The Power of Giving Tuesday Fundraising
Learn about the power of Giving Tuesday fundraising to kickstart year-end giving, deepen engagement with your rare disease community, and amplify your reach.
Giving Tuesday is a bit like cilantro, you either love it or hate it. Here at Rare Impact Agency, we believe in the power of this global day of giving and create custom campaigns based on your community’s needs.
December alone accounts for nearly 30% of annual giving, and almost half of online donations come in during the final week of the year. Add Giving Tuesday to the mix, and suddenly a short window of time holds enormous potential.
However, we know that Giving Tuesday doesn’t work for everyone.
Not every foundation has the capacity. Not every community is ready. And not every year is the right year to go all in.
But we also want to share what we saw this past season, because when Giving Tuesday fundraising is done with intention, strategy, and strong messaging, it can be incredibly powerful.
Rare Impact Clients + Giving Tuesday Fundraising
In 2025, Rare Impact Agency clients raised $110,374 for rare disease foundations on Giving Tuesday 🎉
Our team built the infrastructure so foundations could show up boldly and consistently without burning out. That included creating:
✨ 124 social media graphics
✨ 22 fundraising emails
✨ 6 unique, story-driven campaign themes
Everything was designed to help donors feel connected, inspired, and confident in giving on this global day of generosity.
And most importantly, foundations had an expert team by their side as the day unfolded. We were on hand to answer last-minute questions about stretch goals, matching gifts, and real-time donor acknowledgement.
When Giving Tuesday finally clicks
One of the most meaningful parts of this work is hearing how it feels on the other side of the campaign.
🗣️ “Rare Impact helped us run an incredibly successful Giving Tuesday—from shaping the theme to creating beautiful, effective communications. Their real-time support on actual Giving Tuesday kept our community engaged and energized. We’re so grateful for the beautiful collateral and strategic campaign that raised $77,000 because of Rare Impact!”
— Amanda Bergen, Director of Communications, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation
🗣️ “For years, Giving Tuesday was a source of frustration… Working with Shannon and the Rare Impact team changed everything. Their guidance helped us create a personal, impactful campaign that helped us get in the race—and we didn't just compete, we won! We exceeded our $10,000 match and raised over $23,000 total. I’m incredibly grateful for transforming our Giving Tuesday and delivering such a remarkable impact.”
— Jill Hawkins, Founder & President, FAM177A1 Research Fund
These stories mean everything to us. We’re so happy to build our clients’ confidence, create momentum, and feel supported during a high-stakes moment.
Why end-of-year and Giving Tuesday work together
The strongest campaigns don’t treat Giving Tuesday as a standalone moment.
We weave it into a thoughtful end-of-year campaign that includes:
- An inspiring campaign theme
- A beautifully written and designed printed appeal
- A strategic email series that cultivates, invites, and thanks donors
- Social media storytelling that builds excitement and visibility over time
- Smart segmentation, board engagement, and major donor outreach
When those pieces work together, it creates a meaningful experience for your donors which turns into dollars raised.
Our role during giving season
At Rare Impact Agency, we guide your end-of-year and Giving Tuesday fundraising campaigns harnessing our collective 40 years of experience.
We manage the strategy, writing, design, print, digital execution, and scheduling. You approve the messages and we handle the details. Then, we celebrate success together!
A final thought
Giving Tuesday isn’t guaranteed magic. And it’s not the right fit for everyone.
But when a foundation is ready, when the story is clear, and when your community is revved up, it can become a powerful catalyst for donor engagement and year-end momentum.
If this season left you feeling curious about what’s possible, or if you’re already thinking ahead to next year, we’d love to talk.
Our end-of-year campaign sign-ups begin in Summer 2026 and you can schedule a free Discovery Call anytime. We look forward to sharing your success with you!
Founder + CEO of Rare Impact Agency, provides expert fundraising and communications consulting to nonprofits leveraging her 20+ years of experience. She brings in-depth knowledge and passion for both genetic research and rare disease advocacy to her work.
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