GivingTuesday is the official kickoff of the holiday fundraising season, which runs from GivingTuesday through December 31. Whether motivated by the spirit of holiday generosity or wanting to time their gift for tax purposes, your donors are primed to give during this season.
Since its inception in 2012, GivingTuesday has grown into a worldwide day of generosity and philanthropy, with more than 80 countries participating and over 260 community campaigns in the U.S. alone.
Some nonprofits will be skeptical about asking for a gift on GivingTuesday, rightly thinking that it will be a noisy day in your donors’ inboxes. But if you aren’t asking, those generous donors will be drawn to give to someone who is. You want your charity to be top-of-mind when a donor is ready to give. Even a simple campaign can do the trick.
Ready to start planning for your GivingTuesday campaign? Here are the 6 components of a successful campaign:
A successful GivingTuesday campaign includes:
A morning email with the fundraising goal for GivingTuesday, including a link to give.
An afternoon email with an update on how close you are to reaching your goal, including a link to give.
A website pop-up makes it easy for donors to get to your donation page and give.
A list of top donors you can call that day to reach your fundraising goal. Your volunteers or board may be willing to make these calls for you so you can manage the total campaign.
Organic social media posts sharing how gifts make an impact, how you’re tracking towards your goal, or thanking key donors. This is a great opportunity to go live on social media!
A thank you email the next day to all donors. Don’t forget! Gratitude is power.
Pro tip: a Challenge Grant can take your GivingTuesday campaign from good to great.
A Challenge Grant (or matching gift) is when a donor, or group of donors, will match $1 for $1 (or sometimes, $2 or $3 per $1!) the donations received by your charity during a specific campaign.
People are motivated to give by challenge grants because they know their gift will have an even larger impact.
GivingTuesday is just one part of a successful year-end fundraising strategy. Download our Year-End Fundraising Guide for 7 steps to maximize your revenue in the season of asking. Inside, you’ll uncover the strategies and tactics you need to make this the merriest holiday fundraising season for your nonprofit.
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