It’s hard to believe Giving Tuesday is just around the corner! And because of the overwhelming global participation in the Giving Tuesday campaign every year, it’s crucial that you start planning now. The goal? Throwing unforgettable fundraisers that help you stand out and reach a large-scale audience.
We’ve got all the Giving Tuesday fundraising details – what it is, how to prepare for it, and what free resources there are – so you can have over-the-top success!
What is Giving Tuesday?
If you’re not familiar already, Giving Tuesday is a philanthropic movement that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving every year. It first took center stage in 2012 as #givingtuesday when the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact in New York City leveraged the power of social media to encourage a day for people to donate their money, time, talent, or resources to whatever nonprofit they were most passionate about.
It was originally meant to counter the heavy spending of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and instead change the focus to giving back. Unsurprisingly, it quickly trended globally.
In 2020, despite the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, US nonprofits alone raised $2.47 billion on Giving Tuesday. From 2016 until last year, the movement has grown 29%! Not to mention, nonprofits raise the most donations in the last two months of the year. Basically, if your nonprofit isn’t participating in Giving Tuesday yet, this is the sign you’ve been waiting for.
Preparing for Giving Tuesday
Prepping for your Giving Tuesday campaign isn’t one of those things that you just slap together real quick. It takes time and a solid plan for the best success. Here’s how to take full advantage of all Giving Tuesday has to offer:
Step 1: Plan, Plan, Plan
Giving Tuesday is no different from any other fundraiser in terms of creating a plan of action. Now is time to set up a brainstorming meeting with your team to map it all out.
Questions your team should answer include:
- Are you trying to reach a specific demographic? This will help determine what mediums you’ll use and the type of messaging.
- What’s your campaign’s message? This is where brainstorming is really helpful as you can work to come up with something that will inspire your audience to give.
- What are your resources? Giving Tuesday is an all day event that largely hinges on getting the word out. It’s important to have a list of staff and/or volunteers that can help take video, pictures, and engage on social media throughout the day.
- How do you plan to reach your audience? Remember, Giving Tuesday is powered by social media. So it’s important you pick the platform(s) that have the best chance of resonating with your specific audience. For example, if your donors are primarily 45-64, you’d be smart to choose Facebook as your primary platform for your fundraising, with Instagram or Twitter in support.
- Do you have corporate partners? Compile a list of sponsors and partners from past events and reach out to see if they will either help to spread the word or match donations. They could match all donations received or for a specific time period.
Step 2: Set Your Giving Tuesday Goals
Goals are crucial for any fundraiser because it enables you to measure your performance from beginning to end and make any adjustments if you see the need.
You may want to consider setting smaller benchmarks leading up to a larger, overall goal. For Giving Tuesday, you could aim to hit specific donation amounts with respect to the time of day.
For example, send out a post at 11:45am that you’re nearing your $5000 lunchtime goal and just need a few more donations. If you truly want to leverage this type of strategy, make sure to include how your nonprofit will benefit from the donation. If your organization is an animal shelter, the post might look like this:
We’re so close to our lunchtime donation goal of $5000. If we can hit this number we’ll be able to buy all of our puppies new blankets, toys, and treats. #givingtuesday
Pro tip: Always use photos! They are a great way to showcase your cause and pull on the heartstrings of those who are considering making a donation. Imagine seeing a photo of a tiny puppy in a cage with no toys. Who wouldn’t give to that?
Step 3: Create a Donation Page
With the attention surrounding Giving Tuesday, you have a real opportunity to collect significant donations. While it may seem tempting to create a fundraising page on Facebook and call it a day – that simply won’t be enough.
You need a dedicated place where people can learn about your cause, donate, and share information – you need a donation page. Don’t worry, it’s a lot easier than you think.
Could you hire a developer to create something for your organization? Sure. But why do that when you can use free tools like RallyUp? RallyUp is a digital fundraising platform for nonprofits that enables you to create your own donation page for FREE!
With social media sharing capabilities and features like fundraising thermometers, you can keep your current donors engaged and bring in new ones to support your cause.
Step 4: Pre-Promote
Without a doubt, Giving Tuesday is one of the most well-known fundraising campaigns that encourages so many people to give. The downside is that you’re going to have some stiff competition since nonprofits all around the world participate.
That’s why pre-promoting the fundraiser is so important. How, you ask?
- Email donors – Create an email campaign that explains what you’re fundraising for, your nonprofit’s goal, and how donors can help. Include links to your donation page to make it easy. Aim to send multiple emails leading up to the event, including the day of. Don’t forget images to pull on the heartstrings!
- Countdown on social media – Let your followers on social media know that you’re participating, explain your goals, and encourage them to help spread the word by sharing your posts. As the fundraiser gets closer, don’t be afraid to post daily.
- Rally your network – Participate in the local Chamber of Commerce? Part of any groups? Have a lot of connections on Linkedin? Leverage it. Let everyone know about the fundraiser and how they can help. By simply sharing your posts, your network can make a huge difference.
