Building Your Giving Tuesday Fundraising Campaign

#GivingTuesday is on November 27th, 2018. Is your program ready to take advantage of this national movement? Giving Tuesday provides a major fundraising opportunity for the non-profits in our network and can raise thousands to help programs train more students. Since social media is a major component of any Giving Tuesday campaign, we've complied some strategies to help you build momentum online in the days leading up to November 27th. Read on for some advice around getting out your Giving Tuesday messaging and how to thank your supporters for their donations.

Before Giving Tuesday: Get Started

1. Set Your Goals

Gather your team and determine what your fundraising goals are. How much would you like to raise? Are you trying to reach new donors or engage your existing donors? What would you like the public to know about your organization through this campaign? Your goals do not need to be only monetary, they can also involve acquisition or communications. Your organization's goals will determine your strategic plan.

2. Consider Your Channels

Make a plan for what kinds of content you'd like to post on each social channel. Each channel requires different content and frequent posts to be successful. Plan it out in advance to prepare for the big day.

• Social Media

  • Facebook/Instagram: These sites are a good avenue for student stories, mission moments, and inspirational videos. Use Instagram or Facebook stories to show off your program in the weeks leading up to Giving Tuesday.
  • Twitter: Use the #GivingTuesday logo and hashtag. Post frequently with intriguing images and quick tidbits about your program.
  • Optional: LinkedIn, Snapchat, & Pinterest.

Tip: Study your analytics for the right times to post on various channels.

• Email Marketing

Talk to your audience that is already engaged in your communications. Student stories and testimonials tend to work well in this forum; consider sharing a heartfelt story about a graduate or outline a major initiative your organization has accomplished. Past donors would like to hear about where their money is going and how the organization has used previous donations to benefit their students.

• In Person Events

Utilize an existing donor event like a recurring Guest Chef Night or plan a kick off event for your giving campaign.

• Through your Organization's Businesses

Create fliers promoting the event at your restaurant or through communications with contract meals vendors if appropriate. Utilize your existing supporters!

• Website

Add a feature on your website promoting the campaign - a hero image on your main page could do the trick, or create a page dedicated to the upcoming campaign with an opportunity to donate.

3. Establish a landing page for your fundraiser

Create a landing page for donors to learn more about your program and donate money directly on the site. Include photos or video, an engaging headline that outlines your mission statement, and a clear call to action for donations. [caption id="attachment_835" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Example from Charity: Water. Source: https://unbounce.com/landing-page-examples/non-profit-landing-page-examples/[/caption]

Before Giving Tuesday: One Month before Giving Tuesday

Social:

• Begin posting 2-3 times per week on various channels to build momentum.
• Keep your content varied and fresh, make it obvious that it is part of your larger fundraising campaign.
• Identify top supporters and encourage them to post for your campaign. Create a social media toolkit for your campaign to get them started. Think about creating a call to action for these supporters, such as "post a selfie with our logo to support our cause." Find ways for them to be a part of your campaign.
• Change your profile photo and/or cover photo to one with the Giving Tuesday logo.

Email:

Send an email about a month before your campaign as a "one month away" notice. Include the landing page for donations and identify ways for your audience to engage in the campaign, either through patronizing your businesses, donor events, volunteering, etc. Get people excited about supporting you!  

During Giving Tuesday: The Big Day

It is Giving Tuesday! Get ready for social media to buzz with nonprofit campaigns. Make sure your campaign stands out by posting early and often.

Social Media:

• Plan your content ahead of time with some flexibility to respond to what is happening during the day.
• Focus on lunchtime and after work, people tend to be on social media and donate more at these times.
• Give updates throughout the day about your progress - "we are 30% to our goal!"
• Brand your content with the Giving Tuesday logo.
• Engage your audience! Respond to tweets that are promoting your campaign, reply to comments, and like your supporter's content. Keep the "social" in social media.
• Twitter: post every two hours, starting between 5am-7am. Make sure to use the hashtag, #givingTuesday, and engage followers throughout the day. Retweet their posts if they feature you, respond to comments, and show you are excited about their support.
• Facebook/Instagram: post 4-5 times throughout the day. Student stories and videos are successful on these platforms. Plan a time to go live at least once to feature a piece of your program or get your development department to say a "thank you to our donors". [caption id="attachment_839" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Source: @treehousetweets[/caption]

Email:

Send two emails throughout the day:

1. In the morning to announce that today is Giving Tuesday, this is our campaign goal, thank you for your support, etc.
2. Mid-late afternoon with an update on how far along your campaign is towards your goal.

 

After Giving Tuesday: Report Your Success

You made it! You've successfully managed a Giving Tuesday campaign and raised money for your organization. Be proud of what you've accomplished, but your work is not done just yet.

Social Media:

• Post thank you graphics on your social networks featuring the Giving Tuesday logo the day after Giving Tuesday.

Email:

• Email your donors: Thank them for their donation, or even call them for a personal touch (this could be a volunteer task as well!).
• Email your non-donors: If you did not reach your fundraising goal, target those on your email list who did not donate and extend the campaign an additional week to potentially receive a few more donations.

Other Channels:

• Update your landing page with a "Save the Date" for next year's Giving Tuesday campaign.
• Write a blog post about your campaign's success. Highlight what the money raised will allow your program to do - your audience will want to know how their donation has made a difference.

Reward yourself for all the work you've done!

Your Giving Tuesday campaign can be as big or as small as you'd like, depending on your organization's fundraising goals and bandwidth. We hope that these tips & tricks are helpful as you manage your end of year fundraising. Your programs are doing important work in your community, we hope you find community support for your efforts this holiday season!

Citations:

• Nonprofit Technology for Good: 5 Social Media Best Practices
• Classy: 5 Social Media Tips for Your Giving Tuesday Campaign
• Cause Vox: Giving Tuesday Social Media Tips
• Giving Tuesday's Social Media Toolkit
• Bloomerang: 4 Kinds of Giving Tuesday Social Media Posts that Get Engagement
• Unbounce: Nonprofit Landing Page Examples
• 4 a Good Cause: 8 Elements to Successful Fundraising Landing Pages