The holidays are the perfect time to rally your community around generosity, kindness, and local causes. A “12 Days of Giving” social challenge turns that warm, seasonal energy into a shared experience that builds connection. By planning a clear theme, daily prompts, and simple ways to participate, you can create a challenge that people look forward to each day.

Step 1: Define your purpose

Before designing the challenge, clarify why you are doing it and who it serves. This helps you choose daily actions, partners, and messages that all point in the same direction.

Consider:

• What is the main goal: donations, volunteer sign-ups, acts of kindness, or awareness for local organizations?
• Who do you want to engage most: families, local businesses, youth groups, faith communities, or the general public?
• Which local causes or nonprofits could benefit from more visibility or support during the holidays or year-round?

Step 2: Choose your format and calendar

Decide what “12 days” means for your audience and where the challenge will live. Some communities run the challenge as a countdown to a specific date (for example, leading up to a holiday or Giving Tuesday), while others simply choose any 12-day window.

Key decisions to make:

• Timing: Pick start and end dates that avoid major travel days or school exam periods so people can participate more easily.
• Social Platforms: Choose one primary platform (Instagram, Facebook, NextDoor, or TikTok) and then cross-post to others to keep things manageable.
• Posting rhythm: Plan to share one main “Day X of 12 Days of Giving” post each day, with clear instructions and a consistent visual style.

Step 3: Design your daily giving prompts

Create a simple “challenge calendar” with one action per day so participants know what to do and can share their progress. Offer a combination of online and in-person challenges to ensure there is something for everyone. Clear, concrete prompts get more engagement than vague requests. 

Sample 12-day prompt ideas:

• Day 1: Share a gratitude post and tag a local organization you appreciate.
• Day 2: Donate a few pantry items to a food bank and snap a photo of your donation bag.
• Day 3: Write a thank-you note to a teacher, first responder, or community worker.
• Day 4: Support a small local business and share what you bought.
• Day 5: Perform a random act of kindness and describe it in a post or story.
• Day 6: Give gently used clothing, books, or toys to a local shelter or thrift nonprofit.
• Day 7: Nominate a community hero in the comments and explain why they inspire you.
• Day 8: Volunteer an hour (in person or virtually) and share a reflection.
• Day 9: Contribute a small online donation and highlight the impact one gift can make.
• Day 10: Share a photo of your favorite holiday tradition that involves giving.
• Day 11: Invite friends to join the challenge by tagging three people.
• Day 12: Reflect on the experience and share one habit of giving you plan to carry on after the challenge.

You can turn these into a branded PDF or image calendar so people can download and share it easily.

Step 4: Create your challenge “brand”

A simple, cohesive “look” makes your challenge feel official and encourages sharing. You do not need a full design team; a few consistent elements go a long way.

Focus on:

• Name and hashtag: Use a short, memorable hashtag like #12DaysOfGiving[YourTown] so participants can find each other’s posts.
• Visual templates: Make a few Canva-style post templates (cover image, daily prompts, and “re-share” graphics) that include your logo or community name.
• Story highlights: On Instagram or Facebook, create a highlight or pinned post explaining how the challenge works and where to find the daily prompts.

Step 5: Recruit partners and “champions”

Strong participation often comes from having a few enthusiastic groups on board before you launch. Community partners can help spread the word and provide additional incentives.

Potential partners:

• Local nonprofits and schools that can suggest needs and share the challenge with their networks.
• Small businesses willing to offer small prizes, discounts, or matching gifts for specific days.
• Influencers, youth leaders, or faith leaders who will commit to posting every day and encouraging others to join.
• Invite partners to co-create one or two days of the challenge so they feel invested and are more likely to promote it.

Step 6: Plan your social media content

Map out your content in advance so you are not scrambling each day. Having a lightweight content plan keeps the challenge smooth and consistent.

Include:

• Daily “anchor” posts: A short caption explaining that day’s action, plus any links or instructions needed.
• Engagement prompts: Ask people to comment (for example, share a story, tag a friend, or answer a question) rather than just “like” the post.
• Stories and short videos: Use behind-the-scenes clips, quick updates, and participant reposts to keep the challenge lively.

Step 7: Make participation easy and inclusive

The more accessible your challenge is, the more likely people are to join and stick with it. Not everyone can give money, especially during the holidays, so balance financial asks with acts of service and kindness.

Keep it inclusive by:

• Offering low-cost or no-cost actions on most days, such as gratitude posts, notes of appreciation, or volunteering time.
• Providing alternatives: “If this day’s action doesn’t work for you, choose any previous day’s prompt or repeat your favorite act of kindness.”
• Encouraging offline participation: Remind people that they can still join even if they do not want to post publicly; they can follow along privately or share in a smaller group.

Step 8: Encourage storytelling and user-generated content

Stories are what make the challenge feel human and inspiring. Invite participants to share what they did and how it felt, not just that they completed the day’s task.

Ways to spark content:

• Ask people to post photos or short videos and use your official hashtag; reshare some of the best ones (with permission) to your main feed.
• Pose reflection questions like “What surprised you today?” or “Who inspired your act of giving?” in your captions to invite deeper responses.
• Highlight diverse participants—families, teens, seniors, and local leaders—so everyone sees themselves represented.

Step 9: Add light incentives and milestones

While giving should remain the central motivation, small incentives can boost participation and keep momentum going across all 12 days.

Consider:

• Weekly or end-of-challenge drawings where participants who posted with the hashtag are entered to win local gift cards or donated items.
• Public milestones such as “We’ve collectively completed 200 acts of giving” to show tangible progress and keep excitement high.
• Special “bonus” challenges sponsored by a local business or nonprofit, such as a match day or a photo contest.

Step 10: Wrap up with gratitude and next steps

When the 12 days are over, do not simply stop posting. Closing the loop with gratitude and clear next steps deepens the impact and sets the stage for future initiatives.bonterratech+1

End the challenge by:

• Sharing a recap post or short video highlighting stories, numbers of participants, and a few standout moments.
• Thanking partners, donors, and participants by name where possible, and inviting them to stay connected for future community projects.
• Asking for quick feedback via a simple poll or form so you can refine the challenge next year.

A “12 Days of Giving” social challenge is more than a campaign—it is a chance to build a culture of generosity that lasts all year long. With a clear purpose, thoughtful prompts, and a welcoming online space, your community can experience how small, everyday acts of giving add up to something much bigger. Use these steps as a blueprint, adapt them to your local context, and watch your community’s spirit of generosity come to life.