5 Giving Tuesday email examples that convert

In 2025, Giving Tuesday raised $4.0 billion in the United States, up 13% from 2024, which included $76,901,871 raised for nonprofits and individuals across GoFundMe. The global event inspires millions of people to donate to causes they care about, and email marketing is pivotal in effectively motivating new and existing audiences to support your nonprofit’s timely goals.

The number of emails supporters receive spikes during the holiday season, especially around Black Friday, the highest email volume day of the year. Despite this influx, internal GoFundMe Pro platform data reveals that donation conversion rates are 2x as high during the year-end season, and Giving Tuesday campaigns see 12x more donor acquisitions. This makes it crucial to design emails with a compelling, clear call to action (CTA) that can push through the noise and stand out in a crowded inbox.

Below, we highlight five high-converting Giving Tuesday email examples that activate engagement, encourage action, and drive donations. These Giving Tuesday email examples can help you increase open rates across your organization’s year-end messaging and make the most of this global giving event.

1. Engage donors creatively ahead of Giving Tuesday

Your nonprofit’s success on Giving Tuesday hinges on your preparations well before the event. In the weeks leading up to Giving Tuesday, build donor excitement about the approaching donation opportunity and remind them to save the date.

Email

One way to foster early momentum is through a campaign soft launch. This allows you to test your plans in an environment where you can make adjustments while simultaneously collecting online donations from your most loyal inner circle.

Then, when you officially launch, new visitors will see you’ve already made significant progress toward your goal and, according to the goal proximity effect, could feel more motivated to participate.

You can also integrate Giving Tuesday into your existing year-end communications before your official launch. This introduces the event to your donors early, familiarizing them with your goals and encouraging them to participate when the giving day arrives.

The key is to send one email per week dedicated to Giving Tuesday throughout the month leading up to your launch, whether you combine it with preexisting efforts or craft a new message. However, in a time crunch, don’t be afraid to use tools like ChatGPT to ask for Giving Tuesday email templates that you can quickly customize.

Example: Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children shares its FMSC MarketPlace two weeks before Giving Tuesday. The nonprofit highlights holiday-themed gifts from its shop handmade by program beneficiaries. It also notes how many meals each purchase provides.

Sending this email in advance of Giving Tuesday puts a face to FMSC’s work and gives supporters a chance to connect in a meaningful way. The nonprofit notes: “Every purchase strengthens families and communities. Profits fund meals for kids around the world.”

This is a reminder to shoppers of the mission when their purchase arrives about two weeks later on Giving Tuesday.

2. Kick-start fundraising with a gift option on Cyber Monday

The holiday season is ripe with consumer-focused days, such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Amid the spending, donors may be hungry for a chance to slow down and tap into the spirit of generosity.

Meet donors where they are and kick-start your Giving Tuesday campaign early by using one of these big shopping days to grab their attention.

Encourage donors to “shop” for someone on their holiday list by making a donation in their honor. This not only allows you to test creative fundraising campaigns but also gets your cause in front of busy supporters early, keeping your nonprofit top of mind for Giving Tuesday and the entire year-end giving season.

Example: Concern Worldwide US

Concern Worldwide US uses Cyber Monday as inspiration to sell e-cards that support its mission. The nonprofit explains: “In 2022, Americans spent nearly $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday. Imagine the impact that could have for the most vulnerable communities living on the frontlines of the global hunger crisis.”

The email makes gift giving easy by highlighting how it only takes one click to purchase an e-card for someone special. This approach helps donors get a head start on their holiday shopping while also helping Concern Worldwide US jump-start its Giving Tuesday goals.

3. Foster friendly competition with a matching gift

Research from Double the Donation found that 84% of survey participants were more likely to donate if there was a matching gift, and 1 in 3 said they’d give a larger initial donation if there was a match.

On Giving Tuesday, highlighting a donation match can strengthen your CTA. While there are many ways to promote a matching gift, incorporating a competitive element is one creative route you can take. Compare year-over-year matching donation totals to try to raise the bar, offer a prize for the first dozen donors to make a matched gift, or tender fun games to promote meeting your match goal.

A well-timed Giving Tuesday matching gift campaign like this can turn a single ask into a friendly competition among your donors.

