Today, donors are browsing, engaging, and giving on the same devices they use to shop, communicate, and manage daily life. Yet many nonprofits still design Giving Tuesday campaigns primarily on desktop, with donation flows optimized for large screens. That disconnect between how campaigns are built and how donors actually engage leads to missed opportunities and lost revenue.
The data makes the shift unmistakable. The average American checks their phone…a lot. Some studies show up to a whopping 96 times per day (about once every 10 minutes). And it’s not just younger audiences driving this behavior. Seven in ten Americans over age 50 now own smartphones, and more than 60% of those over 65 are mobile users. The average nonprofit donor, at 64 years old, is part of this mobile reality, texting, browsing, and giving from the same device they use to stay connected.
With Giving Tuesday 2025 coming up on December 2nd, nonprofits have a clear window to adapt to a mobile-first approach that meets donors where they already are—on their phones.
For many nonprofits, “mobile-friendly” has historically meant ensuring that their website doesn’t break on a smaller screen. But mobile-first fundraising goes far beyond basic responsiveness. It requires rethinking the entire donor experience through the lens of mobile behavior.
In a mobile-first world, the question isn’t just does it work on a phone? The question is: can someone make a donation with one thumb while standing in line at a coffee shop? If the answer is no, you’re missing out on key opportunities.
Designing for mobile means designing for short attention spans, limited screen space, and one-handed interactions. That includes:
Every step in the process, from email to landing page to thank-you message, should be optimized for the way people actually engage: briefly, casually, and often on the go.
And payment options matter. Mobile donors expect the same convenience they experience in retail. Offering digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and even Venmo can significantly increase conversion rates—particularly with younger donors. One-click payment options reduce friction while respecting the donor’s time.
A mobile-first strategy isn’t just about design—it’s about removing friction at every point in the donor journey. While there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook, certain best practices consistently improve performance across organizations and audiences.
Even well-intentioned campaigns can fall short when mobile strategy is treated as an afterthought. Here are a few common pitfalls to watch for, and how to avoid them:
Just because a site functions on mobile doesn’t mean it’s designed for mobile giving. Fix: Test your full donation flow on a phone, not just for appearance, but for speed, clarity, and ease of use.
When assets are built and reviewed only on desktop, they often miss key usability issues on mobile. Fix: Review creative elements and test donation flows directly on phones and tablets—not just in preview tools.
Messages that feel personal to one generation may feel generic, or even off-putting, to another. Fix: Tailor tone and delivery based on audience segments. A mobile-first strategy still needs flexibility.
Even small formatting issues or payment glitches can derail donations. Fix: Run through your entire giving process on multiple devices and browsers. Test different payment methods and user scenarios.
This Giving Tuesday, there’s one channel that stands out as a big differentiator and difference-maker: P2P texting.
As nonprofits look for ways to cut through digital noise, peer-to-peer (P2P) texting has emerged as one of the most effective tools for direct donor engagement, especially in a mobile-first strategy.
P2P texting enables real people to connect with donors one-on-one, in real time. That human touch makes all the difference. Messages feel more authentic, conversations can be two-way, and donors are more likely to engage because they know someone’s actually on the other end.
The numbers speak for themselves:
For Giving Tuesday campaigns, this channel can serve multiple roles:
Because P2P texting allows for live response and adaptation, it also gives fundraisers a unique opportunity to listen, responding to questions, concerns, or even barriers to giving in the moment.
When executed thoughtfully, P2P doesn’t just increase conversions. It builds relationships. And in a fundraising landscape where trust and connection matter more than ever, that’s an investment worth making.
Now, when acquisition costs are rising and attention spans are shrinking, ease of use is no longer optional. For 2025, that means optimizing for mobile, not as an add-on, but as the foundation of your Giving Tuesday strategy.
Your donors are already there. Whether they’re 64 or 34, they’re navigating daily life through their phones: communicating with family, reading the news, making purchases, and increasingly, supporting causes they care about. Giving Tuesday 2024 generated $3.6 billion in donations, and well over half of those gifts came through mobile devices. That share is only accelerating.
The organizations that deliver on mobile-first expectations will raise more while building stronger relationships rooted in trust and accessibility. The future of fundraising already fits in your donors’ pockets. The question is whether your organization is ready to meet them there.
Fill out the form below to connect with one of our nonprofit experts
We respect your privacy. By clicking Contact Us you are agreeing to Data Axle’s Privacy Policy and consent to Data Axle and its subsidiaries and affiliates using your email and phone number for marketing and analytical purposes, including to contact you regarding Data Axle products. You may opt out of all marketing communications at any time.