Giving Tuesday happens once a year, but the relationships you build last far longer. This newer global day of giving, held each Tuesday after Thanksgiving, gives camps a chance to connect with their community and secure funding for scholarships, programs, and facilities.
The real opportunity extends beyond a single day. You can create a foundation of support that helps more kids experience camp all year long.
Why GivingTuesday Matters for Your Camp
Your organization changes lives. When people donate, they invest in childhood development, community building, and memories that last a lifetime. On GivingTuesday, supporters actively search for meaningful causes to champion.
A successful campaign can fund:
- Camper Scholarships: Financial barriers prevent many kids from attending camp. Scholarships ensure camp is accessible to children from all backgrounds.
- Program Improvements: New archery equipment, updated arts and crafts supplies, or STEM program materials all require funding. Donors love supporting tangible improvements they can visualize.
- Facility Upgrades: A new cabin roof, dining hall renovations, or safer playground equipment directly affect every camper’s experience and safety.
The ATSS Foundation uses GivingTuesday to fund travel scholarships for children who have lost a parent in a roadway work zone incident. Their matching gift campaigns have doubled donations, allowing more kids to attend Experience Camps where they can heal alongside peers who understand their loss.
Your Pre-Campaign Checklist
Ideally, a great Giving Tuesday campaign begins several weeks before the actual day. That said, there’s still time to pull off a successful campaign on an abbreviated timeline. Either way, there are a few main components that make it easy for donors to understand and respond to your needs.
Define Your Goal
Set a specific, measurable target. Skip vague objectives like “raise more money.” Try:
- “Raise $15,000 to provide 25 full camper scholarships”
- “Fund new outdoor adventure equipment for 200 campers”
Gather Your Stories
Collect testimonials from campers, parents, and staff throughout the summer. Take photos and videos that show the joy, growth, and friendship at your camp. Authentic stories move people to give.
Identify Your Supporters
Your most likely donors already have a connection to your camp. Create lists for each group:
- Past donors
- Camp alumni
- Current campers’ parents
- Staff members and volunteers
- Local businesses and community members
Assemble Your Team
Recruit staff, board members, and volunteers to help with outreach. Assign specific roles: one person for social media, another for email, and a few to make personal phone calls.
Test Your Technology
Make sure your online donation platform works smoothly on computers and phones. If you’re using UltraCamp, the new Donations Dashboard makes it quick and easy to set up a new campaign. Set up email campaigns ahead of time and schedule social media posts.
Highlight Matching Gifts
Many organizations find a major donor who will match charitable donations. Most large-scale donors want lots of lead time to ensure they understand all the ins and outs of a giving campaign, so it may be too late if you don’t already have a major supporter who is already committed to giving. If that’s the case, use this year as an example when you approach them earlier for next year. But if you DO have matching funds, be sure to mention this opportunity in your emails, on your website, and in social media posts.
Running a Multi-Channel Campaign
On GivingTuesday, reach your supporters with consistent messaging across multiple platforms.
- Email Campaigns: Send targeted emails to different supporter lists. Use clear, compelling subject lines. “Help Send 20 Kids to Camp This Summer” works better than a generic request.
- Social Media: Share your best photos and videos, post progress updates, and show behind-the-scenes content. Create a unique hashtag like #Camp[YourName]ForAll to track the conversation.
- Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Encourage passionate supporters to create personal fundraising pages and ask their networks for contributions. A request from a friend or family member carries more weight than one from an organization.
- Website: Feature your campaign on your homepage with a clear “Donate Now” button. Add a progress bar so visitors can see how close you are to reaching your goal.
Keep the Energy High on the Day
GivingTuesday moves fast. Stay active and engaged with your community through real-time updates.
Post progress milestones. Share thank-you messages as donations come in. Highlight specific donors or stories with their permission. Use countdowns in the final hours to create urgency.
Make giving easy. Every extra click or form field can cost you a donation.
Build Long-Term Relationships After the Campaign
The day after GivingTuesday is when the real work begins: turning one-time donors into long-term supporters.
Send Immediate Thanks
Within 48 hours, send a personalized thank-you message to every donor. Mention their specific gift amount and explain exactly how it will help. A prompt, personal thank you shows you value their support.
Share Updates All Year
Show your donors the difference they made throughout the year.
- Send photos of scholarship recipients having fun at camp
- Share a short video of campers using the new program equipment
- Invite donors to a camp tour or special event
The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers sends regular newsletters with success stories about children who received camp scholarships, directly connecting the updates to the generosity of their GivingTuesday donors.
Learn and Improve
After your campaign, gather your team to review what worked. Look at your data:
- Which emails had the highest open rates?
- What time of day saw the most donations?
- Which social media posts got the most engagement?
Use these insights to make next year’s campaign stronger.
Start Planning Your Campaign Today
GivingTuesday gives you a chance to engage your community and fund your camp’s work. By preparing early, telling authentic stories, and nurturing donor relationships beyond the day itself, you can turn one day of giving into sustained support.
Your camp creates life-changing experiences. GivingTuesday is your chance to share that story with a wider audience and secure the resources needed to serve more kids.
Ready to build a fundraising strategy that works year-round? UltraCamp’s donor management tools help you track supporter engagement, manage campaigns, and maintain relationships with ease.
Schedule a free demo to see how we can support your camp’s fundraising goals.
