MissionWired

As the week comes to a close, we want to congratulate nonprofits and your teams on an impactful Giving Tuesday! Your powerful efforts to mobilize communities across the country and around the world for such vital causes contributed to $4 billion raised in the U.S. alone, according to givingtuesday.org! Even after a year of uncertainties, our nonprofit partners saw clear growth and gains. As we work over the coming weeks to bring you our annual Giving Tuesday Report, here are the trends we’re seeing so far: 📶 Strategic volume increases drove big gains. ⏰ Deadlines, extensions, and last-call messaging made a difference. 📲 SMS is getting crowded, but has become essential to reaching supporters. 🎨 Powerful storytelling and standout creative matter. Stay tuned for our final Giving Tuesday 2025 Report for a deeper dive into more results, creative top performers, and case studies! Want to be among the first to access the takeaways? Sign up for our email list to get it delivered straight to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/emmtt5Pi

Year-end is one of the most important moments for direct mail, and the trends shaping this season are already driving strong results for the teams leaning into them 📈 Read the full newsletter for a snapshot of what’s working in direct mail right now and how nonprofits are building campaigns that meet the moment:

Our nonprofit partners’ Giving Tuesday efforts shine because of the strategy, creativity, and dedication our MissionWired teams bring to every step of the work. From crafting strategies that elevate powerful stories to building experiences that bring supporters closer to the causes they care about, your efforts help our partners rally their communities and drive meaningful change. Every insight, every creative idea, and every technical solution strengthens the impact they’re able to make on a day like today. We’re deeply grateful for all our MissionWired teams today and every day!

Giving Tuesday is here, and we’re excited to cheer on our nonprofit partners as you launch all the powerful campaigns you’ve been preparing for. Your commitment, creativity, and heart power this work, and we couldn’t be prouder to work alongside you. Wishing you a strong, inspiring, and impactful #GivingTuesday. We can’t wait to see what you achieve today!

As nonprofit and fundraising teams head into Giving Tuesday tomorrow, we know the right soundtrack can make all the difference. That’s why our staff pulled together a collaborative playlist filled with the songs inspiring their creativity and focus in the final stretch of year-end. We hope it brings energy to your day and keeps the momentum going! https://hubs.li/Q03WhHsb0

BREAKING: Jimmie “Chris” Duncan is released on bail Wednesday after 27 years on death row at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. He spent more than three decades wrongfully incarcerated for a crime that never occurred. Chris was wrongfully accused of the 1993 death of his live-in girlfriend’s 23-month-old daughter, Haley, who was found unconscious in a bathtub. His conviction was based on incentivized jailhouse informant testimony and misleading forensic evidence such as “bite mark” matching — presented by discredited forensic analysts Michael West and Steven Hayne, who are responsible for at least nine other wrongful convictions. In May 2025, a judge ruled that clear and convincing evidence proves Chris is factually innocent. “Mr. Duncan’s release marks a significant step forward in his decades-long fight for justice — but the fight is not over,” said Chris Fabricant, his Innocence Project attorney. Read more: https://bit.ly/4ofLq5z Photo credit: Jamal Barnes.

As we head into this season of gratitude, we’re reflecting on how lucky we are to partner with teams driving real, meaningful change – defending rights, protecting our planet, strengthening communities, expanding access to care, and pushing progress forward every single day. To our partners and our MissionWired team: Thank you for the passion, vision, and heart you bring to this work. You inspire us to keep raising the bar and imagining what’s possible. Wishing you rest, warmth, and joy this holiday weekend!

Our 2025 Direct Mail Fundraising Strategy Report is packed with insights from the past year’s top-performing campaigns. Have you checked out the trends yet? Dig into the strategies that helped our partners achieve 5% year-over-year growth and uncover how nonprofits are evolving their creative, storytelling, and strategy to make every piece count. Explore the trends, case studies, and creative examples shaping direct mail in 2025: https://hubs.li/Q03V5Zrw0

How did nonprofit fundraising perform in October? Amid another month of major breaking news, donors leaned into the issues top of mind – from rising need as SNAP benefits ended to the prolonged government shutdown. Small and medium organizations saw strong YoY growth in October, while larger organizations faced tough comps against 2024 spikes in disaster response giving. 📆 How did October revenue impact YTD comps? ↗️ How are new acquisition rates changing as year-end gets closer? Find out what these trends mean for your year-end strategy – explore the latest data in our Nonprofit Trends dashboard: https://hubs.li/Q03Vvgwb0

The economy’s been a roller coaster this year – from inflation and interest rates to a government shutdown. But the key question for fundraisers remains: What does all this mean for giving? Senior Vice President William Kraiger is digging into the very latest metrics and reports to discuss the economy’s impact on fundraising – and what we, as fundraisers, can do about it. Consumer confidence tells part of the story. Early in 2025, more people expected their finances to get worse, and fewer thought they’d improve, a signal of tightened donor budgets. Things picked up midyear, but by fall, optimism had cooled again. When donors feel uncertain, giving slows, but a smart strategy can keep results strong and maintain or grow your bottom-line numbers. Be sure to check out SVP Will Kraiger’s five tips for raising more with less: https://lnkd.in/ecZBTAb6