When & What: Social Media Posts For #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is next month! Do you have your social media strategy planned out?

Use the next few weeks to prepare a variety of posts for all your different social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Focus on the social media platform where your supporters are most active, but don’t neglect the other channels. Aim to create unique posts for each platform rather than recycling the same content as some of your biggest supporters might follow you everywhere. 

To ensure your posts will be seen by your supporters, post early and often about your campaign. Here are some ideas of when and what to post on social media for #GivingTuesday.

One Month to Two Weeks Before #GivingTuesday

Starting anywhere from a month to two weeks ahead of #GivingTuesday, prime your donors for your campaign by sharing out a save-the-date or countdown.

This is also a great time to educate your supporters about this global day of giving, and why their participation and donations on this day are so crucial to your organization. You can also begin to share some of the goals your org is looking to accomplish. Don’t forget to include donation impact metrics to help supporters easily visualize how their money is going to be used.

Thanksgiving Day

Schedule some posts on Thanksgiving to share what your organization, staff, and beneficiaries are thankful for this year. Use these posts as part of your storytelling that will motivate your supporters to donate on the big day.

Share photos and videos for more compelling posts. Don’t worry too much about having high-quality equipment or edited videos, what matters most is making sure supporters hear your story and begin connecting with your cause.

The Day Before

Remind your supporters and followers that #GivingTuesday is tomorrow. If you have a matching gift, use this opportunity to inform your supporters that donations go twice as far.

This is also a great time to make a “soft ask” and allow for early donations. Introduce your branded hashtag and text-to-donate keyword so supporters will have that at the top of their minds the following day.  

Let your supporters know what time to look for your first email, or what time you plan to go live if you will be providing updates using Facebook Live or Instagram Live. Lastly, send them a branded “I am supporting” sign template they can edit, print, take a picture with, and share with their social network.

The Day Of

You can’t over-post on #GivingTuesday, as about one out of five posts are typically seen in a potential donor’s feed. At a minimum, share: 

• A post with the link to your online giving page and text-to-donate keyword in the morning
• A progress update in the afternoon
• The last chance to donate post towards the end of the day 

Continue to tell your story and information about your campaign throughout the day. Your supporters need to feel emotionally connected to your organization to be compelled to give. #GivingTuesday is a high-volume day of posts from nonprofits so be sure your posts stand out from the crowd in some way. Perhaps that’s with a fun gif, video, or any other quick storytelling medium you have access to. 

If your #GivingTuesday campaign involves ambassadors or peer-to-peer fundraisers, reposting their content is another great way to increase the number of posts you are sharing and can create a more personal narrative to push more supporters to give. 

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After #GivingTuesday

Don’t slow down quite yet the day after. Share your final progress update toward your #GivingTuesday fundraising goal. If your donation page had a progress bar, you can use this to encourage additional donations and begin to transition to your year-end giving messaging. Post both a general thank you to all your donors and supporters, as well as a specific post for donors who have given you permission to tag or shout them out on social media.

As a global day of giving, #GivingTuesday can be an overwhelming day for some nonprofits. There can be a lot of competition for attention, especially from other nonprofits in your community and around the world. This is why it is so important to post often and create engaging content that tells the story of your organization. Focus on personal stories, and wherever possible, encourage your most dedicated supporters to share on their personal pages.

Looking for more? Check out our toolkit for inspiration, templates, and more to help you find success on #GivingTuesday.

Campaign Examples

Over the Rainbow (OTR) Housing

OTR Housing had been participating in #GivingTuesday and sending an annual appeal letter for years. It was moderately successful, but it lacked the spirit of OTR Housing. Their team was looking to stretch their creativity, truly inspire giving, and host a campaign that was truer to the OTR Housing community and mission. 

The OTR Kindness Tag Holiday Fund raised double in its first year than what their previous Giving Tuesday and end-of-year campaigns had raised previously. They are very active on social media, sharing donors’ posts, thanking sponsors, and sharing the impact a donation can have on their mission.  

Beyond Hunger

Beyond Hunger started planning its #GivingTuesday campaign early, and they started promoting their fundraiser in October! The organization’s social media shared a countdown, impact metrics, its generous $15,000 match, and some of auction items that were a revenue enhancer for its #GivingTuesday campaign.  

All of their planning paid off, and Beyond Hunger raised an incredible $98,673. The team didn’t stop on the day either, thanking donors via text and social media immediately after the day wrapped up.

Our goal at GiveSmart is to help nonprofit organizations create and manage successful digital fundraising campaigns, raise more money and retain donors longer. Request a free demo with one of our fundraising experts to learn, step by step, how GiveSmart can simply help set up your campaigns while transforming your results.