After the madness of Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday arrives just in time to shift consumers’ focus from buy, buy, buy to give, give, give.
When #GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, the UN Foundation, and numerous partners, the goal was to “create a massive wave of generosity that lasted well beyond that day alone and touch every person on the planet”. According to Blackbaud, the nonprofit software company, $10 million moved through its platform during the first #GivingTuesday in 2012, marking a 90% increase from the previous year. Seven years later, #GivingTuesday 2018 raised $400 million online in the United States alone, a 45% jump from 2017. #GivingTuesday will take place on December 3, 2019, this year and is expected to have even greater success than prior years.
If your organization is looking to maximize your #GivingTuesday campaign this year for support from the masses, read on for a handful of tips and tricks on where to focus your marketing strategy. These will not only help your organization elevate your #GivingTuesday campaign, but will keep the momentum rolling all year long.
Set & Share Your Intentions
Before #GivingTuesday arrives, take some time, think about goals with your team, write them down, and share them. It is important to help your donors visualize how you’ll use their donations. Maybe your university is raising money to refurbish an older building on campus. This is a great opportunity to share a rendering of the project and highlight the needs of your organization to help increase your chance of a donation.
Use Multiple Platforms
While #GivingTuesday is primarily shared on social media, don’t be afraid to go a different route and use more than just social media platforms. This is where your newsletter and email marketing campaigns come in. In fact, MailChimp found that the average open rate for nonprofit email marketing is 25.96%, compared to the universal email open rate of 6%. What better day to take advantage of this fact than #GivingTuesday?
Match Gifts
Now that #GivingTuesday has become a global movement, it’s a great opportunity to find other sponsors and donors who want to match gifts. Consider local banks and businesses, or even members of your own board who are searching for a way to make a larger impact on their contributions for #GivingTuesday.
Get Social
Find all your social media gurus and tell them to do what they do best – share, post, like, tweet, and retweet all about your organization’s #GivingTuesday campaign initiatives. Schedule contests, post photos, and form partnerships to educate people about your organization’s intentions for the day.
Follow Up
After #GivingTuesday has come and gone and you’ve crushed your goals, it’s time to share the good news and thank your donors and supporters. Share an effective infographic to show the total money raised, total number of gifts, total number of donors, and the average gift size to keep the momentum going!
For assistance maximizing your #GivingTuesday campaign, contact the fundraising experts at AlumniFinder!
