A practical guide you can use this week for Giving Tuesday 2025 (Dec 2)

Imagine your 10 a.m. email lands and donations start flowing… but not just at face value. Every gift is doubled for one focused hour, the progress bar jumps, and your supporters feel like they’re part of a team effort. That spark comes from two simple tools—matches and power hours—used with clarity and care.

Below is a friendly, step-by-step playbook with scripts, templates, and checklists you can implement immediately.

What they are and why they work

• Match: A sponsor (individual, company, foundation, or pooled group) agrees to contribute $X when your community gives during a specific window or to a specific segment. It creates urgency and shared accomplishment.
• Power hour: A time-boxed mini-sprint where gifts are multiplied or count toward unlocking a bonus. It turns a quiet afternoon into a high-energy moment.

Done right, these tools raise more money and make donors feel like insiders. Done poorly, they confuse or stall giving. Let’s set you up for the first outcome.

Secure a match in 7 days

Day 1: Build a short prospect list

Start with people who already love you.

1. Board members and former board.
2. Long-time donors (3+ gifts, high loyalty).
3. Local businesses that want visibility.
4. A family foundation or DAF holder who prefers leverage.
5. “Pooled match” from 4–6 mid-level donors if one large sponsor is unlikely.

Day 2: Draft a one-page pitch

Keep it simple, visual, and tangible:

• Headline: “Double the Impact on Dec 2 for [Program].”
• Impact math: “Every $50 gift = one counseling session. Your $10,000 match unlocks 200 sessions.”
• Options:
  • Dollar-for-dollar up to $X
  • Unlock $X when we hit Y gifts
  • Power hour: Noon–1 p.m., all gifts doubled up to $Z
• Visibility: Website hero, email and social shout-outs, short thank-you video, lobby sign.
• Clean terms: Start time, end time, cap, payment timing, recognition preference.

Day 3: Send the ask email + call

Subject: “Will you spark a 24-hour surge on Dec 2?”
Body (short):
“Hi [Name], on Giving Tuesday we’ll rally our community for [clear outcome]. Would you consider a $5,000 match from 12–2 p.m.? Every $1 from donors becomes $2 during that window, up to your cap. We’ll credit you in email, social, and on our site, and send a same-day impact recap. Can we talk for 10 minutes tomorrow?”

Follow with a quick phone call. Be ready with two backup options: a smaller cap or a pooled spot.

Day 4–5: Confirm terms in writing

Reply with a 5-bullet confirmation: window, cap, rules, recognition, payment logistics. Ask for logo (if company) and a short quote.

Day 6: Gather creative

• Square logo, sponsor photo if appropriate.
• 1-sentence quote from the sponsor.
• Prebuilt graphics: “All gifts doubled 12–1 p.m. thanks to [Name].”

Day 7: Publish a public timetable

Post a simple schedule on your Giving Tuesday page and pin it on social media. Clarity drives participation.

Choose the right format for your goals

Pick one or two. More than that gets confusing.

1. Dollar-for-dollar match
   • Best for broad appeal.
   • Use a cap and simple language: “Doubled up to $20,000 from 8–10 a.m.”
   • Add a per-gift cap (e.g., first $500 matched) so more donors benefit.
2. Gift-unlock (threshold) match
   • Great for momentum: “When we reach 150 gifts, $10,000 unlocks.”
   • Works well for new donors or volunteer-only gifts.
3. Power hour
   • Use to spike slow periods (often mid-day or late afternoon).
   • Easy to explain and fun to rally around.
4. Segmented matches
   • New donors doubled or monthly gifts doubled is powerful and mission-aligned.
   • Keep rules ultra-plain.

Rule of thumb: if the explanation takes more than one sentence, simplify.

Say the rules in one sentence

• “Today only: all gifts doubled up to $25,000 from 9–11 a.m., thanks to RiverBank.”
• “Hit 200 gifts by 3 p.m. and a $10,000 bonus unlocks.”
• “First-time gifts are doubled until the $15,000 pool runs out.”

Add a small remaining meter: “$7,400 of $25,000 match left.”

