How to plan a successful Giving Day (free toolkit!)

A Giving Day can be one of the most powerful moments in your fundraising year. In just 24 hours, you can rally your community, attract new donors, and build momentum that lasts long beyond the day itself.

This guide walks you through nine proven steps to plan and run a high-impact Giving Day, whether you’re participating in a national Day of Giving or creating one that’s uniquely yours. You’ll also get a free Giving Day toolkit to help you map out your timeline, messaging, and next steps, so you can move forward with confidence and make the most of the moment.

Key takeaways

• Focus your energy 🎊 Giving Days work because they create urgency around one clear goal, helping nonprofits concentrate fundraising into a high-impact 24-hour window.
  
• Plan ahead 🕰️ The most successful Giving Days start months in advance, giving you time to promote, recruit ambassadors, and line up matches.
  
• Set one clear goal 🎯 A specific, measurable fundraising goal gives supporters something concrete to rally behind and keeps your messaging focused.
  
• Use Giving Day–ready tools 🧈 Giving Days move fast. Givebutter helps you launch quickly with customizable donation pages, matching gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising, and real-time progress tracking—all in one place.
• Activate ambassadors 💬 Volunteers, board members, and partners can dramatically expand your reach when they’re equipped with ready-to-share messages.
  
• Map the day 🗺️ A simple timeline for emails, social posts, and progress updates keeps momentum strong from kickoff to final push.
  
• Close the loop 💛 Prompt thank-yous and impact follow-ups turn one-day donors into long-term supporters. 

What is a Giving Day (aka Day of Giving)?

A Giving Day (sometimes called a Day of Giving) is a 24-hour fundraising campaign designed to rally supporters around a shared goal. Nonprofits typically use them for two main reasons:

1. Raise donations quickly by concentrating giving into a limited timeframe
2. Increase awareness by focusing marketing and outreach efforts on a single day

Nonprofits often host Giving Days as part of a broader fundraising strategy for a specific campaign or cause. Some participate in national events like Giving Tuesday, while others create a Giving Day that is entirely their own. Giving Days are popular with nonprofits, universities, and other mission-driven organizations that rely on donations. 

Dive deeper

Get all of your Giving Tuesday questions answered →

Why Giving Days work

While supporters can donate at any time, focusing your fundraising efforts on a single day motivates higher-level giving. Giving Days offer several unique advantages: 

• Built-in urgency 🔥 With a set (often 24-hour) deadline, Giving Days create a natural sense of urgency that drives action.
• Momentum 🌊 Donors feel part of something bigger, helping you build awareness for your cause, attract new supporters, and deepen long-term engagement. 
• Simpler messaging 🗣️ Distilling your ask to one goal makes giving feel more approachable. 
• Customizable incentives 🎁 Donation matches, giving challenges, or prize drawings can further motivate your supporters.

Download your free Giving Day toolkit 

Givebutter’s free, downloadable Giving Day toolkit includes everything you need to start planning with confidence. This fully customizable outline aligns with the steps below, making it easy to follow along, fill in the blanks, and tailor your Giving Day to fit your goals and mission. 

Freebie alert!

Download your free Giving Day toolkit →

How to plan & run a successful Giving Day (step by step)

Whether you’re participating in a national or statewide Giving Day or creating one unique to your nonprofit, the steps below will help you launch a Giving Day that’s aligned with your mission, resonates with your supporters, and drives real fundraising results 

Step 1: Start early & lock your timeline 💡

Whether you’re honoring a significant anniversary, celebrating a mission-related holiday, or jumpstarting year-end fundraising, it’s important to plan your Giving Day well in advance. Aim to lock in your schedule at least a few months ahead so you have enough time to build your team, craft your messaging, and promote your Giving Day effectively. 

💡 Pro tip: Stay organized with a monthly or weekly planning timeline. Outline key tasks and responsibilities, and designate roles to team members to keep everything on track (more on this below). 

