Falling on November 29th this year, GivingTuesday marks the official opening of the holiday giving season. In the three years since the global giving movement started in Canada, donations through CanadaHelps on GivingTuesday have grown 302 per cent.
Even better, for those charities that actively took part in GivingTuesday, revenues on the day were 555 per cent higher in 2015 than they were in 2012, so there’s no doubt charities that participate in GivingTuesday benefit the most.
If you’re looking to reach new donors or find ways to engage and connect with existing ones, raise the extra funds you’ll need in the year ahead by taking advantage of the excitement and momentum around GivingTuesday.
However, if you plan to integrate the big day into your year-end fundraising campaign, you need to do more than simply say, “It’s Giving Tuesday, give today.” To generate new revenue, you need to do more.
GivingTuesday Tips
1. Create a fundraising goal tied to a specific fundraising need. Your goal should be something that donors can connect to and feel inspired by, that they can help make possible, and that motivates them to encourage family and friends to get on board too. A specific fundraising goal is something all your staff, volunteers, board of directors, and other key supporters can get behind.
2. Find a corporate partner to match gifts. Nothing motivates donors to support a campaign more than when they know their dollars will go further. Matching gifts are a great way for companies to do more for the causes they support while building brand affinity. GivingTuesday is the ideal time to ask for a matching gift because the potential cost is contained with a one-day campaign.
3. Share what a gift of $X, $Y, $Z to your organization can do. Sharing these specific examples of gift impact, whether through email or on social media, is a great way to connect with potential donors, showcasing the need your organization is addressing, and the tangible difference their donation can make. Doing so can lift donations on GivingTuesday and also keep your charity top-of-mind as donors plan for their year-end gifts.
4. Share your donors’ giving stories. If you already have a busy calendar of appeals, a Thank You campaign is a great way to benefit from the groundswell of charitable activity on GivingTuesday. Draw attention to your organization’s story and impact by thanking your donors and curating the stories of why they support your organization. By sharing their giving stories, you’ll inspire new people to help.
5. Showcase the people whose lives you’ve improved. Real stories that exemplify the need your organization addresses and the difference it makes takes work, but is work that connects with donors on an emotional level and is more likely to inspire donations. Get creative. For example, try a five day countdown to GivingTuesday, sharing a story each day. On GivingTuesday, compile the stories and make the ask using email and social media that will enable you to improve more lives and benefit your cause.
6. Create a shareable infographic or video to report on your charity’s impact. Demonstrating impact was the number one way charities could increase a donor's likelihood of giving more, according to a survey of more than 5,500 Canadians who donate using CanadaHelps. In fact, almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents said they would likely donate more if a charity shows how donations from the previous year were used. It’s clear—measuring and reporting on your charity’s impact is critical for retaining and inspiring larger gifts from your current donors, and for securing future supporters.
7. Take to the streets as a team, or host an open house. There are a lot of charities looking to inspire new donations on GivingTuesday, so it’s important to get your message out and not get lost in the crowd.
8. No matter what you do, go omni-channel by using all of your marketing channels and being ready to serve your supporters across device types. Use the #GivingTuesdayCA hashtag and don’t be afraid to over-communicate on social media. Provide advance teasers, make a big splash on the day of, and provide updates on your progress as donations and supporter reactions roll in. In addition to making your content shareable, encourage your followers to spread the word and invite people to share their own stories – and be sure to always let people know how they can donate. Social media is great for awareness building, but you’ll be surprised just how many gifts your posts will help inspire.
Shannon Craig is the Chief Marketing & Product Officer at CanadaHelps. CanadaHelps.org allows donors to safely donate and fundraise online for any registered Canadian charity and also provides charities the secure online fundraising platform and education resources they need to succeed. As a registered charity itself, CanadaHelps has facilitated more than $650 million in donations to Canadian charities online since launching in 2000. More than 17,000 Canadian charities fundraise online using the CanadaHelps platform. Stay connected with CanadaHelps on Twitter @CanadaHelps.
