Last-Minute Giving Tuesday Ideas

Nonprofit professionals already have plenty on their plate for November and December – especially with short-staffing as a common industry pain point. For many, completing projects months in advance isn’t feasible. For others, it’s just not their M.O. Regardless, last-minute fundraisers need love, too – and you still have time!

Each of these quick ideas only take a few minutes to execute:

1. Take a load off with ready-made email templates
2. Create a dedicated donation form using our Giving Tuesday template
3. Record a quick campaign video to pique interest
4. Start a Giving Tuesday crowdfunding challenge
5. Be more inclusive by offering a monthly gift program

5 Last-Minute Fundraising Ideas You’ll Love

1. Take a load off with ready-made templates

First things first, you aren’t alone in this. Remember, you have fundraising experts on your side! We created email and social media template kits for planners and procrastinators alike – all you have to do is plug in your nonprofit’s Giving Tuesday details. Then promote your donation form, crowdfunding campaign, fundraising videos, and more!

The day after, you can start nurturing your new donors straight away with DonorPerfect’s Welcome Wednesday resources geared toward donor retention.

2. Create a dedicated donation form for Giving Tuesday

While using your existing donation form may seem like it saves time, it actually creates more work for you to do when reporting on your Giving Tuesday success. It could also put a damper on the excitement surrounding the biggest giving day of the year.

Having a dedicated form for day-of donations helps you set and track a specific goal. You can even include a real-time goal meter to show supporters how close you’ve come to reaching it, inspiring them to take action before the end of the day.

For example, your Giving Tuesday goal may be to finance a piece of equipment that would allow you to serve more people. Supporters can see how much it costs, how close you are to affording it, and what it would help you accomplish. When you let your Giving Tuesday gift data stand alone, you can strengthen relationships by sending thank-yous to the specific donors who contributed to the goal, including a photo or video of the results.

3. Record a quick campaign video to pique interest

You don’t need an expert or a ton of time to make a video that will draw attention to your Giving Tuesday efforts. Studies have shown that donors respond quite well to fundraising videos that put a face and a voice to your mission.

Your mini-guide to last-minute fundraising videos:

• Use a smartphone or service that integrates with your CRM
• Repurpose old photos or videos that resonate with your campaign
• Keep your video to about 30-60 seconds
• State your specific Giving Tuesday goal
• Come up with a few sentences that tell a story
• Explain exactly what donor’s contributions will help you to do
• Use a very clear call to action, i.e. donate now
• Share to your social media feeds and email lists

4. Start a Giving Tuesday crowdfunding challenge

We surveyed 1,000 DonorPerfect clients who participated in Giving Tuesday 2020 and they left last year with these takeaways: try a goal-oriented approach, take advantage of crowdfunding, and above all, don’t be afraid to test out new ideas!

Crowdfunding campaigns are a no-brainer because:

• More than half of donors who receive an email will donate.
• Your supporters can create their own fundraising page straight from your online donation form.
• On average, supporters raise $568 through their own crowdfunding page.
• Organizations and donors alike love this solution as setup only takes a few minutes.
• Plus, folks without extra cash who still want to get involved can fundraise for your nonprofit without spending a cent!

Want a closer look at our clients’ strategy?

5. Be more inclusive with a monthly gift program

Just like some nonprofits can’t afford to plan campaigns months in advance, it isn’t easy for everyone to make a large gift in a lump sum. Monthly gift programs are a more inclusive way to rally your supporters on Giving Tuesday and show how much they mean to you – no matter their gift size.

After all, Giving Tuesday donors signing up for $5 a month are just as valuable as those giving a one-time donation of $60. Plus, monthly donors are more likely to stick around. DonorPerfect monthly gift programs have a donor retention rate of 90%!

Speed aside, the best part of these solutions is that – whether you choose to start with one idea or try all five at once – your Giving Tuesday efforts will be much more efficient now and in the future. The more you get the word out, the more involvement you will inspire; and the more comfortable you get with Giving Tuesday campaign planning, the more likely you will create successful giving challenges each year!