Setting up Giving Tuesday emails: a playbook for charities

Which emails do you send around Giving Tuesday? A playbook with timing, subject lines and what privacy rules require, plus how to prepare them in WeGlow Mail.

TL;DR Send four emails around Giving Tuesday: an announcement, a story, an appeal on 1 December and a thank-you. Two to three emails on the day itself are normal. Every email has one button to your donation page and an unsubscribe link. You do not have to copy the emails: they are ready for you in WeGlow Mail, with the recipient's first name.

An email campaign is often the channel that brings in the most on Giving Tuesday, because it reaches your existing supporters directly. This article gives a playbook with timing, content and the rules you must respect.

You do not need to write much. Short, personal emails with one message work better than a long newsletter.

Which emails do you send around Giving Tuesday?

Send four emails: an announcement 2 weeks ahead, a story email a week ahead, an appeal on 1 December and a thank-you the day after. The Giving Tuesday toolkit advises sending several emails on the day itself, see the official toolkit. Two to three messages on the day are therefore normal.

What goes in every email?

A good email has a short subject line, a personal greeting, one story, one button to your donation page and an unsubscribe link. Keep the text under 150 words. Whoever reads faster gives faster.

• Subject line of at most six to eight words
• Greeting with the first name, for example "Hi {{first_name}}"
• One concrete story instead of an overview of your work
• One button to your donation page
• An unsubscribe link at the bottom

How do you prepare them in WeGlow Mail?

In WeGlow Mail you choose a template, adjust the text and pick which list gets the email. With the tag {{first_name}} you address each recipient by first name. You can prepare the emails in advance, so on 1 December you only have to send.

1. Open WeGlow Mail in your account on WeGlow.world.
2. Choose the Giving Tuesday email pack, which is ready for you. You also find the texts in the guide.
3. Replace the sample text with your own story.
4. Add the button with the link to your donation page.
5. Choose the audience that gets the email.
6. Send a test email to yourself and schedule the send.

The ready-made mail packs always contain the texts, the captions and the layouts that go with them. They are meant to be pasted straight into WeGlow Mail.

Which privacy rules apply?

You may only email people you are lawfully allowed to send to, and every email must have a clear way to unsubscribe. Across the EU, the GDPR gives people the right to object at any time to their data being used for direct marketing, as Article 21 of the GDPR states.

National rules on email marketing differ, so check the data protection authority of your own country. Process unsubscribes right away and never email someone who has opted out. This is general information, not legal advice. If you doubt your list, check who is actually on it.

Process unsubscribes immediately and stop emailing anyone who opted out. This is general information and not legal advice. If you doubt your list, check who is actually on it.

What do you write in the thank-you email?

Thank every donor personally, ideally within 24 hours, say what the gift makes possible and tell them what happens next. A thank-you email is not a sales email. People who feel seen give again next year. In WeGlow.world the thank-you email goes out automatically once you fill in a thank-you text.

If your organisation can issue a tax receipt for the gift, say honestly when it will arrive. Tax receipts and deductions differ per country, so we do not promise one here. If you wonder how this works with WeGlow.world in your country, get in touch.

How do you prepare your list before sending?

Check your list well in advance, not on 29 November. Remove duplicates, wrong addresses and people who already unsubscribed. A small, warm list beats a large, cold one, and it keeps your emails out of the spam folder.

• Only write to people who know you: members, volunteers and earlier donors
• Never buy or copy addresses from third parties
• Separate donors from people who never gave, so you can ask them differently

Also write down where each address came from. It helps if someone asks why they receive your email. Finally, look at every email on your phone before you schedule it, because most people will open it there.

The most common mistakes

Most email mistakes are avoidable: texts that are too long, three buttons instead of one, no test email and sending everything in the morning. A schedule with the send times in advance solves most of it. Also set up your donation page with our guide to the donation page.

• A long newsletter instead of one message
• Several buttons fighting for attention
• No test email before sending
• No unsubscribe link in the email
• Forgetting to say thanks after the day itself

Frequently asked questions

How many emails do I send on Giving Tuesday itself?

Two to three is normal: an appeal in the morning and a reminder in the evening. With WeGlow Mail you schedule them in advance, so you have nothing left to do on the day.

Can I address every recipient by first name?

Yes, with the tag {{first_name}} in WeGlow Mail. If the first name is not in your list, choose a neutral greeting instead.

Can I prepare the emails in WeGlow.world?

Yes, you prepare them in WeGlow Mail from your account on WeGlow.world. You can take the mail packs in the downloads over directly.

May I email everyone who ever gave?

That depends on what you promised them and on the privacy rules. Every email must have an unsubscribe option. Check your list before sending, also when you use WeGlow.world.

Does the thank-you email go out automatically?

Yes, once you fill in a thank-you text in WeGlow.world, the email goes out automatically after each gift. Tax receipts differ per country, so we do not treat them as automatic.

Prepare your emails

Create a free account on WeGlow.world, put your donation page live and schedule your emails in WeGlow Mail. Start via the sign-up page, see the Giving Tuesday hub or request a demo.

Sources and check: Giving Tuesday Toolkit for nonprofits and Article 21 of the GDPR, checked on 7 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.