Your nonprofit might not need another expensive marketing project to prepare for year-end giving. It may need a better plan for the stories, videos and photos you already own.
GivingTuesday is on Dec. 1. Nonprofits have a valuable opportunity to reconnect with donors, share their impact, and ask supporters to help make more work possible.
GivingTuesday released resources covering campaign planning, partnerships, content reuse, paid media. All the good things. Take advantage of every resource, and start planning now to end the year on a high note. Make every piece of content count.
Explore GivingTuesday’s 2026 campaign resources.
Charitable Giving Is Up
Giving USA’s 2026 found that Americans gave an estimated $617.2 billion to charities in 2025.
That’s a 5.7 percent increase over 2024 in current dollars, or 3% after adjusting for inflation.
Individual giving grew by 4.1 percent in current dollars, while consumer confidence remained low. Strong overall giving does not mean every nonprofit will see more donations.
Your organization still needs to give donors a reason to care, trust you, and take action. Again.
Year-end fundraising is the time to show people what their support makes possible and what their next gift does.
4 Ways to Improve Your Year-End Fundraising
You don’t have to start from scratch. Begin with the photos, videos, graphics your organization already has.
1. Turn One Donor Story Into Several Pieces of Content
I imagine you have done videos before. You likely have interviews with staff and donors stitched into a strong story.
Use those video in more than one place.
One interview could become:
- A short video for social media
- A story in your year-end fundraising email
- A section of your donation landing page
Each version should serve a purpose. Your email might explain why donations matter. Your social post might invite people to watch the full story.
Always get permission before sharing someone’s story again. Respect any limits they have placed on its use.
2. Show Donors What Their Gifts Make Possible
People should not have to guess what their donations accomplish.
Instead of saying, “Help us change lives,” show what that means.
Share a real example of a person served, a problem solved, or a program made possible by donor support. What happened and why does it matter?
If you have video footage, use it to help supporters see the people and work behind your mission.
3. Give Your Existing Videos a New Job
An old video is not necessarily an outdated video.
A film created for a gala might work in a donor email. A program video could explain your mission to new supporters. A short interview might help a sponsor understand why your work matters.
Review your existing videos and ask three questions:
- Does this still reflect our mission?
- Does it answer a question donors have?
- Can we use it to support a specific fundraising goal?
If the answer is yes, use it in your year-end campaign.
4. Plan What Happens After Someone Gives
Your relationship with a donor should not end when you get their money.
Thank donors promptly. Explain what their support makes possible. Share updates during the year.
Short videos, photos and stories show progress between fundraising appeals.
The goal is to give supporters more reasons to stay connected to your organization.
The Missed Opportunity: Your Content Needs a Plan
Here is the problem many nonprofits face: They create good content and move on.
They post the video on Facebook, and that’s it. Yikes. I know you don’t do that!
Plan how each piece of content will supports your goals before, during and after a campaign.
Start with your year-end fundraising target. Identify the donors you want to reach and the action you want them to take.
Then match your existing content to that plan.
Put Your Existing Content to Work
GivingTuesday is one upcoming opportunity to put this plan into action. Your broader year-end fundraising campaign can build on it.
You do not need to publish something new every day. That could be a lot for small teams. Be realistic with what you can do and maximize everything you have.
Want to find more value in the videos your nonprofit already has?
Team Trust Productions is a disability-led video production and marketing company that helps nonprofits make more of their stories, videos, and marketing content.
Request a free 15-minute video marketing review. We will identify three practical ways your organization could get more fundraising and marketing value from its existing video assets.