How Nonprofits Can Make the Most of #GivingTuesday
If you would have asked someone just ten years ago what the weekend directly following Thanksgiving stood for, they would have most likely said ‘shopping’. Today, however, #GivingTuesday – the day after Cyber Monday and the logical ‘end’ to the busiest shopping weekend of the year – has become a holiday in its own right.
Now eight years in, #GivingTuesday is one of the most anticipated days of giving across the world, bringing in millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations. This annual day of giving has grown so much over the years, however, that it can be hard for new or smaller teams to even know where to start. If your organization is just getting started with #GivingTuesday or if you’re a more established team looking for some fresh ideas, here are a few ways organizations of all sizes can make the most of #GivingTuesday this year:
Start planning early
The number-one rule all nonprofit organizations should adhere to when making #GivingTuesday plans is that #GivingTuesday is more than just a single day – it requires months of careful planning, communication, and engagement to make campaigns run smoothly. Better yet, with long-term planning and goals, your team can reap the benefits of #GivingTuesday all year long instead of on merely a single day.
Planning early for #GivingTuesday involves engaging two very different sets of people – your internal employees and volunteers and your donor (and potential donor!) contacts. Internally, your team must have clear goals in place well before the week of #GivingTuesday. This means coming up with a hard financial goal, as well as more qualitative goals like brand recognition and messaging reach.
On the external engagement side, it’s important to let your current donors and potential new donors know what’s coming from your team leading up to #GivingTuesday. Ramp up the excitement with targeted email campaigns or direct mail. Spread the word well before the actual day of giving to ensure your donors have enough time to plan how they’re going to engage with your nonprofit.
Build a 5-star social campaign
If there is one thing nearly all nonprofit teams – regardless of vertical – can agree on, it’s that social media has changed the fundraising game irreversibly. Your team can now engage directly with your donors and constituents on their terms, which means more targeted, focused communication at any time of the year. With a winning, 5-star social campaigns in your pocket, your team can share #GivingTuesday with your own donor network as well as all of your donor’s networks.
There are multiple social social engagement solutions on the market today for teams looking to make the most of social media this coming #GivingTuesday:
- Peer-to-peer fundraising, which puts the power in your network’s hands to help grow and spread your message.
- Gamification, which relies on healthy competition to help grow donations.
- Online giving solutions and microsite engage donors with easy to use giving features and built-in gamification.
- Text-to-Give solutions, which allow donors to send in contributions using just their cell phone.
- Go viral! Leverage video and social sharing to take your message to the next level.
Create a one-stop-shop online presence
Sometimes, the modern culture of ‘the more information the better’ can actually backfire on nonprofit organizations when it comes to large-scale campaigns such as #GivingTuesday. Where there are too many details, too many posts, or too much content, it can be confusing for donors who are looking for ways to engage with your mission.
This is why a dedicated, #GivingTuesday-specific online presence is so important. With a one-stop-shop online giving page, your donors and audience members can learn exactly what your organization’s goals are, how they can become involved, what sets your #GivingTuesday campaign apart, and where they can donate to your cause.
A dedicated #GivingTuesday microsite or peer-to-peer campaign can also help make it easy for your donors to engage and give. Your team can drive donors to a single location from every marketing channel (email, social, physical ads, etc.). This allows you to leverage social channels and include gamification to drive the most #GivingTuesday success for your cause.
Get creative with your campaigns
As one of the year’s biggest opportunities for charitable giving, #GivingTuesday definitely warrants the best and brightest campaign ideas. For nonprofit teams, this is a golden opportunity to go above and beyond with the creativity. From show-stopping online banner ads to on-point brand partnerships, now is the chance for your team’s ideas to shine. No matter the size of your organization, look at every angle for potential marketing and fundraising opportunities.
Is there a local retailer you can partner with throughout the entire holiday shopping season? What about a creative direct mail send that has the potential to engage dormant donors? Is there any way to extend the #GivingTuesday spirit throughout the entire year? Get creative with your campaigns to maximize incoming donations as well as donor engagement!
If your team wants to make the most of this year’s #GivingTuesday, OneCause makes it easy to plan, execute, and track winning #GivingTuesday campaigns. Take a tour of OneCause to get started today!
Wrapping Up!
Need some more inspiration? Check out some of our other helpful end-of-year resources:
