2020 has been a whirlwind of events. As we quickly approach December 1st, we’ve put together our list of 5 things you need in your Giving Tuesday Toolkit.
In 2019 alone, #GivingTuesday generated more than 9.2 million impressions worldwide, raised over $120 million through Facebook and broke PayPal records by raising $106 million through their matching program.
This year has brought the world closer together, and more people are excited to give back than ever before. So your organization needs to prepare a stellar toolkit while staying motivated and flexible in anticipation of Giving Tuesday 2020. The last few months have brought many challenges, but your Giving Tuesday success should not be one of them. Build a strong #GivingTuesday toolkit by incorporating our top tips.
You Have To Set Goals for your #GivingTuesday Campaign
Organizations that set a goal for their Giving Tuesday campaign tend to get better results. Why? It’s because they have a clear fundraising goal that motivates their actions on the big day and sets an urgent target to communicate with your supporters. Goal setting allows you to have an exact measure of success and purpose for your campaign.
2020 has been a genuinely unpredictable year, and clearly defined, attainable goals act as a map for when things get crazy. Also, by communicating your goals to your supporters with an exact deadline, you can create a sense of urgency to drive action. Connect your urgent goals to your mission and communicate why you need their help now!
Some examples of Giving Tuesday goals can be
- Get 5000 new sign-ups for our newsletter
- Raise $25,000 for a specific project or program
- Get 1500 new donors
- Get 500 new monthly donors
Focus on Your Story
When in doubt, it always comes back to storytelling. People don’t support your cause because they want to spend money. Something about your organization’s mission spoke to your donors. Your organization has something that makes you unique, and there is a reason you need donations, so share that with your audience!
Just as you need a goal for your campaign, you also have to decide on a consistent story. Why should people donate now, and why your organization? Resources like The Storytelling Nonprofit can help you with storytelling to connect with your audience.
Plan in Advance
If you haven’t started planning for your #givingtuesday campaign, it’s not too late! Plan out your posts leading up to and on Giving Tuesday as much as possible. If you’re planning a big event like a live stream, think about any technical difficulties that will occur and how to solve them. The worst thing that could happen is to put so much work into your Giving Tuesday campaign, only to have a camera or livestream glitch in the middle of an event.
Make sure to prepare your staff, giving them the resources and knowledge to answer any questions or challenges that may arise. In addition to planning, don’t be afraid to be flexible. Engage your followers, and do what works best for your mission while having fun with your donors. Your audience can tell if you're not excited about the big day, so come up with fundraising ideas that make you look forward to Giving Tuesday.
One of the most memorable moments in corporate marketing occurred when Oreo quickly reacted to a blackout during the 2013 Superbowl. Not only was the tweet out incredibly fast, but they poked fun at the power outage while showcasing their cookie, turning a blackout into an incredible marketing opportunity.
Try to do the same with your organization by really having fun with Giving Tuesday. Many people are participating in this global day of giving, so it's easy to get lost in the crowd.
A fast reaction like a witty comment or eye-catching image is simple things that can help take your campaign to the next level. Think of fun ways to connect with your social media following that makes you stand out from the rest and makes your donors feel special.
Engage Using Social Media
You have to be on social media for #GivingTuesday. The whole day centres around online communities working together to support their favourite nonprofits and charity organizations. Use newsletters, live streams and your website to promote Giving Tuesday to a global audience with links to your social media so your new donors can stay updated with your foundation.
Let your audience know exactly how you’re planning to participate and how you want them to support you. Should people host peer-to-peer fundraisers with their social media friends? Or join your monthly giving program? Tell them, and explain how their generosity will change the world.
Prepare your social media assets and send them out to your supporters in advance. Invite them to spread the word on social media and provide them with the language and the donation links to use.
Follow Up With a Thank You
Always remember to thank your audience for being there for you. Follow up in an email updating your supports on the amount of money you raised and the impact their donation will make. Creating a short thank you video, email or direct mail upgrade solicitation with an impact report a great way to show that you are invested in a long term relationship with that donor.
Giving Tuesday is the start of a season of giving, so it’s important to thank your donors and continue to kick-off year-end giving. #GivingTuesday provides an opportunity to kick off the holidays and get your followers engaged for your year-end appeals.
Conclusion
Recognized internationally, Giving Tuesday is helping nonprofits everywhere raise more funds and awareness surrounding your cause. Organizations often receive a ton of first-time donors on Giving Tuesday.
It's crucial to employ the help of a powerful fundraising, marketing and communication software solution to get you through the big day. Donor Engine not only organizes your data, but offers a ton of tools like campaign donation page templates, email automation, and direct mail merges. You can use our templates to create custom campaigns that does all the heavy lifting for you, allowing you to focus on what is most important, driving your mission.
We want to help you have an incredible Giving Tuesday, so contact us for more information or help on your big day!
