Maximizing GivingTuesday: A Guide for Animal Rescues

If you’ve worked in animal rescue for any length of time, you know that fundraising is an art and an act of love. Between adoption events, medical bills, and endless to-do lists, finding the time to plan a GivingTuesday campaign can feel impossible—but it’s worth it. GivingTuesday, the global day of generosity that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has become one of the biggest opportunities of the year to raise awareness, bring in new supporters, and generate much-needed funding for your rescue. In 2024 alone, an estimated 36.1 million people donated $3.6 billion to charitable causes in the U.S. on GivingTuesday. In fact, apart from December 31 (the last day for year-end gifts), GivingTuesday is the biggest fundraising day of the year!

I’ve led my share of nonprofit campaigns and written more grants than I can count, and one thing I’ve learned is this: when rescues plan ahead and tell their story well, they can achieve incredible results. Here’s how maximizing GivingTuesday for rescues—and how tools like AI can help you save time, and reach more people—helps you focus on what's most important, the animals.

How to Plan Ahead and Set Clear Fundraising Goals

Start planning early. A successful GivingTuesday campaign isn’t thrown together at the last minute, it should be part of your year-end strategy. Experts recommend beginning your plans as early as September to give your team time to prepare content. Set a concrete goal for the day (e.g. “raise $5,000 to provide food and medical care for 100 rescue animals”) because a specific target adds urgency and gives supporters a clear mission to rally behind. Outline a timeline for key tasks in the months and weeks leading up to GivingTuesday. For example:

• September: Choose a theme or campaign slogan (perhaps a unique hashtag) and segment your donor list for targeted messaging.

• October: Draft your email appeals and social media posts, and create a posting calendar. Also make sure your online donation page is up-to-date and optimized (more on that below).

• November: Begin promoting your GivingTuesday campaign. Send teaser emails, post on social media, and consider direct mail for key donors. Personally reach out to long-time supporters or major donors to let them know about the campaign and ask for early.

• GivingTuesday: Ramp up communications. Schedule several social media posts throughout the day, and send a reminder email on the morning of GivingTuesday. Engage with your audience in real time – provide updates as you approach your goal, and thank donors by name on your feeds (if appropriate) to show. Encourage supporters to share your posts to keep the excitement going.

Having a clear plan with assigned tasks and deadlines will keep your team. Even if you’re a one-person team, a written timeline helps you stay on track. By setting a specific fundraising goal and mapping out your outreach, you create a roadmap for success.

How to Craft a Compelling GivingTuesday Story and Theme

To cut through the noise on GivingTuesday, tell a story that connects emotionally with your supporters. Fortunately, animal rescues have a built-in storytelling advantage: the adorable, inspiring animals you save! Use that to your advantage by highlighting a specific animal or program that illustrates your mission. Don’t just ask for money in general – show donors why you need it through a narrative. For example, you might share the journey of one rescue animal from hardship to a loving home, and explain how donor support made that rescue. People are far more likely to donate when they can visualize the impact on a real-life individual (in this case, a real pet).

Pick a focus for your campaign that is easy to grasp. Animal shelters and rescues do a lot of wonderful work, but for a short campaign like GivingTuesday it’s best to spotlight one project or need. You could choose to fundraise for a specific program (e.g. your foster program, medical emergency fund, or spay/neuter initiative) or a particular urgent need (like expanding the shelter or covering a big vet bill). By concentrating on one theme, you keep your messaging sharp and clear, which helps potential donors quickly understand what their gift will accomplish.

Once you’ve chosen your focus, wield the power of cute animals responsibly – use your animal stories to serve the larger narrative of your work. For instance, share a before-and-after photo of a dog who came to your rescue malnourished and then, thanks to your vet care fund, recovered and was adopted into a happy family. Or post a short video featuring an orphaned kitten that survived because of your foster program. These concrete stories put a face (or a fur-face!) to your cause and inspire people to give. As the official GivingTuesday team advises, grab attention with a strong hook – maybe a strong stat about animals in need, and then humanize (or “animalize”) your content by spotlighting one of your beneficiaries and the challenge they overcame. Showing the problem and how your rescue provides a solution creates a narrative arc that motivates action.

Finally, create a memorable campaign name or hashtag to tie your story together. It could be as simple as “#GivingTuesdayforPets” or something specific like “#HomesForHounds” if you’re raising money to help dogs. Use this slogan in all your communications to reinforce your theme. A unifying message makes your campaign feel cohesive and rallying.

