This year marks the 10th anniversary of the first Giving Tuesday in 2012. What started as an effort by one organization to boost charitable giving during the holiday season has become a global movement. While many fundraisers are excited by this effort to make charitable giving more widespread and celebrated, there is also a certain dread as the day approaches during an already hectic time of year.
Adding yet another to-do on the year-end plate, along with the mixed results of the day, contributes to these conflicting feelings. Many fundraisers feel a sense of obligation to do something for Giving Tuesday, either to keep up with peer organizations or because leadership has prioritized action.
In order to manage expectations, it is important to realize what Giving Tuesday is and is not. It is a good opportunity for engagement of board and volunteers, a chance to create interesting online content, and an opportunity to thank supporters for all they have made possible. It is potentially a good day to bring in small gifts from new and existing donors. Giving Tuesday is not a day with an influx of major gifts, and preparing for it should not detract from your established major donor plans.
With that in mind, how can you make the most of the day, without diverting too much time away from the core of your crucial year-end work?
Engage Board Members and Other Volunteers
Now that Giving Tuesday is established and well-known, it can provide an avenue for board members and volunteers to help spread your message and engage in peer-to-peer fundraising. This can be especially valuable for board members who may have been hesitant about introducing their networks to your cause (more thoughts on boards and fundraising here). Giving Tuesday provides a natural way to open the conversation and can neutralize some of the awkwardness that your board members may feel.
The key is to make sure they are properly supported. Reach out to your board members and most dedicated volunteers before Giving Tuesday with scripts and tool kits that they can use to engage their networks.
Create Memorable Online Content
Can you use Giving Tuesday to shake up your social media strategy? Try new tactics like short thank you videos, picture slide shows, and even a “behind-the-scenes” look at an area of work that doesn’t normally get the spotlight. Direct testimony from those whom your organization serves is always effective, but if that’s not possible, brief messages of thanks from staff members can also be very compelling.
Previously, I recommended raising funds around a specific need on Giving Tuesday. If you decide to go that route, you can provide live updates throughout the day on social media and give an insider’s view of the impact that will be achieved by hitting your goal.
Tips for Email Campaigns
Your supporters’ inboxes will be bombarded with email appeals around Giving Tuesday. Yet, email remains the most effective fundraising platform on Giving Tuesday. It outperforms social media. If you intend to send multiple messages throughout the day, make sure they are meaningful and stand out in a crowded inbox. To do that, first think about how to communicate in the days leading up to Giving Tuesday. Create excitement among your supporters and consider building toward a big announcement like a matching gift that will be used on Giving Tuesday to amplify support. The day of you can announce the match in the morning and update supporters throughout the day. I prefer the layered approach of announcing a match and then communicating progress throughout the day or sharing different types of content, such as an ask followed by a thank you video. I do not personally endorse simply sending multiple asks throughout the day. Having been on the receiving end of these emails for years, I find them intrusive, particularly if they are from organizations that I don’t hear from regularly. You can read my previous post on Giving Tuesday Lessons Learned that has valuable guidance and will help you avoid mistakes, like sending requests to donors after they have already made a gift.
Have you employed any creative strategies to make the most of Giving Tuesday? Please reach out and share them!