Every day of every year, we are energized by the incredible work our member nonprofits are doing to change the world for the better. It’s our privilege to provide powerful and practical fundraising tools that are free for these nonprofits so they don’t have to sacrifice their means to satisfy their missions.

In anticipation of giving season 2023, we wanted to share a few examples of inspirational GivingTuesday 2022 fundraising. 

Whether you need a little inspiration or some new tactics for this GivingTuesday, we hope the examples help. 

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Team spirit: Austin Farm Sanctuary brought down the house (or barn) with themed team names

About the organization

The mission of the Austin Farm Sanctuary is to rescue and provide sanctuary to farmed animals and inspire change in how society views and treats these wonderful souls.

What we saw on GivingTuesday 2022

The humans at Austin Farm Sanctuary had an engaging strategy for their GivingTuesday 2022 campaign. They organized their Give Lively–powered Team Fundraising pages by animal: Team G.O.A.T., Team Moo, House of Rooster and Team Oinks A Lot. Peer-to-peer fundraisers then joined their favorite team for a fundraising competition. 

And as an organization centered around the animals, it just made sense! 

The results

471 donors contributed to the GivingTuesday 2022 campaign, raising over $36,000 for veterinary care for the rescued farm animals. Even though Team Moo came first in fundraising with a total of $8,500+, edging out Team G.O.A.T. by a narrow margin, all the animals won with this unique and cute fundraising strategy.

Takeaways

What’s cuter than animals helping with fundraising? Actually, not much. For this animal-centric organization, it made sense to come up with cute team names as part of a cohesive and topical theme to remind donors where their much-appreciated donations go! 

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Bringing receipts: Operation Warm heats up their fundraising with up-front financial reassurance

About the organization

Operation Warm aims to provide warmth, confidence and hope through basic need programs that connect underserved kids to community resources needed to thrive. Operation Warm creates brand-new, high-quality coats and athletic-style shoes for children in need. However, as the organization’s tagline – ‘more than a coat’ – shows, the work is about more than the physical warmth provided by the coats and shoes. It’s also about emotional warmth, the confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future. 

What we saw on GivingTuesday 2022

Operation Warm placed a strong emphasis on information and reassurances donors often seek – that their generosity is covering kids, not overhead costs. Financial information like this is usually found on a nonprofit’s website, but too often buried in fine print or an annual report. , 

Insead, Operation Warm offered financial transparency right on its GivingTuesday 2022 Campaign Page: “$45 provides a brand-new coat and pair of shoes today.” “Over 94¢ of every $1 goes directly to our programs.” (In 2023, Operation Warm shares that over 95¢ of every $1 goes directly to their programs.) We’re glad that our powerful, practical and free fundraising tools aid in making this kind of  efficiency possible!

The results

More than 480 donors contributed to the GivingTuesday 2022 Campaign Page, raising just under $162,000, far exceeding the $100,000 goal. 

Takeaways

It never hurts to stand in donors’ shoes, ponder what they want to know And then make sure that information is easy to find on a fundraising page. It might just be the final confirmation that convinces a donor to give. 

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An uphill battle: the United States Luge Federation Foundation explains the rising costs of racing

About the organization

The mission of the United States Luge Federation Foundation (USA Luge) is to promote and grow the sport of luge in the United States and to help athletes achieve sustained competitive excellence in the sport of luge in the Olympics, World Championships and other international competitions in a manner consistent with highest standards of sportsmanship.

What we saw on GivingTuesday 2022

For its GivingTuesday 2022 campaign, USA Luge did a great job of articulating how changing times and rising costs have made donations more important than ever for the young athletes it helps. It’s easy to imagine that donors know about all the financial challenges young athletes may face; however, nonprofits can’t assume that donors are aware how much and where the costs are mounting. The Campaign Page reads, “In addition to the cost of a single training run increasing, we've also experienced a more than 50% increase in hotel costs in the past year. Overall travel expenses continue to fluctuate resulting in a tremendous effect on our budget.”

The facts of the situation were used to appeal to both returning donors, who might increase their gifts from previous years, and new donors who might give more in light of the facts. 

