This year, #GivingTuesday falls on December 2nd, 2014.
And though this date falls roughly 8 weeks from now, it’s important that you start planning now. For those of you still unsure of what #GivingTuesday is, according to its mission: “#GivingTuesday™ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.”
The average online gift last year danced in the vicinity of $142. And that’s worth attention. The nonprofits who take time to plan and carefully execute a campaign are the ones who reap the most from this day of giving. So this year, think beyond simply tweeting out a variation of, “Give us money #Giving Tuesday.” You’re better than that.
My first tip in preparation for #GivingTuesday is quite simple: test your donate page. Have your kids try it, have your Grandma test it, Great Aunt Judy and your neighbor Steve. Techies and tech-challenged alike should be able to manage. And as always, try to limit the time requirement to complete a donation.
Next, make your campaign transparent. Even if the funds aren’t going toward the most glamorous of uses, try to make known what the donations will be used for. Postage for the next year for information to be sent out? Materials to donate to your third world connections abroad—such as shoes, school supplies or clothing? Plane tickets for your team to go research new programs? Whatever the need, make it known and focus your efforts if possible.
Finally, don’t ruin the rest of your holiday giving. If your nonprofit plans on an increase in funding during December and January, don’t ruin that effort by participating in #GivingTuesday. Ideally, you can increase your donations overall—set a meeting with your fundraising and marketing team to forecast how your participation could affect the rest of your holiday giving numbers.
And read more about creating a #GivingTuesday campaign in the article below.
Creating the perfect campaign for #GivingTuesday [NonProfit Marketing Blog]