How to Optimize Your Online Donation Page (and Make Giving Easy)

Expect a lot of your GivingTuesday support to come in through your website or donation portal, so make sure that experience is friction-free. In the busy giving season, attention spans are short – if your donation process is confusing or slow, potential donors might abandon their gift. To optimize your GivingTuesday campaign page and donation form, ensure it has a:

1. Clear explanation of what you’re raising funds for

2. Fast load time

3. Streamlined form that only asks for essential info

4. Compelling photo that sparks an emotional

For example, a crisp image of a pet that donors will be helping can immediately remind people why this cause matters. Include a short description near the top like, “Your GivingTuesday gift will help provide food, shelter, and vet care for 50 homeless animals this winter,” so donors know exactly what their money will do.

Another powerful tactic is to make donations tangible by using suggested giving amounts with impact descriptions. Many animal lovers are used to donating pet food, toys, or blankets and might not realize that monetary gifts are even more useful for rescues. You can channel that instinct by showing how each dollar amount translates into real help for animals. For instance, on your donation form or in your appeal text, list examples such as: $25 feeds a rescue cat for a month, $50 sponsors a dog’s spay/neuter surgery, $100 provides a veterinary exam and vaccines for one shelter pet, etc. Tying donation options to specific services or items gives donors the satisfaction of knowing exactly what their contribution will pay for. It makes the act of giving more personal and concrete. If your donation platform allows custom suggested amounts, take advantage of that feature to preset a few amounts with captions (just be sure to include a reasonable lower-tier amount so as not to scare off modest donors). This way, donors who may have been inclined to drop off a bag of dog food might decide to donate $20 online instead, understanding that it will buy a bag of food or whatever need you highlight.

Also, double-check your donation links and pages well before GivingTuesday. Ensure that the donate button on your website or emails is highly visible and working correctly, and that the page is mobile-friendly. It can help to have a prominent GivingTuesday banner or landing page on your site during this period, so visitors instantly see the campaign. The easier and clearer you make the process, the more likely people will complete their gifts.

How to Rally Your Rescue Supporters and Spread the Word

GivingTuesday is all about community coming together. You likely have a passionate base of supporters – volunteers, adopters, donors, staff, and social media followers – who care about your mission. Mobilize them to amplify your campaign. Here are ways to rally your community for maximum impact:

• Activate Social Media: In the lead-up and on the day, post actively on your social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, TikTok – wherever you have an audience). Use the official hashtag #GivingTuesday to join the wider conversation, but also tailor posts to your followers. Share those compelling pet stories and photos we discussed. Visual content works wonders: for example, a short before-and-after video of a rescued pet or a heartfelt testimonial from an adopter can inspire people to share your posts. Encourage your followers to like, share, and comment – every interaction boosts your visibility. You can even create a simple challenge like asking supporters to post their favorite pet photo with a caption about generosity and tag your organization, to spread awareness organically.

• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Invite your most enthusiastic supporters to fundraise on your behalf. This could be as informal as having volunteers and board members set up Facebook fundraisers benefiting your rescue on GivingTuesday, or as structured as using a fundraising platform’s peer campaign tools. When supporters reach out to their personal networks, your cause can reach new audiences. Provide them with a sample story or template so their messaging stays on point. Many people are happy to help if you make it easy by giving them pre-written text or images to share. Even a handful of dedicated fans raising money from friends can significantly expand your campaign’s reach.

• Include Local Media and Partners: Don’t forget your local community. Send a short press release to local news outlets about your GivingTuesday efforts – the human-interest angle of helping pets might get a mention in a community news bulletin or local radio. Partner with supportive local businesses if possible: for instance, a pet supply store might agree to promote your campaign or match donations up to a certain amount. Any additional publicity helps, especially in a smaller town or region where word-of-mouth travels quickly.

• Offer Multiple Ways to Contribute: GivingTuesday isn’t only about money. In fact, in 2022, only about 51% of U.S. participants gave money – many others donated goods, volunteered, or performed acts of kindness. So let people know that any form of generosity is welcome. Invite folks to volunteer their time (maybe you can host a volunteer orientation or a shelter cleanup event around that day). Ask supporters to donate pet food, bedding, or other needed supplies if they are unable to give funds. Encourage everyone to spread the word about your mission – even a share or recommendation on social media is a contribution. By offering different ways to help, you make more people feel included. Every act of support, big or small, builds momentum and can inspire others to get involved.

The key is to communicate these opportunities clearly. In your emails and posts, say “If you can’t donate, you can still help us by volunteering or sharing our campaign with others.” This inclusive approach can turn passive supporters into active champions for your cause.

