Get the #GivingTuesday E-Book here!
What Is #Giving Tuesday?
#GivingTuesday is a global day to share our blessings with others. Founded in 2012 by New York City’s 92nd Street Y, in partnership with the United Nations, the event is held on the Tuesday following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2016, #Giving Tuesday is scheduled for November 29.
Take a break from the commercialization and consumerism that permeates the holiday season, and do good for others. The #GivingTuesday movement has caught fire across the globe including US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Brazil, and Israel all participating.
Last year, #GivingTuesday broke a Guinness World Record for the most online donations in 24 hours, with people donating $118 million globally.
How did GivingTuesday start?
GivingTuesday was started in Canada in 2012 by a group of 15 founding partners dedicated to helping Canadian charities and not-for-profits succeed. Today, there are more than 4800 partners.
GivingTuesday Has Made An Enormous Difference
Since it launched in 2012, this global day of giving has engaged over 10,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide. Not to mention the tens of millions of dollars that have been raised online for charities of all shapes and sizes.
Change your attitude and boost donations
Some nonprofits are concerned that donors may not buy into the concept of a designated day of giving. They worry that the prospect of additional donations may not justify the added time and efforts necessary to make the day successful. They’re afraid that #GivingTuesday will simply take away from other end-of-year campaigns. Will those donors, who typically make their gifts at the end of the year, simply change their donation date to #Giving Tuesday?
The data we’ve reviewed over the past three #GivingTuesday celebrations disproves this theory and suggests that the event is a hugely successful and sustainable fundraising tool which will grow even bigger over time.
Advance Preparation Is Essential Key
Realize a positive impact on your fundraising by preparing your organization and your donors for a successful #GivingTuesday.
Set Up A Merchant Payment Account
The ability to collect donations online is essential to #GivingTuesday’s success. Make certain that your merchant payment account is established by early October to give you enough time to set up your forms and be comfortable with how everything works.
If you’re using DonorPerfect and WebLink, every field automatically imports to your donors’ record. With PayPal or other big-name merchant payment account providers, the data must be manually imported to your fundraising management system.
Have Your Online Donation Form Up and Ready by November 1
Your donation form is critical to your campaign’s success, so it’s important to have this locked down early. If you’re a DonorPerfect client, a good place to start is the free #GivingTuesday template in DonorPerfect’s WebLink template library. You can customise the form with your logo, colours, etc. Once it’s been tested, send the form to your board of directors for suggested edits and comments. Ask them to test the form by making a donation, or, even better, (provide a challenge gift that offers to match every gift made up to a set amount). Remember, WebLink online donation forms come FREE with every new system of DonorPerfect.
If you found this helpful, you’re in luck! There’s more! Get everything from #GivingTuesday social strategies to day-after donation asks in this DonorPerfect’s FREE #GivingTuesday E-Book!
Get the #GivingTuesday E-Book here!
