Giving Tuesday for Beginners
This year with the world in turmoil nonprofits are looking anywhere they can for new ways to connect with their audiences, bring in new donors, and raise money. Events have been canceled, services have stopped, and money is being rerouted to more “immediate and urgent causes” leaving nonprofits to fight harder for their dollars.
However, I can assure you (based on real data) that there is PLENTY of money for your organization and PLENTY of people who are passionate about your cause. #GivingTuesday is the one day of the year where these people are looking for somewhere they can give and make an impact.
What is #GivingTuesday?
This seems to be the place where newbies get stuck and confused. #GivingTuesday is simply a holiday. Yes, it is backed up by a large organization but in essence, it is just a holiday focused on promoting giving. The “giving” part of this day doesn’t always have to be money. Some organizations use it to give thanks to their supporters. Some use it to get volunteers (who give their time), brand new donors, or grow their audiences. How you choose to embrace #GivingTuesday is entirely up to you and your resources.
There are some major misconceptions and myths I’ve seen that I want to clear up before we go on:
You don’t have to do anything to participate. You don’t have to register on their website, you don’t have to use social media, you don’t have to post in any certain place or at any certain time. Do what is right for you, your audience, and your organization.
Somewhere in the process of discussing #GivingTuesday people started to think that it was dependent on or deeply involved with the infamous “Facebook match”. Facebook is technically not involved with #GivingTuesday. Yes, it is a great tool that you can use as part of your campaign but that’s it. It is just one available tool. The Facebook match was designed to match the funds that nonprofits raised starting at a certain time. Unfortunately, every year it actually causes drama and headaches. The funds are typically gone in the first three minutes they are announced and because there are SO many organizations involved each will get a few pennies toward their cause (this is if you get the check at all which I’ve rarely seen happen). Don't use FB if your audience isn't there!
We want to participate, what do we do now??
If you understand everything discussed above and have a firm understanding of what #GivingTuesday is, you can begin to plan your campaign (or hire me to create one for you!). The best place to start is the workbook on their website which you can find here: https://www.givingtuesday.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/Step%20by%20Step%20GivingTuesday%20Workbook.pdf
Set a goal that is a little bit of a stretch but definitely reachable. I won’t go into all of the details of planning a campaign here because there are some really great resources available from webinars to templates and workbooks. I highly recommend you decide what you want your campaign to look like (how much time you want to invest, goals, tools) before you spend too much time and effort researching.
Yes, there are infinite resources, best practices, guides, ebooks, etc… on how to create an effective #GT campaign, but, it is easy to become overwhelmed, decide that it will be too much work for your organization, and give up. Please don't!
Where do I "post"?
This is a communications strategy question. Who is your audience? Where do they spend time online and interact with your organization?
Examples: your website, your email list, direct mail, any social media platform, texting, online communities, etc...
We have no time to dedicate, what should we do?
You don’t have to create a full comprehensive campaign to be involved. Your strategy can be as simple as creating one Facebook post with a donate button that shows the need you address and the #GivingTuesday hashtag. Maybe you will only raise $10 from that post but hey, it is $10 more than you had before right?
What do I NEED to know?
If you do use Facebook as a fundraising tool it is imperative that your organization’s FB page is verified as a nonprofit. Unfortunately, this is not a task that can be done at the last minute. It can take weeks or even months to receive this verification and can be harder to bring in money if you don’t have it.
If you plan on utilizing paid Facebook ads I highly recommend you create them now. Between COVID and the election, they are taking longer and longer to approve posts and you don’t want to find yourself unapproved when you need your ad. After approval, you can simply “pause” your ad until you are ready to share it.
Start small, if this is your first year take it slow. Stick with what you know but also include a tiny bit of experimentation. Use this as a way to learn what works and what doesn't.
Have fun!! There is no wrong way to do #GivingTuesday.
Ok, I get it but I still need help!
Please feel free to send me a message and I am happy to answer some of your questions. Follow me on social media for more tips and to ask specific questions. This year I’ve created a new service for organizations that need help creating their campaigns and we can talk about that, however, I will always offer as much for free as I feasibly can!
Click here to book a consultation OR a free intro call
How do you feel? Do you have a better understanding of how it all works? What other questions can I answer for you?
