5 Tips to Make Your Giving Tuesday Soar
Black Friday. Cyber Monday.
We are very familiar with these two days as retailers and marketers have successfully embedded them in our minds for years. But while the Amazons and Targets of the world want us to focus on the consumerism of the season, let’s not leave the most important date off the list…
Giving Tuesday.
Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that occurs every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. What started as a simple idea, “a day that encourages people to do good,” has become a worldwide movement “that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.”
This year, Giving Tuesday will fall on November 30, and while it’s hard to believe, that is only a month away. If you haven’t done so already, it’s time for your nonprofit to make a plan, and we’ve got a few tips that may help.
1. Leverage the momentum for more than one day.
Yes, the name is Giving Tuesday, but your team should find ways to make it more than just one day of giving. Start promoting the day through branded graphics, videos, and social posts at least one week prior, and always include a way to give in each post. Some of your constituents may want to give early or miss your messaging on Nov. 30, so make sure you have given them ample chances to give throughout the Holiday Season, from now through the end of the year.
2. Implement interactive, creative strategies to bolster excitement.
Is there a volunteer component you can add to your strategy? Can you safely bring volunteers and donors together to not only give money but also to allow them to contribute in other ways? Or do you have a donor or group of donors you want to celebrate as champions for the cause? You could start an online fundraiser that their friends and family could give to or host a small gathering where they receive an award. Why not use this unique day to honor those who mean so much to your organization?
Not quite ready to bring people together yet? Utilize Facebook Live or Instagram stories to do a live Q&A or to show the stories of the people most impacted by your work.
Another strategy here would be to have giveaways throughout the day for those donating. Or, find donors ahead of time who will commit to matching all donations given during a specific one-hour timeframe and call those Power Hours. People always love to give when they know their gift could double. But the bottom line here is to be creative and get as many people involved in the effort as possible.
3. Don’t forget the importance of saying thanks.
Please don’t make this day about pleading for help or begging for money. And please don’t just send a form email to your listserve and consider your job for the day done. First and foremost, start all your communication—be it your webpage for Giving Tuesday, your e-newsletter content, or your direct mail piece (yes, that still works, too) with a thank you! Countless individuals give their time, talent, and treasure to your organization. Ensure they feel appreciated and loved before you push right into the ask. Your donors are more than an email address in your database.
4. Increase your brand awareness by weaving your brand into the day.
While using the #GivingTuesday hashtag and their branded materials is nice, it’s even better to combine the #GivingTuesday message with your brand. After all, one goal of your Giving Tuesday plan should be to make an impression in the minds of your followers. Don’t just use the standard graphics found on the web for Giving Tuesday. Take the time to create your own branded imagery that will allow you to stand out.
5. Determine your goal(s) for the effort.
If Giving Tuesday is just something you are checking off a list, your effort won’t be as impactful or effective as it would if you made a plan and had concrete goals. And your goals here don’t have to be just monetary. Sure, have an idea of how much you are trying to raise. But, more than that, think through some of these other goals: 1) how many new donors do we want to attract? 2) how many impressions do we want to make on social media? 3) how many volunteers do we want to have complete a project? 4) how many individuals do we want to set up their Facebook fundraiser? I could go on and on about potential goals, but it’s important to define them beforehand so you can strategize accordingly.
One goal I hope every one of you will have is to make it seamless for a donor to give. In the days of Venmo, CashApp, Paypal, and even cryptocurrency, donors are looking for quick and easy. They don’t want to go through multiple steps to give. They don’t want lengthy forms and multiple pages to click through. They often want to give from their cell phone, and they want multiple options to give…not just having to put in their credit card information, which they may or may not have on them when they see your ask. Miss them at the moment, and you may be losing their donation altogether.
Good luck!
Written by: Cayci Banks, VP of Strategy & Communications
