Giving Tuesday is the single biggest fundraising day of the year. It also sets the stage for the nonprofit industry’s busiest and most important fundraising time, year-end giving season. On Giving Tuesday in 2021, an estimated $43.6 billion was donated online in Canada alone. With over 80 countries participating in Giving Tuesday, it’s time to encourage your community to open their hearts (and wallets) to your organization.
But with every nonprofit under the sun running a Giving Tuesday campaign, how do you stand out from the crowd? We’re here to help you put together a campaign that is sure to raise as much revenue as possible!
Seek Opportunities to Recruit New Monthly Donors
Monthly giving is quickly becoming a popular way to donate amongst younger donors. Since younger generations are used to paying expenses monthly (think cell phone bills and Netflix payments), it’s no surprise that 40% of millennials are enrolled in monthly giving programs.
While you have their attention on Giving Tuesday, why not seize the day and ask them to become monthly donors? On average, monthly donors give 7x more than one-time donors! By adding a recurring giving prompt to your donation page, you can grow your recurring revenue and monthly donor base!
Share Your Progress Loud and Proud!
You already know about campaign progress bars, but did you know that posting one on your donation page can increase revenue by 35%?
Start by setting your campaign goal and then display your thermometer at the top of the page. Not only does this show your audience how close you are to reaching your goal, but it also makes it easy for you to track your progress. That information is gold to push your donors to give more and help you cross the finish line.
Download the Full Giving Tuesday Toolkit
From social media and email templates to a full fundraising checklist, our Giving Tuesday Toolkit will set your campaign up for success!
Engage Your Corporate Partners
Chances are, your corporate partners have a corporate social responsibility budget that they can put towards charitable giving. Around year-end giving season, they’re probably also looking for opportunities to spend what’s left in it!
But how do you stand out from the crowd when there are other nonprofits chomping at the bit to get their hands on that budget? We have a couple ideas for you to engage your corporate partners in a strategic way that helps your organization and helps them achieve their goals
Matching Gift
While we like to think that all corporate donations come from the goodness of their hearts, the reality is that companies also make donations to improve their image. Now, we say that without judgment because you can actually use that to your advantage!
Consider asking companies to act as your matching gift donor for your Giving Tuesday campaign. Put their logo front and center and sing their praises from the rooftops on your social channels and in your emails. It will likely lead to an increase in individual donations as well during the matching period.
Make It Easy
Develop materials for your corporate partners that showcase their logo and mention that they are a proud supporter of your organization. By creating materials that follow their brand guidelines, they can easily share these on their social media channels. This encourages their networks to support your organization while also showcasing that they are giving back to their community.
Host a Livestream
It’s no secret that social media fundraising took a huge leap forward during the pandemic. In fact, the livestreaming sector grew by over 99% and continues to be a key way for companies to engage with their audiences.
Consider scheduling a livestream broadcast on Giving Tuesday that features your CEO of other staff. Even better, invite a member of your community to share their story, give live campaign updates and encourage viewers to donate.
Download the FREE Year-End Giving Checklist
Use this FREE template to ensure your Giving Tuesday Campaign launches you into a successful year-end giving season.
Create Videos
Chances are, the audience you’re trying to reach is being flooded with donation asks, impact stories and mission updates. On social media, you get one chance to engage someone before they keep scrolling. If you miss it, that could result in donations lost.
By creating short, eye-catching videos with a strong CTA, you can draw your audience in and quickly share your case for support. Now, we know what you’re thinking, how do we create videos when we have no budget? Well, the nice thing about social media is that these kinds of videos don’t need to be professionally produced. Bring it in-house by filming videos of your staff and put a call out to your community to share their stories. User-generated content is a great way to show your community some love, share their stories and keep your costs down.
Download The FREE 2023 Nonprofit Salaries Guide!
Use this FREE guide and check if your organization is remaining competitive to attract and retain top talent!
Before you know it, Giving Tuesday will come and go in the blink of an eye, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth thinking outside the box to engage your supporters. With these ideas, you can create a memorable Giving Tuesday campaign that will launch you into a successful year-end giving season!
Meredith Gray
Senior Marketing Manager at Fundraising KIT
Meredith has always had a passion for work that makes an impact. Having spent over 7 years working in fundraising, she has gained extensive knowledge in marketing, peer-to-peer, events, and sponsorship and firmly believes that all successful fundraising strategies start with your data.
Having experienced it first-hand, she understands the challenges nonprofits face when building a fundraising strategy and loves connecting with other like-minded fundraisers to brainstorm new and creative ways to leverage data to increase revenue. When not working, Meredith can be found trying out one of Toronto’s diverse restaurants, breaking a sweat in a spin class, or researching her next travel destination.
