive ideas?

Try creative drives like wish-list donations, virtual auctions, peer-to-peer challenges, or matching-gift campaigns.

4. What to donate on Tuesday?

You can give money, items, time, or skills—anything that supports a cause and makes an impact.

Featured image source: Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

Nandhaan Verma

Nandhaan is a marketer with nearly 5 years of experience researching & writing about communication for nonprofits, advocacies, & political campaigns. His insights have empowered multiple organizations to streamline communications & drive change.