With the holidays and gift-giving season upon us, now is the time to start thinking about your organization’s year-end fundraising campaigns. Kicking off the year-end giving frenzy is GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, which occurs this year on Tuesday, December 3rd.
Last year, Giving Tuesday saw a 38% increase in donations, growing from $274 million in online donations in 2017 to $380 million in 2018. This day is an opportunity for your organization to encourage more support from the community and close out the 2019 giving season strong, propelling you into a great start to 2020.
But how do you maximize your presence in this global philanthropic movement? Here are strategies to make sure your organization is top of mind for donors on GivingTuesday.
Re-affirm the importance of your organization’s mission.
Remind supporters how their donation impacts the community and cause that your organization is tied to. Use possible case studies from those directly supported by your organization’s mission to show the emotional impact your organization provides to those it serves.
When donors know their donation is positively impacting the organization, they are more likely to donate again. Pictures and/or videos could be a strong way to convey the direct influence your organization had on those it serves.
Remind individuals or organizations of ways that they can give to your organization.
Whether it’s monetary donations, gift-in-kind donations, volunteering opportunities, highly appreciated stock gifts, or an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution, remind supporters how they can donate to your organization and make it easy to do so. Don’t forget to test your donation page prior to GivingTuesday!
Utilize multiple touchpoints with donors.
Texts, emails, and social media posts are all useful (and free) resources to ensure donors of all ages will see your campaign. Keep your call-to-action simple by directing donors to your website, to an online donation form, or to call or text to donate.
Recruit social ambassadors.
Your social media followers have already shown an interest in your organization, so why not ask them for their help? Ask them to simply promote your campaign with their network by sharing your social media posts. They can also set up their own personal fundraising pages for your organization and encourage others to get involved through a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Be sure to recruit your board and associate board members to engage on social media as well.
Collaborate with other local businesses.
Broaden your reach by partnering with another organization that will agree to match donations if you agree to promote their business. This is a mutually-beneficial way to generate donations by leveraging your community profile and promoting powerful goodwill between your organization and the participating company.
Consider alternative methods of fundraising.
The best Giving Tuesday ideas are untraditional, so this is your time to get creative. Movember (mustache November) is a great example of an “out-of-the-box” idea that is still working well to provide awareness of men’s health issues. In 2018, the campaign raised over $102 million as men all over the world pledged to grow a mustache to fundraise for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide prevention resources. Leverage the network you already have. The next great idea is out there!