Learn more

Create an annual fundraising plan that's easy to follow →

Step 2: Build your Giving Day team & assign owners 👊

To get your Giving Day off the ground, you’ll need a strong team. In most cases, this means assigning a designated point person to fulfill these roles: 

• Social media and marketing 💻 Manages social media content, newsletters, email campaigns, and overall Giving Day marketing strategy.
• Corporate sponsor outreach 🤝 Identifies potential corporate partners, gathers sponsor information, and oversees sponsor communication. 
• Tracking & reporting 📈 Monitors fundraising progress, engagement metrics, and performance against your Giving Day goals. 

💡 Pro tip: Recruiting volunteers for your Giving Day can provide some much-needed help while strengthening your community. Just be sure to keep roles and expectations clear from the start. 

Step 3: Set a clear goal & success metrics 📈

Set one clear SMART fundraising goal (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) for your Giving Day. While your total amount raised is important, it shouldn’t be your only measure of success. Tracking additional metrics will give a fuller picture of how your Giving Day performed. 

• New donors 💛 Number of first-time supporters donating. 
• Recurring donors 💰 Number of supporters signing up for a recurring giving program. 
• Ambassador participation 🎤 Total number of volunteers actively spreading the word on your Giving Day. 

💡 Pro tip: Base your goal on what you actually need to raise, whether for a specific program or day-to-day operations. A clear goal keeps your messaging focused and motivates supporters to give. 

Step 4: Secure a match or challenge to create urgency 🎯

To boost participation and excitement, add a sense of urgency using one (or both) of the strategies below: 

• Offer matching gifts 🤝 Reach out to local businesses or major donors to see if they’re willing to provide a matching gift for your Giving Day. 
• Launch a giving challenge 🏆 Introduce friendly competition with a fundraising thermometer, milestone-based goals, or peer-to-peer fundraising. 

💡 Pro tip: Corporate sponsors can support your Giving Day in more ways than one. If a donation match isn’t feasible, ask about donating an item to use as a raffle prize for supporters. 

More to explore

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Step 5: Craft a message supporters can repeat 💥

When it comes to Giving Day messaging, simplicity is key. Keep your pitch short, compelling, easy to repeat, and consistent across all your social media and marketing channels. Build your messaging with the following in mind: 

• Donation impact 🌟 Clearly explain what each donation amount makes possible, down to the dollar. 
• Beneficiary highlights 🤗 Emphasize why your cause matters with brief testimonials from the people you serve. 
• Larger mission 🎯 Connect your Giving Day fundraising goal to your nonprofit’s broader mission. 

🎬 See it in action: A school raises $60K to build a new sports field by tying the suggested donation amount to its founding year ($19.05), sharing student videos, and setting a concrete goal of 300 donors.

Step 6: Prep ambassadors to extend your reach 📣

Enlist volunteers, board members, corporate partners, or anyone else passionate about your cause to get the word out about your Giving Day. Make it easy for them by preparing ready-to-use resources. 

• Shareable messaging 💬 Provide compelling language, key stats, and impact highlights. 
• Social media posts 🖥️ Create prewritten posts with links your supporters can quickly share.
• Suggested schedule 📆 Provide a simple schedule or checklist so ambassadors know exactly when and how to help.

Step 7: Get your donation page & tools ready 💻

Giving Days move fast, so it’s essential to reduce friction ahead of time. Use the checklist below to ensure your fundraising platform is ready to support your campaign. 

• Customize your donation page 🖌️ Add videos, photos, impact highlights, and an overview of your Giving Day campaign. 
• Optimize for mobile 📱 With nonprofit supporters donating from their phones, make sure it’s easy to navigate and give on mobile. 
• Offer multiple payment methods 👛 Simplify the giving process by supporting your donors’ preferred payment options.

💡 Pro tip: With Givebutter, you can create a fully customizable, mobile-optimized giving page that accepts Apple Pay, debit and credit cards, PayPal, and more. Plus, Givebutter’s Canva integration helps ensure that your page stays on brand. 

