What Q4 Giving is Showing Us (So Far)

By Nicole Ige-Hutto, Senior Director of Digital

We’re in the final stretch of the year-end fundraising sprint. 

Q4 is nearly complete, calendars are packed, inboxes are crowded, and nonprofits everywhere are focused on finishing the year strong. At this point in the season, the question isn’t what worked in theory – it’s what the Q4 giving data is actually showing us, and how it can inform our strategy moving forward. 

Across BDI’s Q4 campaigns with our Rescue Mission partners, early results are beginning to take shape. And while the year isn’t finished yet, these patterns are already offering clear signals about donor behavior, channel performance, and where momentum is being built or waning. 

Here’s what Q4 giving is showing us so far, and what nonprofit leaders should be paying attention to as the year closes and planning begins for 2026. 

1. Thanksgiving Campaigns Outpaced Giving Tuesday  

In this year’s holiday giving window, Thanksgiving accounted for the majority of charitable giving activity, outpacing Giving Tuesday significantly. 60% of holiday revenue came from Thanksgiving, compared to 40% from Giving Tuesday. 

This is clear evidence that donors respond when appeals are timely, specific, and connected to real need. Heightened awareness around food insecurity and SNAP-related challenges likely made Thanksgiving messaging especially resonant. 

The takeaway: Strong Q4 giving doesn’t hinge on one “big day.” The organizations seeing momentum are those with distinct, purpose-driven appeals that align to seasonality and build energy over time. Donors need ongoing incentives and multiple opportunities to give. 

2. Sustainer Programs are Essential  

Giving Tuesday continues to play a critical role in donor acquisition. One-quarter of donors giving on Giving Tuesday were new, reinforcing its value as a front door for first-time supporters.

But the most telling behavior came from sustainers. 

Across BDI’s Rescue Mission campaigns, sustainers increased their additional Giving Tuesday gifts by 29% year over year. 

The takeaway: Sustainers are some of the most engaged donors on your file.  Investing in a strong sustainer strategy will help your mission drive retention, stability, and long-term growth into mid- and major level giving. 

3. Matching Offers are a Must  

Across Giving Tuesday campaigns, average gift size increased by 47% when a matching offer was present compared to campaigns without one! Matching offers are a must. 

Matches do more than double a donor’s impact. They provide urgency, clarity, and confidence in moments when donors are overwhelmed with choices. But results depend on execution, from securing the right match to using clear, ECFA-compliant language that builds trust and momentum. 

The takeaway: If matching offers aren’t a core part of your Q4 and year-end strategy, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to engage your donors. 

4. Email Still Matters – Despite the Crowded Inbox 

Despite record inbox congestion, email engagement was strong and saw click rates of 50-60% across Giving Tuesday campaigns. In total, more than 1.1 million emails were sent by BDI Rescue Mission partners. 

Even as a digital marketer, I’m blown away each year when I sit down after Thanksgiving, scrolling through my phone and see just how much congestion there is in my inbox this time of year!

Campaigns that performed best paired strong messaging with mobile-optimized donation pages, clear asks, and frictionless giving experiences. BDI clients are seeing 56% of site visits coming from mobile device – mobile optimization is no longer a best practice, it’s an expectation.  

The takeaway: Optimize your website and donation pages for mobile. Mobile optimization has become an expectation for donors today and is something we only anticipate growing as fundraising technologies continue to evolve.  

5. Meta As the Strongest Paid Conversion Channel  

On the paid side, Meta remains the strongest conversion channel for Rescue Missions during Giving Tuesday. Campaigns achieved a 27% conversion rate and delivered an average 5x return on ad spend. 

6. Donor Trends and Behavior is Shifting on Both Ends of the File  

Looking across Q4 to date, major gifts increased 15% year over year. High-capacity donors are giving more frequently and more intentionally. 

At the same time, while mass donor gift counts held steady on Giving Tuesday, total mass-donor revenue continues to shrink. This is influenced in part by changes in peer-to-peer and platform-based giving behavior. 

The takeaway: What nonprofits have known as the traditional ‘donor pyramid,’ is fading away, and taking on a new shape with less mass donors and more major donors. Organizations must invest intentionally in mid-major and sustainer strategies, to nurture today’s supporters to grow into tomorrow’s major donors. 

7. Text-To-Give is Becoming a Core Tactic 

As donor behavior continues to shift toward mobile-first engagement, text-to-give is essential for your multi-channel fundraising strategy, especially to boost giving in Q4. One BDI Rescue Mission partner averaged $4.50 per text message across Giving Tuesday campaigns – a powerful indicator of how donors want to engage in real time. 

The Takeaway: Make sure your fundraising strategy includes text-to-give! As more donors engage on mobile, text-to-give has become a critical, immediate channel, meeting donors where they are and making it easier to act in the moment, especially when email is likely to be missed.  

In Conclusion 

Q4 isn’t finished yet, but the signs are clear: generosity is changing… but it’s still strong. 

Donors are still showing up and giving. At the same time, their expectations are evolving. They’re more selective, more mobile-friendly, and more responsive to organizations that respect their attention and make giving easy and meaningful. 

In January, we’ll share a deeper year-end analysis and look ahead to what these trends signal for 2026. For now, the opportunity is simple and urgent: finish strong by leaning into what’s working, and learning from what the data is already telling us. 

What to Do Now: 

Based on what we’re seeing so far in Q4, here are a few high-impact moves to focus on now: 

• Reinforce urgency without fatigue. Distinct appeals tied to timely need are outperforming generic year-end asks. 

• Lean into sustainers and mid-level donors. These donors are showing up — and responding when invited intentionally. 

• Confirm your match is clear and compelling. Language, placement, and trust matter as much as the match itself. 

• Optimize the last click. Mobile-friendly donation pages and frictionless checkout continue to make or break performance. 

• Stay present across channels. Donors are engaging in more than one place — your strategy should reflect that reality. 

Small adjustments in the final weeks can still drive meaningful impact. If you have questions about your digital fundraising strategy, BDI is here to help! 

Email Nicole now >>