GivingTuesday Isn’t a Mid or Major Donor Strategy (And That’s Okay)

Unpopular opinion: I’m tired of seeing people try to sell GivingTuesday like it’s a silver bullet for every donor segment. There’s a place for GivingTuesday and it’s squarely in direct marketing. It is not a major donor strategy.

Why not?

• It’s a campaign, not a cause. A day on the calendar ≠ the problem your donor wants to solve.

• It’s transactional by design. Urgency works for low-dollar direct response; it clashes with long, values-rich major-donor work.

• It drowns the story. Major donors don’t fund hashtags; they fund outcomes.

And yet, GivingTuesday can be helpful if you use it in ways that honor relationships. Here are our three favorite plays.

1) Insider Match Heads-Up (relationship-first)

If you’re running a match, personally call donors who are inspired by matches and give them the heads-up before the public emails.

Relational call script:

“Hi [Name]—I thought of you because you’ve shared in the past that matches really inspire you. We have a GivingTuesday match coming up, and I wanted you to be the first to know. I’m not calling to ask for money, just giving you a heads-up so you can plan if you want your gift that week to unlock extra impact. If it’s helpful, I can send a one-pager with the specifics, or hold your gift to make sure it’s counted toward the match.”

Why it works: It treats the donor like an insider, centers what motivates them, and keeps the tone warm, not salesy.

2) Stewardship Sprint (no ask, just gratitude)

This is a favorite of mine. One organization I worked for had every staff member (not just fundraising) dedicate 30 minutes on GivingTuesday to call donors simply to say thank you. Talk about creating a culture of philanthropy!

Script:

“Hi DONOR, it’s NAME from ORG. Because of your gift to PROGRAM/PROJECT/ORG, you are helping us accomplish MISSION. On a day when many are asking, I just wanted to say thank you. We appreciate you.”

Outcome: Donors feel seen and valued. You use the day’s attention to deepen relationships, not just chase one-day revenue.

3) Invite Donors to Fund the Match

If you need a match, ask donors who love matches to help fund it. You can pool gifts – for one generous match opportunity. This isn’t for every donor but pick a threshold (say donors who can make $10,000 gifts) and see if they want to “be the match.” It feels good for them, and it ultimately helps you drive more of your small sum dollars in the door.

How to do it (brief):

• Identify 5–15 donors who like multiplying impact.

• Offer stretch levels and flexible recognition (public, anonymous, named, or program-specific).

• Pool commitments as needed to reach your match goal.

Sample outreach:

“Hi [Name]—as we plan for GivingTuesday, we’re assembling the match that will unlock every gift that day. Because multiplying impact matters to you, would you consider anchoring it with $X (or another amount that feels right)? We’ll tailor recognition to your preferences; the goal is to spark others to give because of your leadership.”

Why it works: It upgrades motivated donors with meaning and raises more money without commoditizing the relationship.

Make This Year’s GivingTuesday Donor-First

Let’s make this simple. Here is a guideline for treating donors as partners on GivingTuesday.

• Before GivingTuesday: Call donors who love matches and give them the insider heads-up.

• On GivingTuesday: Run your direct response campaign and a thanks-a-thon.

• After GivingTuesday: Send a short impact follow-up: “Because of you on Tuesday, ___ happened.”

Stop chasing the day. Start serving the donor. When you lead with what they value, and how their gift solves a real problem, GivingTuesday becomes a helpful tactic, not your strategy.