Is your nonprofit looking to get involved on Giving Tuesday for the first time? Or maybe you want to build on last year’s strategy for Giving Tuesday 2020?
It’s been quite a year. And no one could have predicted the unique challenges the coronavirus pandemic would bring for nonprofits. But December is coming up fast, and in many cases, fundraisers are counting on a big year-end push to make up on lost revenue.
If you’re like thousands of other fundraisers, you will want to secure as many donations as possible on Giving Tuesday. But it’s also important to find ways to use Giving Tuesday to keep current donors engaged and secure new long-term donors.
Giving Tuesday 2020 falls on December 1. Here’s what you need to know before then to make the most out of the biggest day in fundraising!
Tie into your year end.
We expect to see more nonprofits participating in #GivingTuesday this year than ever before. As we mentioned earlier, many nonprofits are looking to make up on lost revenue this year. So, it’s going to take more to get your message to rise above the noise.
Many organizations will frantically try to raise as much as they can on a single day. But you can make your communications stand out with a more personal approach that primes them for year-end giving.
As always, using targeted audience segments is key. Dig into your data and segment donors according to those who have given to your annual fund this year, and those who have not.
Use Giving Tuesday 2020 as a reason to reach out and say thank you to donors who have given. Let them know how much you appreciated their support during this difficult year. Then ask them to consider doing more for the cause with an additional Giving Tuesday donation.
Your other segment of “at risk” donors, who usually contribute to your annual fund, but haven’t this year will receive a different message. First, thank them for their support in years past.
Then, empathize with them. Let them know you understand it’s been a difficult year for many, but your work must continue. And you still need their help! Ask them to support you this Giving Tuesday and remind them there is still time to contribute!
Promote monthly giving.
One of the best ways to get long term-value from Giving Tuesday donors is to promote your monthly giving program. As we know, small dollar donations account for many gifts Giving Tuesday. Many of your donations will probably be in the $5 to $25 range.
Guess what?
That’s an ideal gift size for a new monthly donor!
But you will need to direct donors to your own donation page for this strategy to be successful. Collecting donations through Facebook or another fundraising platform will limit your options with this approach.
So, you will need to focus on driving donors to your online donation page and making the monthly giving option as easy and attractive as possible.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Include a checkbox on your giving page users can select if they want to commit to a monthly gift.
- Drive people to a dedicated monthly giving donation form.
- Offer a special benefit for new monthly donors.
- Let donors make their initial gift, then tell them about the benefits of monthly giving in your thank you’s.
And don’t forget to come up with versioned communications for existing monthly donors! You can ask them to consider making a thirteenth gift this year.
READ: 5 Keys to Starting and Sustaining a Monthly Giving Program
Use the #GivingTuesday brand.
Donors should know your Giving Tuesday 2020 communications are separate from your other campaigns right away. And the most effective way to do it is using the #GivingTuesday brand.
Now, you may be thinking, “I’m only sending two emails! It’s a waste of time to build a brand for this!”
And you’re half right. Even if you’re only sending two emails, you should still incorporate the #GivingTuesday brand on your social media profiles and online donation page. Even if its only for a day. There are many other touchpoints in your strategy, even if you are only planning a couple of emails.
But you were right. You don’t need to build a whole new brand just for Giving Tuesday 2020! Luckily, the people behind Giving Tuesday make it easy for fundraisers.
GivingTuesday.org features a toolkit with logos, email templates, and other resources that make it easy to apply the existing #GivingTuesday brand to your outreach. (We used the toolkit to make the graphic above this section!)
Use these assets in your emails, social media posts, and all other communications!
READ: 10 Terrific Tips to Improve Your Giving Tuesday Strategy
Get others working for you.
The social nature of #GivingTuesday can help you reach a wider audience with your message. It’s one thing when your organization advocates for itself. But your message speaks even louder when others see their friends, family, and peers posting about making a difference.
It’s important to create content that is highly engaging and shareable when building your social strategy for Giving Tuesday 2020. Your posts should get your audience excited about your work and encourage them to spread the word about an important cause.
If you need some help getting your message out on social media, ask your most loyal and engaged donors to serve as social ambassadors on #GivingTuesday!
Provide them with some content and ask them to post to their page on behalf of your organization. The people in their network probably have some of the same values as your donors. So, this can be a great way to find new, likeminded supporters.
Rallying volunteers and other outsiders to share your message can improve your reach, influence, and manpower. These are crucial to get your message heard on a loud and chaotic day.
If time and personnel are limited, these social ambassadors can help you fill in any gaps in your Giving Tuesday strategy. And don’t forget to ask your staff, board of directors, and others within your organization to help spread your message online!
There’s more to do.
As a fundraiser, you know your work is never done! There’s a lot more that goes into an effective Giving Tuesday strategy.
For example, some organizations may try to make the most of their social outreach with sponsored content or social ads. Or maybe you need to take some steps to make sure its easy for donors to give on Giving Tuesday 2020.
And of course, you can’t forget to put together a stewardship strategy to thank Giving Tuesday donors for their support, keep them engaged, and prepare them to give again.
As always, we have a lot more to say! But you can understand why we can’t cover everything in a single article! So, stay tuned, there is more Giving Tuesday 2020 advice to come in the upcoming weeks!
