Are you looking for fresh Giving Tuesday ideas for nonprofits and charities? Giving Tuesday is a growing global movement, one that has found its niche as a charitable counterpoint to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For #GivingTuesday, FundRazr wants to see all those who use our platform find success.
Check out the tips below to for some unique Giving Tuesday ideas to make your campaign the best it can be!
Use These Giving Tuesday Ideas To Find Success
1. Community Fundraising
As a nonprofit fundraiser, you know the importance of turning supporters into passionate advocates for your cause. You’ve probably even dabbled in peer-to-peer or volunteer-led fundraising campaigns before. Giving Tuesday represents the perfect chance to expand on this idea even further, and let your supporters truly do it themselves!
One Giving Tuesday idea would be to let existing donors and volunteers get involved by designing, creating and implementing their own fundraising campaign. Not only does this take some of the investment of time and resources off your team’s shoulders, but it brings a fresh perspective and empowers your existing supporter networks, helping them to feel like they’re really making difference in a cause they’re personally invested in.
2. Ask Your Community to Share
In an ideal world, everyone who cares about your cause would have extra money to give. But that isn’t the reality we live in, and you can take advantage of the greater reach that comes with Giving Tuesday by including those without the means to donate and allowing them to get involved, too. Why not ask your followers to amplify your message, sharing your Giving Tuesday content via social media or email? While you may not be bringing in extra money this way, the awareness raised around your mission will bring rewards to your organization for months – or years – to come.
3. Ask People to Nominate Specific Friends
Some of the most successful fundraising campaigns maximize social networks by asking people to nominate specific friends to donate or participate, rather than to appeal to their community in general.
The famous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, for example, asked participants to tag specific people to donate or brave the cold water!
One effective way is to pair this kind of social sharing with a very accessible ask. Even if you ask for a small donation, it will be maximized by the increased number of participants
4. Find Matching Partners and Sponsors
Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to try to find a matching partner or sponsor. As Giving Tuesday increases in notoriety and popularity, corporations, philanthropic foundations, and even governmental programs want to be seen as taking part in this chance to do good for the community, whether that’s local, national, or regional.
Our Giving Tuesday idea is to reach out to potential partners whose mission statements and values align with the work you do. For example, a forest conservation group could partner with an earth-friendly company such as recycled products or reusable water bottles. Having a partner who’s committed to matching the funds your campaign raises will bring a sense of urgency to the campaign and help potential donors feel like their contributions are having the maximum impact possible.
5. Target your marketing to recruiting NEW donors – they’re also likelier to stick around
One of the most valuable ways you can leverage the increased traffic on Giving Tuesday is to tailor your marketing to reaching new potential donors. Research has shown that those who make their first donation on Giving Tuesday are more likely to become not only recurring donors, but peer-to-peer fundraisers who spread the word about your mission and bring in even more donors and supporter from their own network.
Think strategically when it comes to reaching these new populations – can you target your social media specifically to those who haven’t seen your content, hold an event in a part of your city you haven’t explored, or advertise in a magazine or newspaper that you typically wouldn’t? And of course, how can you tailor your message so that it will resonate with these newer groups?
6. Clarity is Everything
If your Giving Tuesday campaign goes well, it’ll have a greater reach that usual, due to more people being engaged in charitable causes at this time of the year. What you have to remember is that for a lot of the people you reach, your organization and cause will be new to them – that is to say, they’ll be learning about the work you do, for the very first time. Keep this in mind by being very clear about who you are and the impact you aim to have in all communications, such as email, website landing pages, and social media graphics. Really nail down some things you’d like to highlight about this campaign specifically, and your mission in general, and come up with a few succinct phrases to include in your communications.
7. Make the most of social – and the media
This idea is not fresh but powerful. Giving Tuesday is inherently social, driven by word of mouth and engagement around the #GivingTuesday hashtag. If you don’t make the most of this conversation, you’re missing the whole point of this movement.
Giving Tuesday campaigns will naturally receive more buzz than other pushes for donation just because they’re based around this topical, time-sensitive hashtag, so content that’s designed to be fun and shareable will work to your benefit here. Do your best to get your campaign into traditional media sources, too – print and online news outlets are more likely to pick up charity- and fundraising- related topics around this time.
8. Be Creative
The great thing about Giving Tuesday is also what can make it a challenge – there are many more fundraising campaigns being promoted around this time! While it’s good news that there’s this extra interest in charitable giving, it means that if your campaign isn’t the best it can be, it will get lost in the crowd. So, think outside the box and be creative!
A good way to stand out is fun challenges – especially humorous ones that people will enjoy posting to social media. Your organization’s mission, and the demographics of your audience, should guide you when you’re thinking up a fun, memorable Giving Tuesday campaign that will get people talking.
9. Be clear and specific about your ask
Giving Tuesday may not be the best time for a campaign with generalized, nonspecific outcomes. What is it, exactly, that you want those your campaign reaches to do? Is it to donate, and if so, how? Rather than just asking potential donors to “give generously” try asking them to donate a particular amount, and communicate exactly what it will accomplish.
For example, if you’re raising funds for an animal shelter, you could ask for a donation of $25 to feed one abandoned puppy for a week. You don’t have to ask for just monetary donations with this campaign; you could set out to recruit new volunteers or bring in donations of needed goods, such as used clothing or nonperishable foods.
10. Set Smart Goals
It’s well-demonstrated that fundraising campaigns with a clear goal are far more likely to succeed. Most obviously, goals include the target amount of donations you’d like to raise; but they can also include other metrics, like a certain number of donors, a certain amount of online engagement with campaign content, or new followers or mailing list signups, if your campaign is more focused on raising awareness than monetary donations.
Make sure your goals are written down, and break them down into actionable steps that everyone at your organization can work towards. Finally, measure progress during and after your campaign to get a real, results-based look into its success.
Remember, with some knowledge and planning ahead, Giving Tuesday can be an asset to your organization, one that will help you through the rest of the year, as well. By creating a campaign that stands out and keeping in mind the increased reach and traffic that comes with this special day, you’re setting yourself up for success.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday in your FundRazr campaign to take advantage of our promotion – we can’t wait to see what you come up with! Start your free campaign today.
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