How to Use Matching Gifts and Challenges to Boost Giving

One proven way to supercharge your GivingTuesday campaign is to incorporate a matching gift or challenge. People get excited when they know their donation will go twice as far. If you can secure a sponsor or lead donor to pledge a match (even a modest one), promote it heavily! Research shows that 84% of individuals are more likely to donate if they know a match is being offered, and one in three donors will even contribute a larger amount when a match is in play. Simply mentioning a matching gift in your appeal can increase the response rate by 71% and result in a 51% higher average donation, a huge uplift for your rescue.

There are a few ways to use this psychology:

• Find a Matching Donor: This could be a board member, a local business, or a generous supporter willing to match donations up to a certain total. Even a $500 or $1,000 match can be very motivating. Announce it in all your messaging: “All gifts will be doubled up to $1,000 thanks to [Donor/Sponsor]!” This creates urgency for donors to give now so their impact is maximized.

• Matching Gift Programs: Remind donors that many employers offer corporate matching gifts. Encourage supporters to check if their employer will match their donation – it’s free money for your cause. You might include a line in your thank-you email or confirmation page like, “Did you know your employer might match your gift? Click here to find out.” Highlighting these programs can raise awareness and prompt donors to take that extra stepneonone.com.

• Challenges and Milestones: If a full match isn’t available, you can still use gamification to drive interest. For example, set a power hour challenge during a specific time on GivingTuesday where a small pool of donors have pledged $5 for every donation made in that hour. Or simply publicly celebrate milestones: “A generous friend will give an extra $250 if we hit 50 donors by noon.” These mini-goals can keep momentum going through the day.

Whatever approach you choose, make the impact clear: “Your $50 gift can turn into $100 of support,” “Give now to unlock an extra $250 for the animals,” etc. During the campaign, if you reach a matching goal, be sure to announce it (and maybe set a new challenge if possible). And if you don’t meet the full match, you can often get the sponsor to still contribute proportionally, so it’s low-risk to try. The excitement and urgency that matches create can significantly boost your total donations for GivingTuesday.

How Harness AI to Amplify Your Fundraising Impact

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer for nonprofits. Even the smallest rescue can take advantage of AI tools to enhance their GivingTuesday campaign. Think of AI as an extra pair of hands (or paws!) that can help you work smarter and reach more people. Here are some ways to leverage AI for greater awareness, support, and donations:

• Content Creation and Brainstorming: Staring at a blank page when writing appeal emails or social posts? Try using AI writing assistants (like ChatGPT or other free tools) to generate ideas and first drafts. AI is great at brainstorming catchy headlines, email subject lines, or social media captions. For example, you can prompt an AI: “Give me 5 Facebook post ideas for an animal shelter fundraising on #GivingTuesday” – and then refine the suggestions in your own voice. Some nonprofit-specific AI tools can even draft persuasive fundraising text for you. Using AI to handle the grunt work of drafting content frees up your time to add the personal stories and details that make it truly compelling. (Important: Always review and edit AI-generated text for accuracy and tone – you know your audience best, and authenticity matters.

• Personalized Outreach: AI can help you tailor your messaging to different donor segments. If you have data on past donors, AI analytics tools might predict which supporters are likely to give larger gifts or respond to certain messages. For instance, some fundraising platforms use AI to suggest individualized ask amounts based on a donor’s history. Even without fancy software, you can use simple AI tools to draft variations of an email – one version for your long-time donors thanking them for past support, another for new prospects emphasizing your mission introduction – and then send each to the appropriate list. Personalizing communications in this way can increase engagement, since people feel the message speaks directly to them.

• Social Media Scheduling and Management: There are AI-powered tools that can analyze when your followers are most active and schedule your GivingTuesday posts for peak times. Some can even recommend hashtags or trending topics to latch onto for broader reach. While you may not need a dedicated AI app for this, be aware that built-in features on platforms like Facebook or Instagram (or third-party services) often have smart scheduling suggestions – essentially a touch of AI – to optimize your posting strategy. Additionally, AI image generators or editors can help create eye-catching visuals (for example, adding text overlay on a photo in a style that grabs attention), if you don’t have a graphic designer. Visually appealing content is more likely to be shared, boosting awareness.

• Enhanced Accessibility and Inclusion: A clever way AI can broaden your campaign’s support is by making your content more accessible. Ensure your videos have captions – AI can quickly transcribe and caption your fundraiser videos, which is great for supporters watching without sound or those with hearing impairment. Use AI tools to generate alt-text descriptions for your images (so visually impaired users using screen-readers can hear what’s in the image). You can even translate key posts or emails into other languages common in your community using AI translation. By doing this, you invite a wider audience to engage with your message, showing that everyone’s participation is valued.

