North Texas Giving Day is almost here, and if you’re a local nonprofit, now’s the time to get your plan in place. Scheduled for Sept. 17, this 18-hour online giving event has become one of the biggest fundraising opportunities of the year for organizations across our region.
Early giving opens August 27, so your prep work needs to start now.
A Quick Refresher on North Texas Giving Day
Created by Communities Foundation of Texas, North Texas Giving Day has grown into the largest community-wide giving event in the country. Last year alone, more than 94,000 people donated $74 million for 3,500 nonprofits across the region. Since it started, more than half a billion dollars has gone directly to organizations doing good work in North Texas.
To participate, local nonprofits must register ahead of time. If you’re reading this, hopefully you have! (If not, mark your calendars now: registration for 2027 opens on Nov. 2, 2026 right here.)
It’s a big day. Here’s how to make the most of it.
1. Start With a Goal
Before you plan a single post or email, set a goal. It doesn’t have to be complicated — a dollar amount, a number of new donors, funding for a specific program or need. Any goal works, as long as it’s clear.
A goal does two things: it gives your team something to plan around and it gives your donors something to work toward together. People like being part of a shared push toward a finish line, not just a general ask. Once you have your number, you can build your story, your communications and even a visual (like a thermometer graphic) around it.
Tip: We recommend thinking of North Texas Giving Day as an opportunity to bring in NEW donors. This event has grown to be so popular, some people really are out there just looking for groups to donate to. North Texas Giving Day provides a wonderfully broadcasted platform. Maybe your goal can be X number of new donors, even!
2. Decide Your Story
With your goal in place, decide what story you want to tell. What’s the good news from this year? What project are you proud of? Did you hit a milestone or reach progress your supporters helped make possible?
Pull together a few stats and photos if you can (just make sure you have permission to use them). Then connect the dots for your supporters: show them how their giving made this story possible and how it connects to the goal you just set. People give again when they see the impact of their last gift.
3. Build a Simple Communications Plan
Once you know your goal and your story, break it into pieces you can share across the weeks leading up to the big day.
Social Media Ideas
For social media, aim for one to three posts a week between now and North Texas Giving Day. Mix it up: photos, video, behind-the-scenes prep and info about what North Texas Giving Day actually is (a lot of people still haven’t heard of it). Consider sharing progress toward your goal as the day gets closer.
We recommend getting more people involved with posting too. Create graphics that you can email out the week before — to your staff, your board, friends and supporters — along with some options for captions. People can use these to post about their experience with your nonprofit and why, in their opinion, the work is worth supporting. You will exponentially multiply your outreach with this approach.
Another idea is to create calendar invites for staff and volunteer that include examples of what people could post on social media the day-of.
Email Messages You Could Send
For email, plan a short series:
- One email on Aug. 27, when early giving opens
- One or two in the following weeks, each highlighting a different story or angle
- A reminder email on Sept. 16
- A “today’s the day” email the morning of Sept. 17
- A thank-you email on Sept. 18
Keep the emails different from each other. Change the length, swap the photos or let someone else on your team write one.
4. Consider an Event or a Push
If you want to go bigger, think about hosting something on North Texas Giving Day itself. That could be as simple as a food truck outside your office or as involved as a live Instagram event. Gathering your supporters, even briefly, builds momentum and community around your cause.
You can also challenge your biggest donors to match gifts that come in that day or update a simple thermometer graphic throughout the day to show progress toward your goal.
One more idea: Activate board members to make phone calls or write notes to donors who give over a certain amount. For some organizations, this dollar amount may be $100 and for others, it may be $500 or $1,000. You know your donors best.
5. Don’t Skip the Thank-You
However your day goes, make time to thank people. This is especially important for your new donors because that note or phone call can help lay the foundation for a future, ongoing relationship.
A quick round of thank-you calls or a follow-up email goes a long way, and it sets you up well for the next ask.
Need Help Pulling It Together?
If you’re short on time or just want a second set of eyes on your plan, that’s what we’re here for. Reach out to us at info@thecauseagency.org or 817-335-0101, and let’s build a plan that fits your organization.
