Start with these six planning questions
What are we supporting? Name the cause and the organization or recipient. For a charity appeal, distinguish the overall mission from a particular funded activity. Do not use a specific project as the emotional centerpiece if the gift will support a different purpose.
What are we asking people to do? Choose one primary action: give, attend, volunteer or share. Other choices can remain available, but the main invitation should be easy to identify. An appeal asking equally for six things is difficult to act on.
Why this action? Explain how it responds to the need. A request to help with a collection should say who requested the items. A donation appeal should explain the work the charity undertakes. Avoid urgency based only on a countdown.
What needs agreement? Confirm the donation route, permissions, venue or practical arrangements before inviting people. For a school or workplace, identify the person who can approve the activity. If a matching offer is involved, obtain the actual terms.
Who will do each task? Name a person responsible for preparation, questions and follow-up. One person may hold several roles, but no important task should rely on the assumption that someone else will handle it.
What will we report afterward? Decide in advance what evidence will be available. If individuals donate directly and privately, you may not know the total. You can still thank participants without inventing one.
A short campaign brief
Use this wording to settle the plan internally before writing a public appeal:
“Our Giving Tuesday activity supports [recipient and purpose]. We are inviting [audience] to [one primary action] on or by [date and time zone, if needed]. We chose this because [specific reason]. The person responsible is [name or team]. The official route is [link or agreed arrangement]. We will confirm [the result we can measure] and follow up by [date].”
Read it aloud to someone who has not attended the planning meeting. If they cannot explain what the contribution supports, revise the purpose before adding more promotional language.
A personal appeal for Not For Sale
Subject line: Why I’m supporting Not For Sale this Giving Tuesday
“This Giving Tuesday, I’m supporting Not For Sale because [your own reason]. I want to support work that helps people move beyond exploitation and addresses the conditions that leave them vulnerable in the first place.
“I’ve been reading about the organization’s approach to human trafficking, livelihoods and environmental harm. You can learn about the mission here: [link to the Not For Sale Giving Tuesday guide]. If the work matters to you too, the donation page explains how to give: [official giving link].”
Keep the personal reason specific and true. You do not need to claim firsthand knowledge of a program you have not visited or a relationship with someone whose story you have only read.
A short social post
“Giving Tuesday is December 1. I’m using it to support Not For Sale and learn more about the connection between exploitation and the conditions in which people live and work. This guide explains the mission and the case for giving: [link].”
If you add a statistic, name its source and reference year. Avoid replacing that context with a dramatic phrase such as “every few seconds” unless the calculation and evidence genuinely support it. The human trafficking guide explains why prevalence estimates and detected cases are different measures.
A workplace invitation
Subject line: Our Giving Tuesday activity on [date]
“We’re taking part in Giving Tuesday through [activity], supporting [charity or recipient]. The purpose is [clear explanation of the work or need].
“You can join by [practical action]. Donations are optional, and there is also a way to contribute without giving money: [alternative]. The activity will take place [time, place or remote arrangement]. Read about the recipient here: [official link]. Please send questions to [organizer].”
Where relevant, explain whether the activity takes place during paid working time and how colleagues in other locations can participate. Those arrangements need to come from the employer, not from the template.
An employer matching inquiry
Subject line: Checking donation matching for Giving Tuesday
“Hello [team], I’m considering a donation to [charity] for Giving Tuesday. Does our organization offer a matching program for this type of gift?
“Please could you confirm eligible charities, qualifying donations, the minimum or maximum amount, the submission deadline and any receipt requirements? I would also like to know whether the match is paid directly to the charity and how its completion is confirmed. Thank you.”
Send the inquiry before making a public matching claim. If an employer has no program, it may still consider a company gift, but that is a separate decision requiring approval.
A message to families
Subject line: Our class Giving Tuesday activity
“Our class is exploring generosity through [activity]. Students will discuss a need, consider what would be useful and take part in a supervised response. Every student can participate without bringing money or goods.
“The activity is planned for [date]. [Teacher or organizer] will supervise it, and [permission arrangements, if required] apply. Please contact [school contact] if you have questions. We will reflect afterward on what students learned and what the activity contributed.”
Include only arrangements that the school has approved. Do not ask families to submit children’s personal experiences of exploitation or publicize household financial circumstances.
A useful offer of skills or time
“Hello [organization], I can offer [specific skill or practical contribution] for [realistic amount of time]. My relevant experience is [brief detail], and I am available [dates or pattern].
“Is there an existing task where this would be useful? I would be glad to discuss the scope, supervision and any preparation required. I understand that the offer may not fit your current needs.”
This gives a recipient something concrete to assess. Do not begin work on sensitive material or contact people receiving support without the organization’s agreement.
Thanking people accurately
“Thank you for taking part in [activity]. We can confirm that [completed action or verified result]. Your contribution helped us [specific, supportable description].
“[Any remaining funds, task or matching contribution] is still pending. We will share a further update [when, if agreed]. Thank you for giving your time and attention to this work.”
A thank-you does not need a large number to be meaningful. If the contribution was a learning session, say what took place. If the money went directly to a charity and you cannot see individual gifts, thank people without estimating a total.
Reporting results without confusing the figures
Illustrative example: a group receives $800 in donations. Another $200 is promised but unpaid. A company has committed to match $500, which has not yet arrived. The group spent $50 on its activity.
| Item | Amount | How to describe it |
|---|---|---|
| Donations received | $800 | Confirmed receipts |
| Unpaid promises | $200 | Pledges pending |
| Company match not yet received | $500 | Committed match pending |
| Activity costs | $50 | Confirmed expenditure |
| Received funds less activity costs | $750 | Net of the stated activity costs only |
Do not report $1,500 as received. Also do not describe $750 as the amount transferred unless the transfer has occurred. This example is a way to keep language and arithmetic aligned, not a statement about Not For Sale’s costs or campaign.
Before you send or publish
Read the message from the recipient’s perspective. Can someone identify the purpose and next step without knowing the background? Open every link. Remove unfilled brackets. Confirm dates, names, amounts and any matching conditions. Check that you have permission to use images and accounts of other people’s lives.
Use one relevant link where possible. An invitation that requires a reader to move through several documents before understanding the action has created unnecessary work. The detailed explanation belongs on the relevant guide page, ready for anyone who wants to read it.
