Taking part in Giving Tuesday as a charity or foundation
How a charity or foundation takes part in Giving Tuesday on 1 December 2026: find your national movement, build a donation page, split roles and plan 8 weeks.
TL;DR A charity or foundation can take part in Giving Tuesday on 1 December 2026 in four steps: find your country's national movement, set up your own donation page, split the work across your team and follow an 8 week timeline. There is no entry fee and no single way to do it. Giving happens on your page, and with WeGlow.world you can have one ready quickly.
Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which is 1 December 2026. You do not need to be a large organization. A small team with a clear request and a good donation page can achieve a lot.
Allow 8 to 10 weeks of preparation. This article walks through the steps and ends with a timeline you can shorten.
What does taking part as a charity or foundation mean?
Taking part means being visible around 1 December with one clear request and telling people where to give. Giving Tuesday is a global, open movement: you pay nothing to it and nobody imposes a method. It is also deliberately not tied to one brand.
The rules about registration and tax differ per country, and so does the legal form you use, whether it is a charity, a foundation, an association or a nonprofit company. The official toolkit applies to all of them, see the GivingTuesday toolkit for nonprofits.
Step 1: how do you find your national movement?
Open the global GivingTuesday page and click your country to find its local movement. Many countries have their own site with listings, toolkits and local partners. Where none exists, you can still take part directly and use the global materials.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your country has a national movement | Check its site for listing options, local materials and deadlines |
| Your country has none | Take part on your own with the global toolkit and your own page |
| You work in several countries | Pick one main page and mention it in every language you use |
Rules and terms differ per site, so read them before you sign up. Do not assume a national listing collects donations: check whether it links to your page or processes gifts itself.
Step 2: why do you need your own donation page?
Because a listing or a social post does not take donations by itself: people need somewhere to give. A good donation page uses your branding, works on a phone and lets people pay in a few taps.
With WeGlow.world you build that page with your logo and colour. A Giving Tuesday preset is ready with title, subtitle, amounts and thank you text in Dutch, English, French and German. Payments by card are available, plus local methods such as iDEAL, Bancontact or Payconiq where they exist, via providers like Mollie and Stripe. Availability depends on your country and provider. Read more in the article on the donation page.
Step 3: who does what in your team?
Split the work into four roles, even if you are only three people: a coordinator, a storyteller, a keeper of payments and thank yous, and a group of ambassadors. One person can hold several roles. What matters is that each task has a name next to it.
| Role | Task | Example in a small charity |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinator | Guards the plan and the goal | The director or a trustee |
| Storyteller | Picks the story, photo and texts | Whoever handles communications |
| Keeper | Donation page, payments, thank yous | The treasurer or an administrator |
| Ambassadors | Share the call in their networks | Board members and volunteers |
How to involve supporters is covered in the article on ambassadors. A full plan is in the guide playbook for 1 December.
What does an 8 week timeline look like?
An 8 week timeline runs from early October to 1 December: foundations first, attention next, then the actual call, then thanks. The first two weeks matter most because everything else depends on them.
| Weeks before 1 December | What you do |
|---|---|
| 8 to 7 | Check your national movement, set a goal, split roles |
| 6 to 5 | Build and test the donation page, choose story and photo |
| 4 to 3 | Prepare emails and posts, invite ambassadors |
| 2 | Announce that you take part, share a first story |
| 1 | Reminder, final check of page and emails |
| 1 December | Morning call, evening reminder |
| The next day and after | Say thank you and share the result |
What if you have very little time left?
Start with a modest goal and a single story, and do the first steps in the same week. A short, simple campaign beats no campaign, and nothing stops you from joining late.
- Check your national movement this week.
- Choose one story and one request, not five, and start with a list of 30 to 50 people you know personally.
- Pick a goal you can explain, for example 500 or 1,500 euros for something concrete (amounts differ per country).
- Set your goal by working back from goal to donors.
- Use the free emails and post layouts so you do not start from zero.
What legal and tax points should you check?
Check three things: who may decide on behalf of the organization, whether you can issue tax receipts, and what permission you have to email people. Rules are set per country, so ask your tax authority or a local federation. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Tax relief for donors varies widely. Some countries offer credits or deductions only for gifts to approved organizations, others do not. WeGlow.world supports tax receipts for recognized organizations in Belgium and the French reçu fiscal. For other countries, tax proof differs per country, so contact us via the contact page to discuss your situation. GDPR applies across the EU for email consent.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
Most mistakes are avoidable: listing yourself without a donation page, starting too late, leaving tasks unassigned or forgetting to say thank you. The official toolkit also recommends real photos and real stories over generic visuals.
- Appearing on a national listing with no page for gifts
- Trying to do everything on 1 December itself
- No clear owner per task
- Generic images instead of real photos
- Not thanking people after the day
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything to take part?
No, the movement is free and open. For your own donation page you can start for free on WeGlow.world, with no setup fees and no contract.
Do I have to register somewhere?
There is no global registration, but many countries have a national site where you can list your campaign. Check your country on the global page. Your donation page on WeGlow.world works either way.
Does my organization need to be a registered charity?
Not to take part. Tax receipts and tax relief for donors usually require an approved status, so be honest with donors about this. WeGlow.world only offers receipts where they are supported.
When should I start?
As early as possible. Even with 8 weeks you have time for a simple campaign: check your national movement and build your page with WeGlow.world in the same week.
Is the platform available in my language?
WeGlow.world is available in Dutch, French, English, German and Spanish. Payment methods depend on your country and provider.
Get your Giving Tuesday page ready
Find your national movement and set up your own donation page with WeGlow.world. Start free, with no setup fees and no contract. Begin via the sign up page or ask for a demo.
Sources and checks: the GivingTuesday toolkit and global page, checked on 7 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.