7 Tips for Animal Shelters on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is a global day of giving fueled by social media. In 2022, donors in the United States gave $3.1 billion on Giving Tuesday, 15% more than in 2021!

The ASPCA’s social media experts have compiled 7 best practices that can help you leverage this philanthropic powerhouse to raise funds and spread awareness about your work. 

Build an Integrated Campaign, Start Early, and Post Often

Develop a Giving Tuesday campaign with messaging that can work across all marketing platforms: advertising, social media, direct mail, email, PR, etc. You want to tailor the message to each platform and have consistency to create brand recognition across platforms. Start promoting your campaign at least 2-3 weeks in advance of Giving Tuesday so that you can build momentum leading up to the big day. During the actual week leading up to Giving Tuesday, increase your frequency of posts across all social media channels for added exposure. 

Secure a Match Partner

Securing a match partner provides added incentive for donors because they know their donations have an even bigger impact. Giving Tuesday also makes companies feel good about giving back following two big days of consumption, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consider reaching out to local businesses in your community like restaurants, banks, or even private donors. This could be a great opportunity for local businesses to get involved in an important cause during a very challenging year when many fundraising events had to be canceled. 

Try Facebook and Instagram Live with Donate

Use the donate button while doing a Live video on Facebook and/or Instagram. Tell your audience in advance so that they know when to tune in. Be creative and showcase adorable animals and everything your organization does to help them, particularly during this difficult year. Consider using a small budget to boost your Facebook Live for added exposure.

Leverage Other Facebook Tools

Facebook has a plethora of tools and products that nonprofits can leverage to fundraise:

• Create a Giving Tuesday-themed Facebook Fundraiser, and talk about the great work your organization has done to help animals. Pin the Fundraiser so that it’s the first thing people see when they visit your Facebook page. Consider using a small budget to boost your Fundraiser for added exposure. 
• Encourage your supporters to create their own Facebook Fundraisers for your organization in honor of Giving Tuesday. You can provide them with this link so that they can easily start a fundraiser for your shelter or rescue: facebook.com/fund/yourfacebookusername (example: www.facebook.com/fund/ASPCA)
• Add a Donation Sticker to your Instagram Stories and ask your followers to add the Sticker on their own Stories to help you raise more funds.

Donating within Facebook and Instagram is easy for donors because they don't ever have to leave the platform. Check out this list of all the Facebook donation tools you can use. Check to make sure that your organization is eligible to receive Facebook donations. And, check out our Tips for Fundraising with Social Media.

Engage Influencers

Ask social media influencers and local celebrities in your community to help promote your Giving Tuesday campaign. Provide them with sample language and compelling photos they can use in their social media posts. If they use Instagram, encourage them to do an Instagram Live with donate button, or Instagram stories with the Donation Sticker. If they use Facebook, encourage them to create a Facebook Fundraiser for your organization. 

Share Across Platforms

Share information about your fundraiser across the different social media platforms. Create content that is tailored to each social media platform. For example, include a link to your Giving Tuesday campaign in your Instagram/Twitter bio and update your Facebook cover image to be Giving Tuesday-themed. Make sure to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to maximize your reach, especially on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Thank Everyone

Make sure you give a BIG thank-you to anyone who donated on social media or created a fundraiser on your behalf! You won't receive email information from everyone who donates through Facebook, so it's important to cultivate relationships within the platform by thanking them in the comments or through direct messages.