It's the Monday before Thanksgiving, and Dana has eleven emails in her inbox with Giving Tuesday in the subject line. None of them are from donors. In episode five of Finish Strong, we take some pressure off: you don't have to win Giving Tuesday. You have to decide what it's for, and then do that one thing well.

In this episode you'll learn how to:

• See Giving Tuesday honestly. Most of the people who give to you that day already know you.
• Choose one of three ways to play it: go all in with a launch, focus on one narrow goal like new monthly donors, or skip the ask and send gratitude.
• Run a four-touch plan if you're going all in: a preview the week before, a morning launch, an afternoon progress update, and an evening last call.
• Let a few board members carry part of the day with personal texts to friends who trust them.
• Win the day after: thank every donor within 48 hours, report the total honestly, and protect your December 31 giving.
• Use AI to draft board messages that sound like each board member, not like your organization.

Riverbend Community Food Pantry is a fictional organization, but if you've worked at a small nonprofit, you'll recognize it. On a day full of noise, the warmest message your donors get can be yours.

Resources mentioned

• Finish Strong Full Course
• Free 12 Days to Build a Great Year-End Fundraising Plan