Give-Education Checklist for Success

The following checklist will guide you through planning a successful Give-Education Campaign.  Templates, tips, images, explanations and more can be found in the Nonprofit Toolkit. Visit the toolkit often, it is your friend!

Mark Your Calendar

❏ Mark all calendars with Wednesday, March 4, 2027, and start a project plan schedule accordingly.

❏ Select a staff member or volunteer as the point person, who has strong leadership and organizational skills, and can commit to the entire campaign timeline and process.

❏ Establish success metrics. For example, treat the Education-Give event as a capacity building exercise; use it to highlight a program, or to cultivate new donors. Develop and build a communication plan around clear goals.

❏ If you are not currently using social media as a marketing tool, start now. Social media enables you to reach and engage with people across channels and starts the peer-to-peer word of mouth campaign. In addition, Facebook is one of the top traffic sources for online fundraising events. We have provided a guide to Twitter and Facebook to help you get started in the nonprofit toolkit.

Getting Started

❏ Click the “register” button from the middle of give-education.com.  Register your organization, continue to the registration fee webpage and proceed to create your fundraiser.

❏ Watch the informational video trainings on the Fundraising Toolkit page on that will walk you through creating, sharing, and utilizing your page.

❏ Once your fundraiser is approved and published, log-in from the upper right-hand corner of the page at any time to access your fundraiser to make changes and export your donors.

❏ Click on the icon labeled “Profile” to begin setting up your page. You can also refer to additional training materials from the nonprofit toolkit and video.

As Early as Possible

❏ Approach corporations, local businesses, board members, and major donors who are strong supporters of your organization to provide a matching grant incentive.

❏ Personally ask top donors to commit to giving on Give-Education Day. Your donors might be used to giving at a particular time of year, so you’ll want them to put the day on their calendar now and be ready to give. Explain why giving on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 matters and how their donation specifically on that date can make an exponential impact.

1 Month Before Give-Education Day

❏ Decide on fundraising goals (dollars, number of donors, and what that means for your organization) and communicate it.

❏ Promote the event in your newsletter, emails, and on your website. Be clear that Wednesday, March 4th is THE day to give for Give-Education. Update your email signature to include a “coming soon” announcement with the date of the Give-Education event.

❏ Encourage supporters to ‘Like’ and follow Give-Education on Facebook. Your social media presence will be a major traffic-driver, so start conversations now and provide information that your followers can spread across their networks.

❏ Start telling engaging stories on your nonprofit’s blog. Interview volunteers and beneficiaries of the work of your nonprofit. Post the videos on your GiveEducation page and nonprofit’s blog. Giving is an emotional activity and stories help people engage and see how they can play a part in making a difference.

❏ Use other tools in the Nonprofit Toolkit

❏ Email Templates

❏ Logos

❏ Marketing Tips

❏ Social Media Guide

1-2 Weeks Before Give-Education Day

❏ Update your Facebook status with a link to the Give-Education landing page.

❏ Encourage your staff and volunteers to do one-on-one outreach to their friends and networks.

❏ Set up your matching grant on Give-Education and publicize it in your communications.

❏ Consider doing a countdown on Facebook and Twitter by posting a new image in your status update each morning.

❏ If donors will be away on the Give-Education, they can make their donation. ahead of time. Send them a link to your nonprofit’s page and encourage them to make their donation.

❏ Finalize volunteers or volunteer duties for the day of events. Prepare all necessary outreach materials.

❏ Prepare communication pieces you plan to send during the Give-Education Day. Leave open spots for real-time information, but creating a template ahead of time will give you more time to think and be clear about what you are saying during a busy day.

1-2 Days Before Give-Education Day

❏ Send out email reminders to supporters and ask them to spread the word throughout their circles of influence.

❏ Confirm volunteers for “day of” activities.

❏ Post 2-3 times a day on your social media channels. Don’t just ask for money but stir up excitement by pointing out what makes your community so great and worth investing in on Give-Education Day.

❏ Continue posting stories on your blog, social media and Give-Education page. Help people understand the unique way your nonprofit is equipped to serve the community. Show them how you make a difference in their neighborhood and how their donation enables you to do even more.

The Day of Give-Education!!

❏ Send 3 emails throughout the day to supporters. Include specific actions of what they can do, (ex: donate, like your nonprofit page on Facebook, tell 5 friends to donate, tweet a link to our nonprofit page, etc.).

❏ Update them on fundraising progress.

❏ Remind them of your overall goal.

❏ Provide a reason for them to give again, like the challenge grant, prizes, or golden ticket awards.

❏ Let them know if any prizes have been won. ❏ Utilize Facebook and Twitter to cheer on and thank donors with status updates in real-time.

❏ Ask questions to generate conversation & community.

The Day After the Give-Education Event

❏ Announce your successes on Facebook/Twitter/website.

❏ Matching grants met

❏ Awards won

❏ Number of donors

❏ Money raised

❏ Send thank you emails to donors 1-2 days after the event to tell them how their donation was put to good work and made a difference. Don’t forget to provide updates about your nonprofit and make it easy for them to stay in touch.

❏ Send physical thank you notes to top donors.

❏ Add all donors to your database, invite them to cultivation events and/or one-on-one meetings.

Further After the Give-Education Event

❏ Fill out the survey by clicking on the Feedback tab in the Give-Education Day website to share your experience and success during the event.

❏ Make sure to share final numbers in newsletters and other communications.

❏ Sign up for next year!