The results

The GivingTuesday 2022 Campaign Page, powered by Give Lively, received over $17,000 in donations, a 31% increase over their GivingTuesday 2021 results. 

Takeaways

A nonprofit’s expertise in your field matters, and sharing insights can go a long way with benefactors. It’s impossible to know if donors are aware of the challenges and details might inspire them to close the funding gap by giving more.

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Empower every donor: Cathedral Arts Project ties goals to donors not dollars

About the organization

This organization's mission is to empower every child’s creative spirit, elevate arts educators in their field and advocate for access and equity in arts education. Cathedral Arts Project (CAP) instructs and inspires through a variety of arts education programs, including afterschool, school day and summer courses, cultural experiences, advocacy, community partnerships and professional development.

What we saw on GivingTuesday 2022

CAP went with a multipronged fundraising approach, linking Peer-to-Peer Fundraising pages and the text code “CAPKIDS” to its Campaign Page. CAP then went one step further and added an incentive to its campaign description: “This year, CAP is calling on its stakeholders to help attract 100 donors, which will unlock an additional $5,000 gift, courtesy of THE PLAYERS Championship!” 

Nonprofits are no strangers to donation matching and corporate sponsorship, however using goal-based language like this is powerful. And while many nonprofits have goals that “unlock” large, additional donations, CAP tied this goal to the number of donors, not a dollar amount. On Campaign Pages, the number of donors is displayed on the donation tracking thermometer. CAP’s donors were empowered to push over the $5,000 incentive threshold, no matter how small their individual contributions. 

The results

Cathedral Arts Project exceeded the $25,000 goal for a total of $30,538 – from 126 donors.

Takeaways

Incentivizing a goal according to the number of donors, not the total raised, may motivate people who feel like they can’t make large gifts. Let donors know that their contributions will always help – no matter how small they are. 

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Bark to the heart: Medical Mutts shows their impact through storytelling

About the organization

As a leading authority in medical alert assistance dogs, Medical Mutts is dedicated to training rescue dogs as service dogs and promoting collaboration between dogs and people through science, education and ethical training.

What we saw on GivingTuesday

This GivingTuesday Campaign Page is an excellent example of a strong appeal that covers all the basics, including “impact stories” about how each donation amount can make a difference. 

However, the crowning achievement is the description of the fundraising appeal itself. It’s the story of Caleb, whose experience as an adopted child left him with severe abandonment trauma, and Darcy, the rescue dog trained by Medical Mutts to assist Caleb with consistent companionship, especially during panic attacks and night terrors. It is impactful, emotionally charged and surely motivating to potential donors. Importantly, it explains why each donation matters. After all, it was only after many treats, hours of training, vet care and food that Darcy could help open the world to Caleb. 

The results

The Campaign Page surpassed the $1,000 goal on GivingTuesday 2022, but has kept going. At the time of writing, it has accumulated over $4,400 in donations.

Takeaways

Share a poignant example of how your nonprofits work has made an impact. Putting a name and/or face (or snout) to a fundraising appeal is incredibly effective. 

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Make it personal: The Tech Interactive calls on past program participants for support

About the organization

The Tech Interactive (or The Tech) develops the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally through the creation and distribution of world-class immersive STEAM education resources. The Tech is built on the belief that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better. 

What we saw on Giving Tuesday

The Tech got personal with visitors to its Give Lively-powered Campaign Page. With links providing direct access to its many programs, it reads:

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"We spark imaginations through our programs.
* Were you inspired to change the world with The Tech for Global Good
* Did you see your child persevere through The Tech Challenge?
* Do you believe we need more women in STEM?
* Have you explored our interactive galleries with family or on a field trip?
* Has The Tech Academies been there for your professional development?
* Do your little learners enjoy The Tech at Home?"

Through these leading questions, The Tech shows how a potential donor may have personally benefited from its programs. It also serves as a reminder of the range of programming available through The Tech, whether a donor was personally impacted or not. 

The results

Thanks to 262 generous donors, many of them motivated by 32 engaged peer-to-peer fundraisers, The Tech surpassed its $100,000 GivingTuesday fundraising goal by almost $30,000. 

Takeaways

Write your appeal in a way that puts donors in the shoes of someone who has benefited from your programs. Empathy can unlock generosity.