Beyond GivingTuesday: How to Maximize Local Giving Days for Donor Growth
By Sandra Davis, CEO & Founder of Donorly
Learn how nonprofits can leverage local giving days to acquire new donors, deepen relationships, and build sustainable fundraising beyond GivingTuesday.
Why Local Giving Days Matter More Than Ever
Imagine 24 hours where your community rallies together—neighbors supporting neighbors, local businesses championing causes, and your nonprofit at the center of it all. That’s the power of local giving days, and they’re happening in communities across the U.S. right now.
Unlike GivingTuesday, these focused on hyper local.events. That makes them are community-driven fundraising powerhouses that help nonprofits:
Acquire new donors
Deepen donor relationships
Raise awareness with local businesses and media
Build year-round funding momentum
When executed strategically, these days expand the philanthropic pie, rather than competing for the same dollars.
The Local Advantage: Why Geography Wins
The biggest mistake nonprofits make? Assuming giving days are about competition. In reality, they’re about expansion.
📊 Example: Minnesota's Give to the Max Day raised $14M in its first year (2009). By 2024, that number jumped to $37M across 6,556 organizations—proof that local pride grows giving, it doesn’t divide it.
Local giving days succeed because they tap into hyperlocal connection: donors see their neighbors, businesses, and leaders rallying around causes close to home. That emotional investment is hard to replicate on a national scale.
3 Giving Day Models to Learn From
1. The Steady Builder — Give to the Max Day (Minnesota)
Strategy: Year-round platform + 24-hour flagship moment
Results: $400M+ raised since 2009 from 750K donors
Lesson: Treat the giving day as your annual signature event that fuels campaigns year-round.
How you can apply it:
Anchor your annual calendar around your community’s giving day
Build cultivation sequences that reference this shared event
2. The Volume Champion — North Texas Giving Day
Strategy: Massive participation + zero transaction fees
Results: $70M raised in 2024 for 3,200 nonprofits
Lesson: Remove every friction point and emphasize that 100% of donations go to nonprofits.
How you can apply it:
Lead with the “100% impact” message in all communications
Use the foundation partner’s credibility to reach new donors
3. The Gamification Master — The Big Give (Central Ohio)
Strategy: Bonus pools + urgency-driven challenges
Results: $32.5M in 32 hours, donors from all 50 states
Lesson: Urgency, matching, and even tech glitches can generate excitement when framed as evidence of momentum.
How you can apply it:
Use bonus pool psychology (“Your $50 becomes $65”)
Create urgency with limited-time challenges
How to Find Your Local Giving Day
Not sure if your community has a local giving day? Start your search here:
Community Foundations → “[Your City] Community Foundation giving day”
United Way Chapters → Many run or co-host events
Regional Nonprofits → Hospitals, universities, cultural anchors often sponsor campaigns
Key Giving Days by State
While this isn't exhaustive, here are some major local giving days to research:
Creating Your Own Local Movement
If your community doesn’t yet have a giving day, it’s an opportunity. Local giving days work best as collaborative movements, not solo projects, so the first step is finding the right partners to anchor your effort.
Find the Right Hub Partner
Look for organizations with community reach, credibility, and infrastructure:
Community Foundations: Often the strongest conveners, with donor relationships, grantmaking experience, and the capacity to manage a shared giving platform.
United Way Chapters: Known for corporate ties and community convening power, making them ideal partners for business sponsorships and workplace giving.
Large Cultural Institutions: Museums, hospitals, or universities can bring brand recognition and media attention, helping establish legitimacy for the new initiative.
Civic Leaders and Chambers of Commerce: Don’t overlook local government or business networks—they often welcome initiatives that strengthen local philanthropy and community engagement.
Craft a Winning Partnership Pitch
The key is to position a giving day as community economic development, not nonprofit competition. Giving days expand the philanthropic pie rather than slice it thinner. Back your pitch with compelling data:
“Minnesota increased annual charitable giving by 18% after launching Give to the Max Day.”
