How to Create a Giving Tuesday Campaign on Facebook

Launching a Giving Tuesday campaign on Facebook can feel like a huge task, but it's one of the most effective ways to rally your community and raise funds for your cause. This guide breaks down exactly how to plan, launch, and manage a successful campaign from start to finish. We'll cover everything from crafting your story and setting up the right tools to creating content that inspires action and keeps momentum going long after the day is over.

Phase 1: Your Pre-Campaign Blueprint

Success on Giving Tuesday is determined weeks before the actual day. A strong foundation makes execution smooth, allowing you to focus on engagement and community connection when it matters most. This is where you set your goals, define your narrative, and prepare your assets.

Define a Clear, Measurable Goal

"Raising money" isn't a goal, it's a wish. A powerful goal is specific, measurable, and tangible. It gives your audience something concrete to rally behind. Instead of saying, "Help us support a family," try, "Help us raise $2,000 to provide winter coats, warm meals, and school supplies for five local families."

Connecting your fundraising target to a specific outcome does two things:

• It creates urgency and clarity. Donors know exactly where their money is going and what impact it will have.
• It allows for compelling storytelling. You can share updates tied directly to the goal, like, "Amazing! We just raised enough to provide coats for two families! Let's keep going!"

Craft an Emotional Story

People donate because they are moved by a story, not by a statistic. Your campaign's narrative is its heart. Don't just talk about what your organization does, show why it matters. Find a single, compelling story that illustrates your impact.

Consider framing your campaign around:

• An individual's journey: Tell the story of one person, animal, or community your organization helped. Use quotes, photos, and even a short video to bring their experience to life.
• A specific project: Focus the campaign on funding a single, tangible project, like building a new community garden, funding a specific research grant, or launching a mentorship program.
• A behind-the-scenes look: Show your audience the hard work your team and volunteers do every day. This builds trust and helps people feel connected to your mission in a personal way.

Gather Your Visuals

On social media, visuals do the heavy lifting. Before you get busy with the campaign, create a folder with all the images and videos you'll need. Your content should be emotionally resonant and visually consistent.

Your visual assets checklist:

• High-Quality Photos: At least 5-10 compelling images showing your work in action. Think faces, emotion, and impact.
• Short Videos (Under 60 seconds): Video is king, especially on Facebook. Aim for a testimonial from a beneficiary, a quick message from your director, or a behind-the-scenes tour. Format them vertically (9:16) so they work perfectly for Reels and Stories.
• Branded Graphics: Create a few simple, clean graphics using Canva or a similar tool. Include a "Save the Date" graphic, a "Thank You" graphic, and templates for sharing progress updates. Use your organization's colors and fonts to stay on brand.

Phase 2: Set Up Your Facebook Fundraising Tools

Facebook makes it incredibly easy for people to give without ever leaving the platform. Removing friction from the donation process is vital, so using their native tools is a smart move.

Create a Facebook Page Fundraiser

A dedicated fundraiser for your campaign centralizes donations and makes sharing simple. Here's a quick step-by-step for setting it up directly on your Page:

1. On your organization's Facebook Page, find the "Fundraisers" tab on the left menu (you might have to click "More").
2. Click the "Raise Money" button.
3. When asked who you're raising money for, select "Nonprofit."
4. Search for and select your official nonprofit page. You must be registered with Facebook Charitable Giving Tools for this to work.
5. Fill in the details:
   • Fundraiser Title: Make it clear and compelling (e.g., "Giving Tuesday: Winter Coats for 100 Kids").
   • Description: This is where you tell your story! Explain the problem, the solution, and the direct impact of a donation.
   • Goal Amount: Enter the specific, measurable goal you set in the planning phase.
   • End Date: Set it for a day or two after Giving Tuesday to capture any late donations.
6. Cover Image: Upload a powerful, on-brand image that captures the spirit of your campaign.
7. Click "Create." Your fundraiser is now live and ready to be shared.

Add a "Donate" Button to Everything

Make giving possible at every touchpoint. In addition to your main fundraiser page, use Facebook's built-in features:

• Page "Donate" Button: Make sure the main call-to-action button on your Page is set to "Donate." It links directly to your fundraiser.
• Donation Stickers in Stories & Reels: When you share updates via Stories or Reels, add an interactive "Donate" sticker. This captures attention in the moment and allows for impulse giving, which is incredibly effective.
• Donation Buttons on Posts: Many pages have the option to add a "Donate" button to individual feed posts. Use this on all your campaign-related content for maximum visibility.

