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10 Ways to Prepare for Giving Tuesday

November 12, 2019

#GivingTuesday is coming up in just a couple weeks, which means time is growing short to get your #GivingTuesday marketing and plan together. There is a complete toolkit available through the Giving Tuesday official site, but we also wanted to share some of the tried-and-true tips that we’ve learned firsthand over the years.

First, a little history. #GivingTuesday began in 2012 as an opportunity to give back in response to the consumer-driven Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is estimated that giving on this particular day has increased from $28 million in 2013 to over $400 million in 2018. The increase in participation is evident from a marketing point of view as well. Last year, I felt like my email and social media were flooded with #GivingTuesday requests, which is a great thing: It means more and more organizations are taking advantage of this day. But how can you stand out, especially if you are just now planning your campaign?

It is estimated that giving on this particular day has increased from $28 million in 2013 to over $400 million in 2018.

Top 10 #GivingTuesday Tips

  1. Don’t be intimidated. You can do this (we can help!) – even with just a couple weeks to plan.
  2. Develop your WHY. What is the long-term impact of giving to your organization? Be sure to communicate this message in everything you do. Don’t just ask for money – tell why someone should give.
  3. Set your goal. What do you want to accomplish? Communication is often easier when tied to a specific goal rather than just donating money. For example, “help feed XXX children” or “help us reach XXX to fund our XXX program in 2019.
  4. Stand out from the crowd. Can you offer a matching gift? Is there a free giveaway you can provide for any #GivingTuesday donation? Do you have extra promotional items that you can give away if someone contributes over a certain amount on #GivingTuesday?
  5. Create a menu of contributions – much like a sales promo used for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. So if they give $10, what will that help accomplish? $25? $50? World Vision does a holiday catalog each year for the entire holiday season, and your organization can develop something similar, even if you feature just a few options. The point is to clearly show how the organization can use donor contributions.
  6. Update your site and create a landing page that includes why their donation is important and what their donation can do. Make sure to have a donation form that is optimized for mobile and tablet. Also think through what other pieces of content can help support your “why” (think photos, testimonials, graphics, client stories, etc.).
  7. Ask your board and regular supporters to help you spread the word. Send them graphics and wording to post on social media. Send them an email example for them to forward to their friends.
  8. Provide donors with a social media post. For example, “I just supported @korefoundation on #GivingTuesday. Make sure to give to your favorite nonprofit today!”
  9. On #GivingTuesday, update users on the goal. Tell about your progress and give visual cues like a growing thermometer if possible.
  10. Say thank you. Send an immediate email, text, Facebook post, tweet … you get the idea. A handwritten follow-up is always a good idea as well.

On a side note, I would love to see a #givefirst campaign take off. Wouldn’t it be great to encourage giving before we ever think of spending money on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? But either way, I’m grateful for a day to focus on nonprofits and giving back. Good luck!

If your organization needs assistance developing a landing page, website popup, social media posts, or an entire campaign, give us a shout.

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