How to get involved in Giving Tuesday 2022

Giving Tuesday is a ‘global generosity movement’. Founded in the US in 2012, it encourages people to donate their time, money, or raise awareness for a good cause.

The Giving Tuesday movement holds the world record for the most money raised online for charity in 24 hours and in 2020, with donations worth £20.2 million made on Giving Tuesday (equivalent to almost £14,000 a minute).

Essentially, it’s the charity sectors response to Black Friday.

In 2022, Giving Tuesday takes place on 29 November, the day after Cyber Monday. There are plenty of ways charities (both big and small) can get involved. Below we offer some of our top tips. But, before you start, you might want to check out our more informal podcast chat.

Make it quick

The world of fundraising is changing. It’s now quicker than ever to receive donations. Simplifying the process and allowing donors to donate in a quick and convenient way can greatly increase the amount a charity can raise for its cause. 

Text-to-donate, tap-to-donate, and QR codes are all great ways to speed up the donation process. Read our guidance on the best contactless fundraising options for charities.

Make it easy

Maximise your chance of raising money on Giving Tuesday by making it as easy as possible for potential donors to donate.

That means helping donors know how, where, and what they can donate. This could include creating additional signage on your website, using tap or text-to-donate, signing up for an new easy-to-use, no fuss fundraising platform, or making your fundraisers Facebook friendly. 

It could also mean providing suggested donation amounts. Choosing from a list of donation options means the donor does not need to come up with a figure themselves. Easy!

Make it obvious

A concise consistent message, with a clear call to action (CTA) can make all the difference when it comes to your Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign.

Place your campaign front and centre, on your website home page. Use the same copy and assets across all other channels, including print, e-newsletters, and social media.

Look to other charities for inspiration on how to replicate a clear and obvious campaign.

Make it known

Social media is the easiest and quickest way to spread your message as far and wide as possible. The hashtag #GivingTuesday has earned billions of impressions since its start in 2012 and will likely be trending across all channels.  

On the day itself, charities of all shapes and sizes will be launching their 24-hour campaigns, with many having already completed pre-campaigns. With all the noise, it’s easy to feel like your posts might be drowned out.

Ensure you have the best chance of being heard by:

• Writing or creating templates for your posts ahead of time
• Ensuring you have plenty of eye-catching images and assets to hand
• Scheduling posts in advance

Check out these top tips for your Giving Tuesday social media strategy.

Make it fun

Whether you’re raising funds for homelessness or heart disease, don’t be afraid to have fun with your campaigns. Giving Tuesday is about raising funds, but it’s also about raising awareness and connecting with current and prospective donors.

Why not take inspiration from Rainforest Action Network who decided to use the voice of a Malayan tapir in one of their recent Giving Tuesday email campaigns: “I’m going to be honest with you, I’m a Malayan tapir, and I don’t know what ‘midnight’ or ‘Tuesday’ is. Is it a type of fruit? Because I’m vegetarian.”

Or Oceana, who identified all their supporters as ‘wavemakers’ and allowed them to pick from a menu of fun and informative donation amounts: $33 for the 33 billion pounds of plastic in the ocean, or $330 for the 330 North Atlantic right whales in existence.

View both examples here.

Make it a double

Corporate-charity partnerships benefits both the charity and the business through improved public visibility, enhanced fundraising power, and an increased audience reach.

A great example is Natwest, who For #GiveBack2020, donated over £410,000 to charities through it’s payroll giving campaign. 

Doubling up works for small charites, too. Why not reach out to a local business and ask them to match your donations? Or, ask them to give customers the option to add an additional 10% to every purpose for your good cause.

Check out Giving Tuesday’s case studies here.

Make it official

It’s easy to become an official partner of Giving Tuesday. By signing up, official partners benefit from regular updates and emails from the Giving Tuesday campaign.

The Giving Tuesday movement generally encourages all charities to use Giving Tuesday’s logo, free resources, and toolkits to help you make the most of your campaigns this year. There are also a number of events and skill-boosting webinars available on their website.