Phase 3: Your Content Strategy for Maximum Impact

A Giving Tuesday 'campaign' is more than a single day of asks. It's a communication arc that builds anticipation, creates urgency on the day, and closes with gratitude. Plan your content in three stages.

The Week Before: Build Awareness and Anticipation

The goal here is not to ask for money yet. It's to prime your audience, get them emotionally invested, and let them know something big is coming. Post once a day during the 5-7 days before Giving Tuesday.

Content Ideas:

• "Save the Date" Post: Announce that you're participating in Giving Tuesday and hint at the special project you'll be funding.
• Storytelling Posts: Introduce the problem or the person your campaign will support. Share a short video testimonial or a moving photo with a snippet of your story.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Post photos or a quick Reel of your team preparing for the big day. It feels authentic and inclusive.
• Countdown Graphics: Start a simple "3 Days Until Giving Tuesday!" countdown to build excitement.

Giving Tuesday: A Day of Action and Engagement

This is your all-out push. Plan to post multiple times throughout the day across your feed, Stories, and Reels. Keep the energy high and stay engaged with your community.

Sample posting schedule:

• 8 AM (The Launch): A powerful, enthusiastic post announcing the campaign is live. Share the direct link to your fundraiser and clearly state the day's goal.
• 12 PM (Midday Update): Share your progress! "We're 40% of the way to our goal! Thank you to the 50 people who have already given. Let's get to 50% by 2 PM!" This creates social proof and urgency.
• 4 PM (The afternoon lull fighter): Go Live on Facebook for 10-15 minutes. Share a story, introduce a staff member, or answer questions. A live element re-energizes your audience. It's also a great time to announce a matching gift if you have one.
• 8 PM (The Final Push): "We have just 4 hours left to reach our goal! We're so close! Any amount helps us get there." Use your most emotionally compelling image or video here.

Pro Tip: Remember to actively engage. Respond to every comment, thank donors publicly in the comments (if appropriate), and share posts from supporters who mention your campaign.

The Day After: Express Gratitude and Report Impact

Your work isn't done when Giving Tuesday ends. The follow-up is one of the most important steps for retaining long-term supporters.

Content Ideas:

• The Big Thank You: A heartfelt post with a graphic showing the final amount raised. Thank your community, volunteers, and everyone who shared the campaign. Tag key partners or sponsors.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: A few days or weeks later, post an update showing the donations at work. If you raised money for coats, show a picture of the delivery. If it was for a program, share a quote from a participant. This closes the loop and builds immense trust.

Phase 4: Activate Your Community

You shouldn't be the only one talking about your campaign. The most successful campaigns empower their biggest fans to become advocates.

Launch a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign

Facebook allows individuals to create fundraisers on behalf of their favorite nonprofits. This is peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising, and it's incredibly powerful. Actively recruit your most dedicated supporters - board members, volunteers, and past donors - to start their own fundraisers.

Make it easy for them. Create a simple "P2P Toolkit" with:

• Sample text they can copy and paste for their fundraiser description.
• A selection of high-quality photos and graphics for their cover image.
• A direct link to your main fundraiser they can share.

Source a Matching Gift

A matching gift is one of the single greatest motivators for donations. The proposition - "double your impact" - is simple and highly effective. Reach out to a corporate sponsor or a major donor and ask them to provide a match for a certain amount raised on Giving Tuesday (e.g., "for the first $5,000 raised").

Promote this heavily! Make it a central part of your messaging: "Great news! Every dollar you give today will be matched up to $5,000, doubling your support!"

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, a thriving Giving Tuesday campaign is about blending a clear, emotional story with a well-organized plan. By setting a tangible goal, planning your content in stages, and empowering your community to join in, you create a wave of support that extends far beyond just one day of giving.

We know firsthand that planning, scheduling, and engaging with content for a multi-day campaign like this can get hectic. It's often chaos to manage feed posts, Reels, and Stories while trying to reply to every comment promptly. It's exactly why we built Postbase. Our visual calendar lets you lay out your entire Giving Tuesday content plan in advance, while our unified inbox brings all your Facebook comments and messages into one place, so you never miss an opportunity to engage a potential donor.