• AI Chatbots for Donor Support: If you expect a lot of traffic to your website on GivingTuesday, an AI-powered chatbot could be set up to answer common questions from visitors. For example, it can assist people looking for the “Donate” button, provide details about your campaign (“Yes, we’re trying to raise $X for the medical fund”), or even tell a quick success story. This kind of instant response can help convert interested site visitors into donors. Some donation platforms have this feature built-in, or there are services that plug into your site. It’s not a must-have, but something to consider as you grow.

Remember, AI is a helper, not a replacement for your unique voice and passion. The goal is to let AI handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks (like drafting content, summarizing data, etc.) so that you can focus on the creative and personal aspects of your campaign. Always add a human touch to whatever AI produces – for instance, insert a specific anecdote about a dog or cat from your shelter into that AI-generated email draft. This ensures your outreach feels genuine and heartfelt, not generic. Used well, AI can dramatically increase your productivity and consistency (imagine scheduling a whole day’s worth of GivingTuesday social media posts in minutes), helping you reach more people with less effort. By embracing these tools, even volunteer-run rescues can punch above their weight in marketing and fundraising.

If you’re curious how to use AI for your rescue — whether it’s writing better fundraising content, streamlining your grant process, or improving your digital presence — I’m happy to help. While I can’t take on consulting or volunteer roles, I love sharing what I’ve learned. If you have questions, reach out and I’ll gladly point you in the right direction or suggest tools that make sense for your organization.

How to Thank Donors and Build Lasting Support

Your job isn’t done when GivingTuesday ends – in fact, the hours and days right after are crucial for solidifying new relationships and retaining supporters. Always send a prompt, sincere thank-you to everyone who contributed. An immediate email receipt or thank-you message on the donation confirmation page is essential, but consider going further: send a personalized thank-you email within 24–48 hours, post a public thank-you on social media, and share the results of your campaign. For example, you might announce, “Thanks to your generosity, we raised $6,200, surpassing our goal and helping us save more lives!” along with a cheerful photo of a rescue animal. This not only recognizes your donors but also shows non-donors that something wonderful happened, which might inspire them to join next time.

If some donors’ employers offer matching gifts, gently remind those donors to submit their match requests (if they haven’t already). A quick follow-up noting, “Your gift might be eligible to be doubled by your company – here’s how to check,” can yield additional funds after GivingTuesday. Many matching gifts actually come in after the day itself, once donors take action with their employers, so it’s worth nudging.

Finally, think long-term: try to convert one-time givers into ongoing supporters. If someone donated for the first time on GivingTuesday, add them to your newsletter or invite them to follow your social pages to keep up with your work. You might send a story a week later about the animals they helped, or an invite to a holiday adoption event, etc. Show them the impact of their gift so they feel connected. Interestingly, studies have found that a large percentage of GivingTuesday donors who set up recurring (monthly) donations will also give an extra one-time gift by year-end. This means that fostering ongoing giving doesn’t cannibalize your year-end fundraising – it can augment it. So if appropriate, during follow-up you can invite donors to consider becoming a monthly donor or to stay involved in other ways. Even just maintaining engagement through updates will make them more likely to give again in the future.

Maximize this GivingTuesday for Your Rescue

GivingTuesday is a moment of connection, compassion, and hope. You don’t need a huge team or a marketing budget to make it meaningful. You just need your story, your community, and a bit of creativity (with some smart tools to back you up). And AI isn’t here to replace your work — it’s here to amplify it. Use it to reclaim your time, expand your reach, and free yourself from busywork so you can do what you do best: save lives.

From one rescuer to another, thank you for the work you do day in and day out to give animals a second chance. Here’s to making this GivingTuesday your most successful yet!

Founder

More Resources for Your GivingTuesday Efforts

• GivingTuesday Nonprofit Toolkit: Provides brand assets, messaging tips, and planning guides

• Learning Lab Facebook Group: A community for nonprofits to share ideas and get feedback

• Local and Issue-Based GivingTuesday Networks: Find and connect with local coalitions to increase reach

• Generative AI: Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Jasper.ai can help write appeals, thank-you notes, and social media posts

• Graphic design: Canva offers AI-powered features to create graphics and videos for campaigns

• Video creation: Synthesia can generate professional videos with AI avatars

• Grammar and editing: Grammarly helps polish written communications.

• Prospect research: Predictive AI tools like DonorSearch Ai and Dataro analyze data to identify and prioritize potential major donors