Giving Tuesday, the global day of charitable giving, continues to be a pivotal day of the year for nonprofits. Not only does this day drive meaningful contributions, but it also provides another moment in the giving season to connect donors to your important work. According to the Giving Tuesday Data Commons, the spirit of generosity reached new heights in 2023, with charitable giving in the United States alone totaling a remarkable $3.1 billion. This represents a substantial 15% surge compared to Giving Tuesday 2022 and an even more impressive 25% increase since 2021.
Interestingly, despite the overall increase in generosity, there appears to be a decline in the number of givers in 2023. This shift prompts organizations to reflect on adapting strategies to engage a broader audience and encourage a higher participation rate in the spirit of giving.
This year, our ministry partners saw continued increases in online giving during their Giving Tuesday campaigns. The clients who saw the most significant year-over-year (YOY) lift utilized these specific tactics outlined below…
Full-funnel surround strategies
Successful nonprofits recognize the importance of reaching donors at every touchpoint. Deploying surround strategies involves creating a comprehensive strategy across various online channels. This includes social media, native, display, search, email campaigns, connected TV, influencer partnerships, and even traditional media outlets like TV and radio. By saturating potential donor spaces, these nonprofits maximized their visibility and engagement.
Utilizing Matches
Matches continue to reign supreme in these key giving moments; we know they are a powerful motivator for donors. Almost all nonprofits utilize a match on Giving Tuesday — meaning to compete at this time of year, a match is of the utmost importance. Although clients who did not secure a match and still utilized Giving Tuesday messaging did see increased YOY performance, their lift was not as high as those who used match language.
It's also important to think about how you market the match. Specific language always wins in direct response, and text in all caps will grab scrollers’ attention. Using language like “DOUBLE your gift” will likely outperform “double your impact.” We also saw ads giving special donor groups early and “exclusive access” to the match days before Giving Tuesday. Or take a lesson from the for-profit side that is dragging Cyber Monday deals out days later to make up for lower in-day performance, and add an “extended opportunity” to your Giving Tuesday match to increase its performance.
Relevant video ads with celebrities
Video content has become a cornerstone of effective online marketing, and nonprofits capitalized on this by creating engaging and relevant video ads that are seeing increased conversions. Adding a celebrity face to the cause provides an extra layer of credibility and increased views — and it can significantly boost conversion opportunities. These videos still told the compelling story of the ministry, connecting donors emotionally to the mission and impact — but utilized a known narrator to help stop the online scroll.
Utilizing celebrities that specifically appealed to younger donor audiences (think 35–50 years old) who had a connection to the ministry improved YOY engagement metrics on Giving Tuesday by 198%. Clients who utilized this tactic spent 25% more on ads this time and saw a 75% increase in revenue and gifts at a platform level compared to last year.
Connected TV (CTV)
Several clients are connecting with new and existing audiences through connected TV ads this giving season, allowing them to build up awareness with highly engaged audiences. The overall spend during the GivingTuesday campaign for these clients was flat, although they did see increased costs in the weeks leading up to GivingTuesday. However, revenue for these clients at a platform level was up 130% YOY, with a 117% increase in conversions — meaning they doubled their performance in both gifts and revenue.
Giving Tuesday remains a key moment in the fundraising season. And that means we need strategies that help your ministry stand out in the crowded charitable landscape. This GivingTuesday demonstrated the effectiveness of top-of-funnel surround strategies, the continued importance of matches, and the significance of expanding and testing new types of relevant video ads. By embracing these approaches, nonprofits can drive donations and build lasting connections with donors passionate about making a difference in the world.