Example: Days for Girls

Days for Girls uses an attention-grabbing email subject line in this Giving Tuesday email to introduce supporters to its matching gift challenge: “One Million Dollars?😉” It then informs recipients that the nonprofit is participating in GlobalGiving’s Move a Million Campaign for Giving Tuesday, where all donations up to $2,500 are eligible for a portion of the $1 million matching prize during the 24-hour digital matching event.

The nonprofit reminds supporters that their support helped them finish in 10th place in last year’s campaign, securing a $15,000 match. The CTA is in bold: “Will you help us beat last year’s giving?”

This approach motivates donors to make their impact even better than last year. The nonprofit ends the email with a brief reminder of its mission and a link to where supporters can watch the leaderboard to track the campaign’s progress.

4. Drive urgency with time-limited opportunities

Giving Tuesday email subject lines that convey urgency are one of the most effective ways to drive last-minute donations. 

Another powerful way to drive momentum on Giving Tuesday is to put a time restriction on your matching campaign. If you tell supporters a matching gift is only available for a few hours, that creates a sense of urgency. Email recipients then get motivated to move from their inbox to your donation site to help meet your fundraising goal right away.

A time-limited match also offers additional touchpoints through subsequent emails, with Giving Tuesday email subject lines like:

• Match Begins Now! Double Your Impact This Hour
• Match 50% Over: Help Us Raise an Additional $10,000
• Time’s Running Out: Get Your Donation Matched Now!
• Match Is Over, but There’s Still Time to Donate!

Each moment of connection engages donors and helps your nonprofit get to the finish line for your Giving Tuesday campaign.

Example: Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

Atlanta Habitat for Humanity highlights a donation match opportunity that it calls “power hour.” This last-minute announcement doubles all gifts given within the next hour. The email includes customized donation buttons throughout the message to amplify the time-limited opportunity’s impact: “Your $125 Gift Becomes $250.”

With the nonprofit’s name and Giving Tuesday logo at the top of the email, donors are quickly met with branding they know and trust. They can then move fast to claim the offer and double their gift.

5. Cross-promote your Giving Tuesday email across channels

Your Giving Tuesday email works best as part of a bigger push, not a stand-alone message. Example #1 covers building momentum on social media in the weeks before Giving Tuesday. This email example is about the day itself: giving supporters more than one way to see and act on your ask once your campaign goes live.

Text-to-give is one of the simplest ways to do this. If a supporter opens your email but doesn’t click through right away, a short follow-up text later that day can bring them back to your donation page without you having to write a new message from scratch.

Just make sure your website reflects the same ask. Add a Giving Tuesday banner to your homepage and donation page so visitors arriving from anywhere—whether it’s your email, a shared social media post, or a search result—land on a consistent message.

Lastly, time these touchpoints close together rather than spreading them out. A text reminder sent an hour or two after your email, paired with a same-day social media post linking back to your campaign page, keeps your ask visible without supporters having to dig through their inbox to find it again.

Elevate your Giving Tuesday success with email best practices that convert

If you need help with your Giving Tuesday email strategy, GoFundMe Pro has you covered with this giving season planner. This resource provides example timelines, sample subject lines to A/B test, and other email marketing tips for Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns. Dive in today to take your marketing to the next level.

Giving Tuesday email examples FAQs

How many emails should a nonprofit send before Giving Tuesday?

Aim for about one email per week dedicated to Giving Tuesday throughout the month leading up to your official launch, whether that’s a stand-alone message or tailored messaging folded into your existing year-end communications.

What makes a good Giving Tuesday email subject line?

The strongest Giving Tuesday email subject lines create urgency and speak directly to the moment, such as a countdown on a matching gift deadline or a direct ask tied to a specific dollar amount.

How much can a matching gift increase Giving Tuesday donations?

Research from Double the Donation found that 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate when a matching gift is offered, and 1 in 3 say they’d give a larger initial donation if their gift is matched.

How can nonprofits encourage recurring donations on Giving Tuesday?

Set a specific goal for new recurring donors alongside your overall fundraising goal, promote it in your emails, and consider a small incentive for supporters who sign up for recurring donations that day.