Dive deeper

Learn how to set up a frictionless donation page →

Step 8: Run the day with momentum ⚡

Map out exactly what you’ll do on Giving Day, from how you kick off the morning to the messages you’ll send to motivate supporters throughout the day. A clear plan helps your team stay focused and ready as donations roll in.

🎬 See it in action: A nonprofit launches its Giving Day with an email, text-to-donate link, and social media posts. They promote a donation match just before 12 p.m., share a progress update mid-afternoon, send a final countdown text at 5 p.m., and wrap up the day with an appreciation message at 7 p.m. 

Step 9: Close the loop fast & plan follow-up 🤝

What happens after your Giving Day matters just as much as the day itself. Show proper donor appreciation by sending personalized thank-you messages within 48 hours of your Giving Day. Offer clear next steps so supporters can continue engaging with your organization. 

💡 Pro tip: Tailor your follow-up messages using donor segments. For example, recurring donors might receive information on volunteer opportunities, while first-time donors may receive a link to sign up for your newsletter. 

Giving Day ideas to get you started

Because Giving Days are just 24 hours, a bit of thoughtful planning can help your campaign stand out and reach the people who care most about your cause. Try these ideas to build excitement and encourage participation: 

• Look for community dates 🗓️ Explore local or regional moments that align with your mission to boost awareness and momentum. 
• Recruit social influencers 💕 Ask community leaders or partners to share your Giving Day using one-click social sharing tools.
• Highlight supporter benefits 📬 Remind supporters of any perks or opportunities they’ll receive, and don’t forget to mention that donations are tax-deductible. 
• Create branded graphics 🎨 Use tools like Canva for nonprofits to design on-brand social media posts, email headers, and donation page visuals.
• Get creative with appreciation 🙏 Shout out donors and sponsors on social media or surprise them with a personalized thank-you video.

Surpass your Giving Day goals with Givebutter

Planning a successful Giving Day takes more than picking a date. It means setting a clear goal, lining up a match or challenge, preparing ambassadors, launching strong messaging, and following up quickly with gratitude. When these pieces work together, a Giving Day can become one of the most effective moments in your fundraising year.

Givebutter helps you put that plan into action with customizable giving pages, real-time progress tracking, matching gifts, and tools to engage supporters before, during, and after your Giving Day. Once the day ends, you can keep building momentum with campaign updates, email follow-ups, and recurring giving options so your impact continues long after the campaign.

Turn your Giving Day into lasting support. Create your free Givebutter account and start building a campaign that keeps working for your mission. 

FAQs about Days of Giving 

When is Giving Day?

Giving Tuesday is the largest national Day of Giving for nonprofits. While many nonprofits participate, it’s not the only option. Plenty of organizations host Giving Days on anniversaries, around specific campaigns, or to jumpstart year-end fundraising. 

Is there an official national Giving Day? 

In the U.S., Giving Tuesday is the most widely recognized national Day of Giving, occurring every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. 

Is a Giving Day worth it for a small or understaffed nonprofit? 

Yes. Giving Days are often effective even for smaller or understaffed nonprofits. Beyond the dollar amount raised on the day, Giving Days help you attract new supporters and build momentum for future campaigns. 

To maximize your Giving Day ROI, consider adding a donation match, running a giving challenge, or partnering with a corporate sponsor. 

Should we participate in Giving Tuesday or run our own Day of Giving instead? 

Giving Tuesday may be a good fit if: 

• You want to be part of a widely recognized national Day of Giving 
• You have the time and resources to craft a campaign that sets you apart
• You want to kick off year-end fundraising with broad awareness

Alternatively, your own Giving Day may be a better option if: 

• You have a mission-specific or meaningful alternative date in mind 
• You’re raising funds for a time-sensitive project
• You want to create branding and messaging unique to your nonprofit