During Giving Tuesday
It’s the big day! But, that doesn’t mean your work is done. Now, it’s all about engaging with donors and trying to encourage those that have yet to donate to support your cause. There are a few great ways to do this.
- Update your followers often – Most stats or ‘best practices’ discuss avoiding posting too much. But this is not the case for Giving Tuesday, especially considering it takes place through social media channels. Posting often throughout the day is encouraged. Let your followers know what’s happening. Show them images of all the good your nonprofit has done over the years.
- Give them something to share – A big part of why Giving Tuesday works is because it’s done in a way that donors can share information easily. They share information to their page, then their friends share it to their pages, and so on. So, give them something to share – tell a heartwarming story, provide videos and images. Don’t forget, include the link to your donation page to encourage people to get more information.
- Tell them what to do – Don’t be afraid to ask your donors for help. Ask them to share your donation page with friends. You could even provide goal updates and ask that they help you reach a specific benchmark. The point is, some people may not know what you need. That’s why you need to tell them.
- Respond every time – If you haven’t figured this out yet, your entire day will be spent online. And it should be! Every inquiry, share, or donation should be met with a response from your organization. A simple thank you goes a long way.
After Giving Tuesday
After your fundraiser, take a breath and pat yourself on the back. You did it! But, don’t get too comfortable – your work isn’t quite finished yet. First, you need to make sure you thank every person that donated or volunteered for Giving Tuesday. There are several ways you might consider saying ‘thanks’, but consider these options:
- Social Media Supporters – Respond to every person that shared or liked your fundraiser on social media. It was their support that helped to expand your reach.
- Corporate Partners – For larger partners that matched donations, sponsored the fundraiser, or donated a big lump sum, send them something extra special like some nonprofit swag. Deliver it in person for that extra touch.
- Donors – A hand-written letter is almost as personal as it gets. Get your volunteers or team together to write every donor to tell them what a difference they made. Just be sure to ask for their address on your donation page when they go to donate so you have it handy!
- Your Team – Don’t forget to thank your team, who works hard for your nonprofit every day. Throw a big luncheon to celebrate or give them a day to relax!
Keep the Momentum Going
Giving Tuesday is a great way to spread awareness of your cause just before the biggest donation month of the year – December. A third of donations for nonprofits are given in December! So, leverage your reach to spread the word about your next fundraiser.
Good news! With the flexibility that our online fundraising platform has, you can easily host any type of fundraiser moving into the final month of the year! We even put together a list of Christmas fundraising ideas to give you some inspiration.
Bonus: Giving Tuesday Fundraising Ideas
Now that you know exactly how to pull it off, it’s time to zero in on the details of your event. Whether you keep it sweet and simple or really step it up for maximum impact, here are a few Giving Tuesday fundraiser ideas to help you get the ball rolling.
Giving Tuesday Fundraising Idea #1: Host a Holiday Party
Since Giving Tuesday falls right between the major autumn and winter holidays, it’s easy to keep the momentum going by organizing a midwinter shindig. Get in touch with local event venues to donate their space, sell tickets through a fundraising platform, and just enjoy a night out. Keep it adults-only, with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, or plan a family-friendly affair, complete with Santa Claus as the guest of honor.
Giving Tuesday Fundraising Idea #2: Run a Clothing Drive
Since Giving Tuesday is all about, well, giving, now is the time to round up all those extra coats, hats, gloves, and warm socks. Sub-zero temps are no joke for the vulnerable folks in your region, and they’ll be grateful for the extra layers. Organizing a drive is straightforward: begin by posting a call to action on your social media site, then set up bins in schools, community centers, churches, or the lobbies of apartment buildings.
Giving Tuesday Fundraising Idea #3: Set up a Themed Online Store
One of the easiest Giving Tuesday fundraising ideas on the planet is to sell DIY apparel through a fundraising platform. Recruit volunteers from your organization to bust out those mad crafting skills and make winter wreaths, bouquets, or wool scarves. You can even invest in a basic sticker machine and draw holiday-themed stickers (kids, especially, LOVE stickers).
Giving Tuesday Fundraising Idea #4: Plan a Dog-Walk-A-Thon
When it’s freezing outside, nobody wants to get out in the snow — except our furry pals! Since Fluffy needs her walk even when it’s cold, why not at least walk for a good cause? This Giving Tuesday, invite the dog owners in your area to bring their (leashed) pups for a fun afternoon making laps around the local park. Sponsors can donate per mile, per hour, or per paw!
The Most Important Component
Arguably, the most important part of your fundraising efforts is providing a fun and seamless hub for your donors to give to your cause! RallyUp gives your nonprofit the ability to run any kind of fundraiser online, including peer-to-peer fundraising, auctions, sales, events, live streaming, and so much more.
Their team of experts are available 24/7, so you always have access to help no matter the time of day. Oh, did we mention – RallyUp is FREE.
It’s time to start up-leveling your efforts and building the perfect fundraising experience for donors. And you can do it with ease with the help of RallyUp.