Your day-of schedule (sample)

7:30 a.m. War room opens. Progress bar tested. Templates queued.
8:00 a.m. Launch email + social: “We’re live. Morning gifts doubled 8–10 a.m.”
10:30 a.m. Story post + donor roll. Thank sponsor on video.
12:00–1:00 p.m. Power hour. SMS reminder at 11:55. Reel at 12:10.
3:00 p.m. Unlock challenge: “50 gifts by 4 p.m. unlocks $10,000.”
6:00 p.m. Second sponsor match. Email subject: “Evening gifts doubled.”
9:00 p.m. Final push: “Last hour to double your gift.”

Pro tip: publish this as a graphic timetable the day before and pin it.

Copy you can paste

Email subject lines

• “Your gift doubled 8–10 a.m. only”
• “Power Hour starts now: make $25 become $50”
• “We’re 37 gifts away from unlocking $10,000”
• “Evening gifts doubled. One hour left.”

Preview text

• “Thanks to [Sponsor], the meter is moving fast.”
• “Short window. Big impact.”

Body snippet
“Give by 1 p.m. and your gift is doubled thanks to [Sponsor]. We’re funding 200 nights of safe shelter today. Your $35 becomes $70—enough for meals and a warm bed.”

Thank-you to sponsor (social)
“Grateful for [@Sponsor] fueling today’s momentum. Because of you, 187 neighbors will get help faster.”

Tech and ops in plain language

• Donation page: Show a live match remaining meter and the current window in simple text. Hide site navigation to keep donors focused.
• Ask ladder: Add a note under each amount during a match: “$50 → doubled to $100.”
• Track windows: Add a hidden field or UTM content=9am_match, content=powerhour_noon, etc.
• Cap logic: If your platform cannot hard-cap, manually pause the match banner when it’s spent, then switch to the next window graphic.
• Receipts: Include a line that references the match: “Your gift was matched by [Sponsor], doubling your impact today.”
• Fallback plan: If a sponsor pulls out, convert messaging to “community challenge” and keep the timetable. Momentum matters.

Stewardship that keeps sponsors coming back

• During the day: Short vertical thank-you video from staff or clients. Tag the sponsor.
• Within 24 hours: A one-page recap: total raised, number of gifts, peak minute, three screenshots, one quote.
• Within a week: A simple impact memo and how the funds will be used, with a calendar invite to discuss next year.
• For pooled matches: List every family name (with consent) in a scrolling donor roll and send individualized notes.

Sponsor quote prompt: “Why did you choose to support the match today?” One sentence is enough. Use it everywhere.

Power hours that actually pop

1. Pick a purpose: New donors, volunteer gifts, or “fund the van in 60 minutes.”
2. Prime the pump: Announce the hour the day before and again 10 minutes before.
3. Live energy: Stream a 10-minute check-in. Show the meter moving.
4. Make it social: Ask ambassadors to post simultaneously and tag 3 friends.
5. Keep it fair: Cap per-gift matching so micro-gifts still matter.
6. Close the loop: Post “We did it!” with the final count and a photo.

Avoid these common pitfalls

• Vague rules. If people ask “Does this count?” your copy is unclear. Fix the sentence.
• Too many overlapping offers. One at a time. Publish a timetable.
• No cap. You risk overspend or sponsor regret. Always set a limit.
• Late sponsor art. Collect logo and quote as soon as they say yes.
• Quiet mid-day. Schedule a power hour in the lull by design.

Quick checklist to run today

• Short prospect list built and prioritized
• One-page pitch drafted with impact math and options
• Ask email sent + calls scheduled
• Terms confirmed in five bullet points
• Graphics and match meter ready
• Public timetable posted and pinned
• Email/SMS/social templates loaded with UTMs
• Thank-you plan for sponsors and donors prewritten

Friendly closing thought

Matches and power hours aren’t gimmicks. They’re a way to invite your community into a moment that matters. When donors see the meter move because they showed up, they feel connected and proud—and that feeling carries into year-end and beyond. Pick a clear format, say the rules simply, and give people a reason to act now. You’ve got this.