Starting a nonprofit—or devoting your time and energy to the continued success of one—is all about the mission. It means a lot to be a part of a worthy cause, and that’s usually what draws people to nonprofit work. Unfortunately, worthiness doesn’t pay bills. The reality is that no matter how great the cause, you still need to keep the lights on somehow.
Though it behooves every nonprofit to continue campaigning for funds on a regular basis, around this time of year there’s an extra special day to keep in mind: Giving Tuesday. There’s just something about the holiday spirit that reminds people of their place in the big, wide world, and Giving Tuesday is all about celebrating that.
Giving Tuesday is a huge opportunity for nonprofits across the country, and you’ll definitely want to start planning your campaign early to maximize its impact. Here’s a quick overview of everything your nonprofit Giving Tuesday needs to make the most of the most generous day of the year.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday was started in 2012, as a fundraising event in New York. It was the charitable counter to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. From there, it has transformed into a worldwide phenomenon countering consumerism and reminding the world of the importance of generosity. According to Giving Tuesday, Inc., $2.47 billion was donated to U.S. nonprofits by a reported 34.8 million people on Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020. This was an impressive leap from the $1.97 billion raised in the U.S. in the previous year.
As a nonprofit, the financial benefits of participating in the event are easy to see, but it is also great for companies on the other side of this generosity-centering event. Research from Mintel found that 50% of consumers pick a company based on the causes they support and place a lot of value in a company that donates to charity. This paints a rather lovely picture of the benefit of giving.
When Should You Start Your Nonprofit Giving Tuesday Campaign?
Giving Tuesday is held on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which means this year it will occur on November 29th, 2022. Yes, the end of November is still a ways off, but the reality is that campaigns take time. You need to build awareness and momentum leading up to the given day so that your base of supporters are prepared for the big event. Leaving the planning and marketing off till November, will put your organization on the backfoot in planning and execution.
In short, don’t wait. Start your campaign planning today. To get started, visit the Giving Tuesday website and create your charity profile. Then, take a look at the Giving Tuesday Complete Toolkit to access logos, web banners, sample messages, and other resources.
Charities.org is also willing to help promote US nonprofit Giving Tuesday initiatives by promoting them on their website and social media pages. Contact them with your initiative for some additional marketing reach.
Key Considerations for Any and All Fundraising Campaigns
Regardless of the campaign you are creating, be it Giving Tuesday or some other funding push on your organizations annual calendar, there are some basic steps to keep in mind as you plan to roll out any campaign.
- Create a Landing Page for Your Campaign
Your landing page should be accessible from your homepage and used across your marketing strategy to lead supporters to your campaign with ease—something like yourwebsite.org/givingtuesday. This is the place where supporters can donate to your campaign, as well as the place for your organization to share goals, progress, and stories.
- Craft Campaign Content
Getting the word out for your fundraising campaign is essential. To do this, you will want to craft emails specific to your fundraising campaign and the goals you are striving to achieve. You will also want to create a series of social media posts across your social platforms to bring attention to your campaign.
Both your social posts and your emails give you the opportunity to spread awareness of your cause as well as opening the door for direct CTAs to lead supporters to your landing page where they can learn more and (hopefully!) donate.
- Have a Point Person
Diffusion of responsibility is far too common in any situation that involves a lot of individuals. It is easy to assume that someone else will take care of this or that detail, and this diffusion can lead to a rather underwhelming turnout for your campaign. Put someone in charge: someone whose responsibility will be to ensure that all the necessary steps get done.
- Avoid Overwhelm
It is easy to lose sight of the main goals when you’re focusing on one, specific campaign if there is too much going on. You will want to keep your campaign focused. Declutter your cause by establishing the exact goals of the given campaign ahead of time. If it is to raise funds for an upcoming project or outreach necessity, make your intentions clear and stick to it. Adding on too many other things can lead to a sense of overwhelm on both potential supporters as well as on yourself and those working within your organization. Keep it simple and direct.
- Research Fundraising Software
There are a lot of different choices as far as fundraising software is concerned, each providing various benefits and drawbacks. Looking down that long list of options can be quite overwhelming, which is why it is so important to do your homework well ahead of when you plan to start your campaign.
It takes time to come to a consensus as to which tools to utilize both from a budget standpoint as well as its applicability to your organization and cause. Check out KSR’s comparative list of fundraising software options here.
Giving Tuesday is a huge opportunity for your nonprofit, and yes, just like any marketing campaign, it takes time and dedication to see it through effectively. The bottom line though, is that it is worth the effort.
Want some ideas on how to creatively implement your Giving Tuesday campaign? Check back for KSR’s blog, Giving Tuesday Campaign Ideas.
If you feel like limited resources may impact your ability to plan and execute a fundraising campaign, KSR can help. Whether your organization needs assistance with content creation or organizing campaign goals, planning, or execution, KSR can provide the extra leverage to see your mission through.
Reach out today, and find out what KSR can do to improve outcomes for your organization.
