Countdown to Giving Tuesday & How to Keep the Momentum Going

For many nonprofits, fundraising can feel like a cycle: an intense push at the end of the year, followed by months of quieter activity. But the organizations that continue to grow and thrive know that sustainability isn’t built in a single campaign. It’s built through steady, intentional engagement all year long.

With Giving Tuesday on the horizon, now is the perfect time to think about how this global day of generosity can do more than boost one day’s results—it can help set the tone for a balanced, year-round approach to development.

Setting the Stage: Preparing for Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday has become one of the most powerful movements in philanthropy. It’s a day when generosity takes center stage. But the organizations that see the greatest success aren’t the ones that rush to post a few appeals on the day itself. They’re the ones that start planning early, connecting their campaign to larger goals and stories that resonate.

As you prepare for this year’s Giving Tuesday, consider these 4 steps to prepare and build momentum beyond the day itself:

1. Start by clarifying your purpose: Are you trying to re-engage lapsed donors, bring in new supporters, or raise funds for a specific program? A clear “why” guides every message.

2. Once your goal is defined, tell a story that connects people to your mission in a personal way. Highlight one person, project, or moment that illustrates your work in action—something that makes donors feel the difference their support makes. Then, make sure your message is consistent across every channel. Whether it’s a social media post, email, or website feature, your audience should experience a unified story that feels authentic and aligned.

3. Next, don’t forget your internal champions. Equip your board, volunteers, and staff with simple tools and language they can use to spread the word. Giving Tuesday is a team effort, so when your community shares your message, your reach expands exponentially.

4. Lastly, on the big day, keep the energy alive. Share progress updates, celebrate milestones, and say thank you often. A personal acknowledgment, a real-time update, or a simple “we couldn’t do this without you” can turn a one-time donor into a lifelong supporter.

   
   

Beyond the Moment: Building a Culture of Consistent Engagement

While Giving Tuesday may kick off your year-end giving season, the real key to long-term sustainability is what happens next. Development is, at its core, about relationships and not transactions. Beyond any single moment of giving, here’s how each step of the donor lifecycle—identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—can work together to create lasting impact:

Identify and Invite

Every strong relationship begins with connection. Take time to identify the people most aligned with your mission—potential donors, volunteers, advocates, and partners—and invite them in. Sharing your story through an outreach letter, introductory email, along with an infographic, or brief one-pager, can introduce new audiences to your work in a clear and compelling way. The same materials, stories and messaging can often be repurposed for grant applications or board recruitment, creating efficiency and consistency across your efforts.

Cultivate and Listen

Once people are in the door, listen. Ask questions. Share updates that help them see themselves as part of your mission. These are all of the touchpoints and connections that built the relationship and guide them to solicitation. One organization we work with saw participation jump 72%—and gained new major donors—by updating mapping stakeholders to reach new audiences, uncovering powerful stories through meaningful conversations, and transforming those stories into an engaging infographic and survey that deepened community connection. While this type of cultivation takes time, it pays dividends. Every conversation or email builds understanding, trust, and connection, which is the foundation for future giving.

Solicit Thoughtfully

When the time is right, ask with purpose. A strong solicitation strategy isn’t just about timing, it’s about relevance. Use segmentation and giving levels that show donors exactly how their gift matters. Maybe $25 funds a needs assessment, or $1,000 provides health screenings for students. When donors can see tangible outcomes, their emotional connection deepens.Engagement breeds generosity: volunteers are four times more likely to donate than non-volunteers—and they give ten times more on average. In addition, retention increases by 25% between donors who give below $25 and those who give above $1,000.  When people feel involved, giving becomes personal.

Steward with Intention

The most successful organizations treat stewardship as an ongoing conversation, not an afterthought. A thoughtful donor journey, such as an immediate thank-you, a follow-up from leadership, a note of impact later in the year, turns a single donation into a relationship. For one of our clients, implementing a structured stewardship plan increased annual giving by 16% and raised donor retention from 37% to 68%. Consistent gratitude and genuine connection make a measurable difference.

Establishing the Right Cadence

A strong development program doesn’t happen by chance, it’s planned and built. A resource development calendar can help balance your efforts across cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, ensuring that each donor touchpoint builds on the last.

Think beyond one big event or campaign. Plan moments of connection throughout the year—newsletters, appreciation events, community updates, personal notes. The goal isn’t to ask more often, but to stay present, consistent, and authentic. Afterall, you should have four times as much stewardship and cultivation in your plan as solicitation

Sustainable fundraising isn’t about chasing the next gift, it’s about nurturing relationships that last and creating a community of supporters who believe in your mission. If you need support to build your momentum and set your organization on the path to success, we're here to help!