In the world of nonprofits, it’s been taken on faith that Giving Tuesday is a big deal for donors, that everyday donors plan for it and give thought about how which charities they will support on that Tuesday after Thanksgiving every year.

Data suggests, however, that’s not true. Momentum Communications Group Account Director Kylee Siaw explored this recently on the business polling site YouGov with Data Consultant Lizzy Greer and Laura Andes, chief operations and programs officer for Momentum client Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator of nonprofits. YouGov found that most people are unaware of Giving Tuesday and those that are don’t think much about they plan to do until the day arrives.

“There’s a wide audience out there that we could be reaching that we aren’t reaching,” Siaw said, adding that the unreached audience shows that public relations is vital to changing that. “Nonprofits can’t assume that people know about Giving Tuesday and are going to show up that day and give on your page.”

Instead, she said nonprofits need to let the public know what they’re doing and why they do it — and even that’s not enough. When they tell their stories, Siaw said they have to use the story to further show their value.

“Every story, you need to emphasize the impact,” she said. “Hammer home the cause and the impact. People want to know how their donations will be used. Stories can’t stand alone.”

When nonprofits earn coverage, the next step is making use of it. That can take the form of sharing it on social media or on their websites or newsletters, all of which give them more opportunities to explain where donors’ dollars go and how people can help the organization do even more.

Listen to the conversation and download the report here.