Updated: November 19, 2025
GivingTuesday 2025 is fast approaching, and many nonprofits are preparing their messages, graphics, and outreach strategies for one of the biggest giving days of the year. While creativity and visibility are essential, true success depends on something many campaigns overlook: how well you monitor and measure your efforts.
It’s easy to focus exclusively on dollars raised, but that metric alone rarely tells the full story. With the right tracking strategy, you can understand who you engaged, which outreach methods were most effective, what motivated donors to give, and how to strengthen both your fundraising and volunteer programs all year long.
This guide will walk you through how to prepare for GivingTuesday 2025 with clear goals, organized tracking, and meaningful analysis.
What Is GivingTuesday 2025?
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement founded in 2012. Held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it inspires millions of people to support causes through donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness. Learn more at the official site:
👉 https://www.givingtuesday.org
Social media also plays a key role in the event’s visibility. Using hashtags like #GivingTuesday2025 and #GivingTuesday can help potential supporters discover your organization.
Why Measuring Your GivingTuesday Campaign Matters
Although GivingTuesday lasts only one day, the insights you gather can shape your fundraising year. A robust measurement strategy helps you understand which messages resonate, what motivates supporters, and how to refine your approach for year-end giving. Strong measurement also creates opportunities to improve donor retention, grow your volunteer base, and strengthen future campaigns.
Set Clear, Measurable Goals for GivingTuesday
Begin by outlining clear objectives for fundraising, engagement, and volunteer program growth. Revenue targets matter, but so do goals related to audience expansion, content performance, and supporter behavior. You may want to grow your email list, re-engage lapsed donors, or strengthen recurring giving.
Because GivingTuesday often attracts new people to your mission, it’s also a powerful moment to advance your volunteer program. Use it to increase volunteer interest, identify supporters who might donate and volunteer, or promote upcoming orientation events. These goals help you capture more than financial value—you gather insights that fuel growth in 2026.
Prepare Your Social Media Channels
Social media is central to GivingTuesday visibility, so prepare your channels well in advance. Create engaging, platform-specific content such as videos, impact stories, or graphics that highlight how GivingTuesday contributions will make a difference.
Pin a post that introduces your campaign so new visitors immediately understand your mission and how to support it. If you use online communities like Facebook Groups, Discord, or Instagram broadcast channels, prepare to use them for real-time updates and supporter engagement throughout the day.
Use Tracking Codes to Understand What’s Working
Setting up tracking codes (UTM's) for your GivingTuesday links is essential. Use Google’s Campaign URL Builder to easily create them:
👉 https://ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder/
Unique tracking links help you understand which platforms—email, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, or ambassadors—drive the most traffic and donations. These insights will be invaluable when planning your year-end fundraising push.
Ensure Your Website and Donation Tools Are Ready
Make sure your website and donation pages are prepared for an increase in traffic. Confirm that your site loads quickly on mobile devices, your donation forms work smoothly, and your CRM captures donor information correctly. If you rely on real-time updates during GivingTuesday, coordinate with IT or your platform provider ahead of time.
Having a backup donation link or QR code on hand ensures you’re prepared for unexpected technical issues.
Use Analytics Before, During, and After the Campaign
Analytics help you understand the full picture of your GivingTuesday performance. Throughout the day, keep an eye on real-time metrics such as website traffic, social engagement, and donation activity. If something isn’t performing well, adjust your messaging or timing accordingly.
After the event, review which channels generated the most engagement, which content resonated, and how donors and volunteers behaved. Assess how many people expressed interest in volunteering, how volunteers engaged with your messaging, and whether volunteers contributed financially. This information will help you refine your strategy for 2026.
Strengthen Your Volunteer Program Heading Into 2026
GivingTuesday brings a surge of energy from donors and volunteers alike. It’s the perfect moment to strengthen your volunteer engagement strategy.
If you’re looking for a platform that streamlines recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, communication, reporting, and volunteer-to-donor conversion, consider exploring VolunteerHub:
👉 Learn more: https://www.volunteerhub.com