“Local giving days typically attract 40% brand-new donors for participating organizations.”
“Corporate involvement during giving days boosts business visibility while strengthening community loyalty.”
Make the Vision Tangible
Paint a picture for partners: a high-energy, 24-hour event that rallies residents, businesses, and media while driving measurable impact for local nonprofits. Share how this initiative could:
Build stronger nonprofit capacity across the region
Bring new donors into the giving ecosystem
Position the community as a leader in innovation and collaboration
With the right coalition, you’re not just creating a fundraising event—you’re launching a tradition that can transform how your community invests in itself.
Your 90-Day Preparation Playbook
90–61 Days Out: Foundation Setting
Set Clear Goals: Dollars raised, new donors acquired, list growth, volunteer signups, social engagement.
Optimize Tech: Make donation pages mobile-first (60%+ of gifts come via phone), create branded landing pages, test payment systems for high volume, and set up tracking for donor source attribution.
Build Content: Draft 15–20 graphics, short videos, and testimonials. Write email sequences for before/during/after. Prep 3–5 strong impact stories. Create social templates for staff, board, and volunteers.
60–31 Days Out: Network Activation
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Recruit 10–15 champions. Equip them with personal fundraising pages + toolkits. Set goals that collectively cover 40–50% of your target.
Corporate Partnerships: Pitch bonus hour sponsorships or matching gifts. Package at $500 / $1,000 / $2,500 levels. Offer high-visibility recognition.
Community Engagement: Cross-promote with nonprofits, secure local media coverage, and engage influencers or community leaders.
30–1 Days Out: Momentum Building
Email Drumbeat:
Week 4 → “We’re participating” announcement
Week 3 → “Why this matters” (impact)
Week 2 → “How to help” (peer-to-peer push)
Week 1 → Daily countdown with CTAs
Social Media: Share behind-the-scenes prep, spotlight peer organizations, run countdowns with impact numbers, and post stories/Reels showing team excitement.
Final Prep: Brief your team, schedule posts, set up real-time monitoring, and prep content templates.
Game Day: Hour-by-Hour Playbook
Post-Giving Day Follow-Up Tasks
Within 24 Hours: Thank donors, post results, acknowledge fundraisers, share celebration content
Within 1 Week: Segment new donors, send impact report, call major donors, plan next touchpoint
Within 1 Month: Analyze data, survey participants, fold new donors into communications, begin next year’s planning
Beyond the Dollar: Capturing Non-Financial Wins
Donor Intelligence: Track acquisition sources, segment by gift size, identify corporate supporters and top fundraisers for leadership roles
Content & Storytelling Assets: Gather testimonials, document behind-the-scenes, record leadership thank-you videos
Community Relationships: Connect with nonprofits, sponsors, media, and foundation partners
Key Metrics Beyond Dollars:
Acquisition: New donor %, avg gift, cost per donor, list growth
Engagement: Social reach, email open/click rates, peer-to-peer participation, website conversions
Retention: 3-, 6-, 12-month retention, upgrades, volunteer conversions
Tracking these metrics transforms a single giving day into a year-round growth engine.
Your Action Plan Starts Now
Local giving days aren’t the future—they’re happening now. While other nonprofits wait for December, you can build donor relationships and expand impact today.
This Week:
Research local giving days in your region
Connect with 2–3 nonprofits about their experiences
Reach out to your community foundation
This Month:
Register for an existing giving day or meet potential hub partners
Begin recruiting peer-to-peer fundraisers
This Quarter:
Launch your 90-day prep timeline
Integrate giving day goals into your annual plan
Start building content and relationships to drive your campaign
The philanthropic pie isn’t fixed, and December isn’t your only opportunity. Local giving days prove that collaboration beats competition, benefiting both your nonprofit and your community.
Ready to transform your fundraising calendar?
Read our full “Don’t Wait for December: Your Complete Month-by-Month Year-End Fundraising Blueprint” to grow donor relationships and revenue 365 days a year.
