T’was the night before GivingTuesday in the nonprofit sphere,
When some organizations would try peer-to-peer.
Their websites were built and their platforms were ready
And fundraisers knew they must breathe slow and steady,
But still in their minds there lingered some fright:
“How do I know if I’m doing this right?”
(Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore).
GivingTuesday is around the corner. Are you ready?
Whether this is your first year tackling GivingTuesday, or you’re an old pro, we’ve got seven last-minute GivingTuesday ideas to keep you on track, and get the very most out of this important day.
1. Tell Your Story
The thing that makes donors give isn’t how flashy your video is or how clever your emails are, it’s the story you tell. GivingTuesday is a chance to tell the story of the work you’re doing and the impact it makes. Make that story the center of every message you send.
The way GivingTuesday has grown is exciting, but with that growth has come a lot of competition. Your organization is vying for donor attention with thousands of other great nonprofits. Telling a relatable story helps you stand out of the crowd and connect with donors’ hearts.
Research shows that donors are more likely to give when they feel a connection to the cause and are inspired by a narrative. Character-driven stories with an emotional component activate empathy and encourage giving.
Move For Freedom used a short, powerful video on their fundraising page.
Consider using a short video or even making a simple reel to share your organizations story with potential donors. Videos catch peoples attention and helps your cause stand out from the crowd. They are also perfect for a last-minute GivingTuesday push.
2. Test Your Tech
You only have a short time to raise money on GivingTuesday, so don’t lose one of those precious hours to a technical snafu. Once you’ve got your online campaign all set up, it’s smart to do a little troubleshooting. Make sure to:
- Make a test donation to determine that payment processing is in working order.
- View your campaign on a mobile device.
- Make a test donation on a mobile device.
3. Rally Your Troops
GivingTuesday is a big deal in the nonprofit sphere, but most of your donors probably don’t have it circled on their calendars. They are almost definitely not thinking about it in September, or counting down the days. It’s more likely they’re thinking about all the stuff they have to do in the holiday season, and wondering how November flew by so fast. For our own good, we need to remind our supporters GivingTuesday is coming.
Rally your supporters by promoting your campaign via email and social media. It’s best to start this at the beginning of November, but if you haven’t, that’s okay. Even a single message on Cyber Monday is better than starting cold on Tuesday.
Prepare your donors for GivingTuesday by:
- Sending an email blast about the campaign
- Posting on social media
- Sharing GivingTuesday content
If you’re running a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, check in with your fundraisers today. Make sure they know how to use the resources in their fundraising toolkit, and are ready to go.
Well Aware’s peer-to-peer fundraising toolkit.
Remind your fundraising folks:
- Of your fundraising goal, and what kind of impact it will have
- To share campaign posts on social media
- How grateful you are that they’re helping your cause
4. Keep Your Message Positive
GivingTuesday is a celebratory day. It’s about making a difference and doing something positive for the world. Since we’re encouraging people to do a positive thing, we should do it in a positive way.
While shocking stats and scary stories may get attention, the shock doesn’t necessarily pay off. Decades of marketing research demonstrates that negative framing almost always has a negative impact on the subject’s decision to act. People will feel bad, but they probably won’t give.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t talk about tough stuff; many nonprofits exist in order to deal with very negative circumstances. It’s a matter of framing your story in a positive way. What is your organization’s solution to the negative facts you face? What does it look like when a negative circumstance is changed?
5. Go Visual
You know that a picture’s worth a thousand words, but that’s especially true online. Photography, video, and infographics are all great visual elements to boost engagement with your content.
If you’re thinking, “What’s the point of telling me I need fancy graphics? I have no time to do anything!” don’t worry. Our free Ultimate Year-End and GivingTuesday Fundraising Toolkit includes graphics you can customize to promote your GivingTuesday campaign.
6. Update And Celebrate
Did you hit a goal? How close are you? Let your supporters know throughout the day by giving them regular updates.
Don’t be afraid that you’ll be obnoxious–it takes more reminders than you think for someone to take action. In marketing, this is called “effective frequency”, and while there’s a lot of debate, common wisdom says it takes seven encounters with an advertisement before it makes a significant impact.
Chances are, you’ll get bored talking about your campaign long before your audience is bored of hearing about it.
Take a minute today to think about milestones you’re hoping to reach tomorrow. Make a note of things to celebrate–your first donation, your first hundred dollars, reaching a match, or your fiftieth donor.
As you celebrate, remember to thank the donors who made it all possible.
7. Stay Engaged
GivingTuesday is based in social media. Social media is conversational–it’s just as much about your followers as it is about your message In addition to your planned messages and posts, stay engaged with your supporters online. Check in with your platforms throughout the day to repost and share your supporters’ messages about your campaign, as well as your own content. Mention and thank those who shared your posts. Give shout-outs to donors as they make donations during the day. Promptly reply to any comments you receive online.
Use CauseVox’s free marketing templates to help you generate some last-minute GivingTuesday ideas for social media content.
Go, Go, Last-Minute GivingTuesday Ideas!
You’ve got this. Celebrate your milestones and engage with your supporters tomorrow with eye-catching visuals, heartwarming positive stories, and easy-to-use technology, and have your best GivingTuesday yet!
