Top Tips for Getting Your #GivingTuesday Planning Off to a Great Start
You may still be enjoying the summer. But now is a good time to start planning ahead for GivingTuesday. There are many considerations when preparing for GivingTuesday, so starting now gives you the runway you need to pull everything together.
Here are some tips and resources to get your GivingTuesday planning off to a great start.
- Read the GivingTuesday toolkit.
If you haven’t already read it, or if it’s been a while since you last read it, take a look at this helpful toolkit. It’s full of great tips. - Take a look back.
Review what worked and what didn’t for last year’s campaign to help inform your plan. Run reports to analyze actions taken, donations made, and unsubscribes to help identify strengths and weaknesses from last year’s campaign. - Give a heads up.
Give your constituents a heads up in advance that Giving Tuesday is coming up. Definitely put this on their radar the week before if you can, but also consider mentioning it on social media and any of your other communications a few weeks before. - Be kind to your constituents’ inboxes.
As with any campaign, if you plan to send multiple email appeals, be sure to exclude the people that have already donated throughout the day from the subsequent emails so that they don’t keep getting asks from you and possibly opt out of future emails.If you use Luminate Online as your online fundraising platform, read Luminate Online Wisdom for a #GivingTuesday Ninja Warrior for important tips on why and how to send email messages “on the fly” instead of scheduling them in advance. If you use a different online fundraising or email tool, find out more about how audience refreshes on delivery work, particularly if you plan to schedule multiple emails in advance. - Build a unique GivingTuesday donation form.
To place more focus on your GivingTuesday campaign, build a GivingTuesday-specific donation form and open it up the Monday prior to GivingTuesday. Leave it open on Wednesday too. Link to this in your email promotions, and update the “donate” link on your website to point to the GivingTuesday donation form while the campaign is open. - Get your gifts matched.
While you’ve got your donor’s attention, use your donation page or form to remind them of gift matching. Many organizations have matching gift policies their employees don’t know exist. Maximize your GivingTuesday donations by giving them an easy way to find out if their gift is eligible: implement matching gift software into your GivingTuesday activities. - Say thank you.
It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of end of year fundraising. But just as you would with any fundraising campaign, be sure to make sending thank you emails a priority on GivingTuesday. And don’t stop there. Follow up and let your donors know how the campaign performed. Be sure to talk about all of the great things your nonprofit will be able to do with the funds raised. - Think about your overall end of year fundraising plan.
Remember that GivingTuesday is just one part of your overall end of year fundraising activities. It’s important to consider the timing of your GivingTuesday activities in the context of your other end of year appeals. Take a look at the article, Top Tips for End of Year Fundraising Success, for great tips and inspiration for your end of year fundraising strategy. - Don’t panic.
If you get a late start on #GivingTuesday and end of year fundraising, read 7 Tips for Last-Minute End of Year Fundraising for some quick and easy ways to end your year on a fundraising high note.
GivingTuesday has become an incredible movement to support the work of nonprofit organizations. Be sure to start planning now to get the most out of this special day.
If you need more help with your GivingTuesday and end of year fundraising plans, contact Cathexis Partners.
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by Nicole Tucker, Account Manager, Cathexis Partners
For nearly 15 years, Nicole has worked with nonprofits to help them use technology to raise funds and spread the word about their missions.
