Giving Days: Fact or Fiction?

When planning a Giving Day for your organization, it can be easy to get caught up in assumptions or strategies that don’t actually move the needle. Giving Days can be powerful tools in your year-end fundraising mix, but only if you approach them with clarity and strategy. Let’s separate fact from fiction and uncover what really works.

Fact or Fiction: Giving Days must happen on Giving Tuesday

Fiction.

While Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) has become a global generosity movement, it’s also an incredibly noisy day with thousands of nonprofits competing for your givers’ attention.

Instead, select a day that is meaningful to your organization and fits your calendar. This could be your school’s founding day, the anniversary of the date that your ministry was launched, or simply a day when your staff and volunteers can focus all their energy on making the event successful.

Fact or Fiction: A viral social post or clever hashtag is all you need to fuel a Giving Day

Fiction.

Even if one post gets strong engagement, it won’t drive the sustained action you need. Giving Days work best when social media is part of a broader strategy. Schedule a steady drumbeat of posts leading up to and during the day, highlight stories of impact, and use video to create urgency and connection. Social media works best when it reinforces a larger, multi-channel plan.

Fact or Fiction: Gifts only count during the 24 hours of your Giving Day

Fiction.

Even if you’re part of a regional or national Giving Day with official “rules,” there are usually ways to include gifts made before or after the event. And if you’re running your own Giving Day, you set the rules! Many organizations open giving a few days early and keep it open a little longer to capture momentum. The key is clarity in your communication so your givers know their gift will be counted.

Fact or Fiction: Matching gifts can double your results

Fact.

One of the most effective ways to increase participation and total dollars raised is to secure matching commitments in advance. If your goal is $30,000, secure $15,000 from lead givers (board members, major givers, or corporate partners) before the event and promote the match heavily. People love knowing their gift has twice the impact.

Fact or Fiction: Giving Days are a great way to onboard new givers and strengthen existing ones

Fact.

Giving Days create a sense of urgency and celebration that makes them a natural on-ramp for new givers. They’re also an opportunity to invite current givers to step up by making a second or third gift in the same year, or increasing their level of generosity. People who give more than once are significantly more likely to stay engaged long-term.

Final Thoughts

A well-planned Giving Day can be a powerful tool in your year-end fundraising strategy if you focus on what truly works. Avoid the myths, lean into proven strategies, and use your Giving Day to spark generosity in fresh and meaningful ways.