7 Fundraising Ideas to Try for Giving Tuesday 2025

Giving Tuesday 2025 is right around the corner, and for those who want to make an impact, now is the time to start planning. Each year, this global movement brings together millions of people, nonprofits, and companies in a collective celebration of generosity. 

For businesses, it’s an opportunity to engage employees, support communities, and align with a worldwide call to give back. Whether through fundraising, volunteering, or creative campaigns, participating in Giving Tuesday can help strengthen your culture of giving while making a real difference.

Table of Contents:

• What Is Giving Tuesday?
• When Is Giving Tuesday 2025?
• 7 Giving Tuesday Campaign Ideas for 2025
• Tips for Increasing Donations During Giving Season
• Don’t Wait to Plan Your Giving Tuesday Campaigns!
• Host Campaigns & Events Fit for Giving Tuesday 2025 with Groundswell

What Is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity. Launched in 2012, it was designed as a counterbalance to the consumer-driven focus of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Instead of buying, it’s about giving—whether that’s through donations, volunteering, or simple acts of kindness.

Over the years, Giving Tuesday has evolved into a global movement, inspiring millions of people to support nonprofits, contribute to local communities, and come together to create positive change. For companies and organizations, it’s one of the most powerful opportunities to highlight corporate values, engage employees, and connect with communities in meaningful ways.

When Is Giving Tuesday 2025?

The Giving Tuesday 2025 date falls on December 2, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. This timing is important; it lands right at the start of the holiday season when people are already in a giving mindset.

Planning early is key. By starting campaigns in November—or even earlier—you can build momentum leading into the big day. Many organizations also use the official Giving Tuesday 2025 logo in their marketing to reinforce the global movement and tie local efforts to a larger cause.

7 Giving Tuesday Campaign Ideas for 2025

If you’re wondering how your company or organization can get involved, here are some Giving Tuesday ideas that pair perfectly with Groundswell’s giving and volunteering platform.

1. Host a Holiday-Themed Donation Matching Drive

Nothing grabs attention like a match. Set up a campaign where donations made in November and December are matched by your organization. Add a holiday twist by tying the campaign to Thanksgiving, winter holidays, or year-end reflection.

Choose a nonprofit partner that aligns with seasonal needs, such as food banks or shelters. Groundswell makes it simple to set up and track matching campaigns, so donors see their impact doubled in real-time.

2. Plan an Employee-Led Volunteer Event

Volunteering is a powerful way to participate in Giving Tuesday. Consider organizing:

• A day at a soup kitchen, food drive, or toy drive.
• Opportunities for remote employees to volunteer virtually.
• In-office events like assembling care kits for shelters.

Through Groundswell, employees can register for opportunities, log volunteer hours, and even earn incentives for their service, keeping engagement high.

3. Launch a Strategic Grantmaking Initiative

Turn Giving Tuesday into a chance to empower employees. With Groundswell, you can create a grant program where employees:

• Nominate nonprofits they’re passionate about.
• Vote to direct a pool of Giving Tuesday funds.
• See the impact of their collective decision-making.

This approach matches Giving Tuesday’s spirit of grassroots generosity while encouraging employee ownership.

4. Enable Giving Through Employee Donor-Advised Funds

Employee Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are a flexible, modern way to give. With Groundswell, you can:

• Allow employees to contribute pre-tax funds into their DAFs.
• Support giving in forms beyond cash—such as stock donations.
• Empower individuals to give to nonprofits they personally value.

This helps democratize philanthropy, making Giving Tuesday more inclusive and meaningful across your workforce.

5. Run a Cause-Specific Giving Tuesday Campaign

Instead of supporting many causes, go deep with a single one. For example:

• Select a nonprofit partner focused on climate action, refugee aid, or education.
• Rally your team around that cause with storytelling, testimonials, and impact data.
• Set clear goals (e.g., raising enough to fund 10 scholarships).

Groundswell’s tools allow you to track progress toward these goals and showcase results..

6. Organize a Peer-to-Peer Employee Fundraising Challenge

Gamification can bring new energy to Giving Tuesday. With Groundswell, you can:

• Split employees into teams and give them fundraising goals.
• Use leaderboards to show progress.
• Offer recognition or prizes for the top-performing teams.

This fosters camaraderie, friendly competition, and can lead to more donations for nonprofits.

7. Create a “12 Days of Giving” Campaign

Instead of one big push, spread your campaign out with smaller daily actions leading up to December 2, 2025. Examples include:

• Day 1: Donate to a local shelter.
• Day 2: Volunteer for one hour.
• Day 3: Share your Giving Tuesday story on social media.

This keeps generosity top of mind and builds excitement leading into Giving Tuesday itself. Groundswell can serve as the hub to track activity, manage donations, and highlight employee stories along the way.

Tips for Increasing Donations During Giving Season

Want to maximize participation in your 2025 Giving Tuesday campaign? Keep these strategies in mind:

• Start early: Announce your campaign in the fall and build excitement over time.
• Use matching gifts: Doubling impact motivates more donors to act.
• Tell compelling stories: Share real-life stories of people or communities impacted by donations.
• Leverage tech: Simplify the process—Groundswell ensures employees can donate or volunteer with just a few clicks.
• Promote across channels: Email, Slack, social media, and in-office signage all help spread the word.

With a little creativity, you can craft a Giving Tuesday campaign that gets everyone engaged!

Don’t Wait to Plan Your Giving Tuesday Campaigns!

While Giving Tuesday 2025 is still months away, the most successful campaigns are the ones that start planning now. By preparing early, you can design initiatives that reflect your organization’s values, engage employees meaningfully, and make generosity a core part of your company’s culture.

Host Campaigns & Events Fit for Giving Tuesday 2025 with Groundswell

Whether you’re launching a donation matching drive, hosting a volunteer event, or creating a peer-to-peer challenge, Groundswell’s corporate giving platform makes it seamless. From donation tracking to volunteer management, our tools empower your employees to take part in the global generosity movement with ease.

This Giving Tuesday 2025, use Groundswell to amplify your impact, energize your workforce, and give back in ways that truly matter. Request a demo today!