Giving Tuesday is the global day of giving fueled by social media, teamwork, and advocacy. Founded in 2012, #GivingTuesday grew out of the 92nd Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact and is now a global charitable movement.
Some statistics say that 14.2 billion social media impressions and over 110 community coalitions were generated because of #GivingTuesday in 2018, indicating that supporters were contributing and connecting with organizations online.
If you’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for a long time, you’re aware of the significance of Giving Tuesday for nonprofits and why to make the most of it. The widely publicized day encourages people to donate, connect across social networks, and kicks off the year’s fundraising efforts.
Every day, iConnectX helps nonprofit NGOs make the most of their fundraising efforts with comprehensive and effective technologies. Here we will go through the best Giving Tuesday ideas, tips, and tactics we’ve gathered from our study and expertise.
7 Ideas for Successful Fundraising
1] Videos are Essential
Video is one of the most effective fundraising techniques available for Giving Tuesday. According to Nonprofits Source, crowdsourcing campaigns that include personal videos raise 150 percent more money than those without. Additionally, tweets with videos receive 10 times the interaction as tweets without videos.
Images and video testimonies provide a clear picture of a problem or opportunity. Rather than reading about how far someone must go to obtain clean water, they can view the experience themselves. Viewers become emotionally involved and comprehend what their money or effort will achieve right away.
Videos for campaigns don’t have to be lengthy; they can be anything from thirty to sixty seconds in length. For effective storytelling, use compelling visuals and express the next step clearly.
2] Set up Online Fundraising Page
A successful fundraising campaign requires a fundraising website, a critical element on the Giving Tuesday to-do list. An effective website is necessary since the day is mainly driven by social media and internet donations.
To make donating easier for supporters, create a unique donation landing page for #GivingTuesday. Ensure that the page is responsive, quick to load, well-designed, and easy to understand.
The donor should locate the donation link – usually a button — within a few seconds of the page appearing. The optimal position for the link is on the page header, near the top navigation. Use a vibrant and eye-catching color to draw attention to the linked button.
3] Leverage #GivingTuesday to Increase Contributions and Recurring Donations
#GivingTuesday doesn’t have to be a one-day giving event; it may also catalyze a long-term commitment to generosity.
One of the best #GivingTuesday ideas to help you stand out and generate more donations year-round is to run a continuous fundraising drive or a “donate now pay later” campaign. This option breaks large gifts down into payments made over a set period, usually completed within a year.
4] Make it Multichannel
To acquire the most attention for your donation campaign, send a single message across numerous channels since multichannel campaigns lay the foundation for a successful Giving Tuesday.
Single medium outreach, like on Facebook, may lead to potential supporters missing out on your campaign. Creating multichannel campaigns across social networks and email maximizes donor reach.
The best course of action is to cover all the bases while keeping your request clear and specific. A concise, thorough statement establishes trust and assures donors their contributions will be put to good use. Your organization can leverage iConnectX to ensure your campaign remains multichannel.
5] Showcase Progress
It’s critical to display real-time progress to your donors, especially with short-term campaigns like Giving Tuesday. Consider displaying a graphic like a fundraising thermometer or a meter on your website to demonstrate your success.
Progress trackers offer donors encouragement and feedback as they follow along with the campaign’s progress. The most basic way progress monitors influence donors is through instant fulfillment and social proof.
6] Collaborate with Businesses and Influencers
Partnerships and endorsements provide access to potential contributors as well as providing publicity. Regarding our first idea about videos, collaborations and endorsements are possibly the quickest way to maximize views and engagement.
When choosing a collaborator, consider organizations and personalities that appeal to a similar demographic to yours. For example, if you run a health-related nonprofit that concentrates on women over 40, consider partnering with a vitamin store or grocery store that caters to that demographic.
7] Matching Gifts
Partnering with businesses that offer matching contributions to donations made by employees or the public at large is one of the most successful ways to fundraise on #GivingTuesday and throughout the year. Matching gifts involve sponsors and contributors making contributions up to a given amount for a set period or a specific dollar amount. For example, a sponsor or contributors can pledge to match gifts up to $5000, or they could commit to matching all donations made on #GivingTuesday between 3-6 pm. According to Double the Donation, matching contributions in campaign appeals boost response rates by 71% and raise average donation amounts by 51%. (https://doublethedonation.com/matching-grant-resources/matching-gift-statistics/)
Tips to Ensure a Successful #GivingTuesday Fundraiser
A] Plan and Be Flexible
To ensure your campaign is a success, begin at least 3 – 4 months in advance. Hold a brainstorming session and recap previous campaigns in the initial meeting. Evaluate the theme and elements of your team’s prior year to revamp to succeed the new campaign. Set goals, brand narrative, and plan design elements, and the team needed to complete these tasks. You can use the SMART method to decide on your goals.
Once goals are in place, finalize your campaign’s budget and message and evaluate staffing and volunteer needs. Similarly, identify a pipeline of sponsors for matching your gift campaign and compile a list of donors. Also, think about what has previously worked for your organization and map out how you want to inspire your audience.
B] Prepare
Before campaign kickoff, consider including the following elements in your preparations:
- Create a folder to keep track of everything relevant to Giving Tuesday. It should be easily accessible to all parties concerned.
- Craft your fundraising messaging with care — make it clear what you’re attempting to accomplish and why it matters
- Create and assemble campaign assets
- Write content, create visuals, and consider what marketing materials the campaign will need. Also, plan a few social media posts and emails ahead of time.
- Consider logistics – assign the team with clear responsibilities
- Create the campaign’s fundraising landing page where potential donors and supporters can find essential details and make donations
C] Launch
We recommend starting with a soft launch to gather early feedback and build a social presence by requesting early donations. Inform supporters of your objective, the impact of their contributions, any matching gifts campaigns, major sponsors, and inform your audience of special incentives in place when you officially open your campaign.
How iConnectX helps
Find your way to Giving Tuesday campaign success by implementing the basic concepts outlined here. Utilizing a platform like iConnectX streamlines #GivingTuesday events and campaigns any time of year. Our software can increase donations and maximize audience reach; we make it simple to set up and brand your campaign. Additionally, all our forms are conversion-optimized, mobile-optimized, and payment-optimized, ensuring that your site receives more donations.
Let us know how your campaign performs on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. iConnectX is here to assist!