5 Ways To Rally Support From Your Nonprofit’s Community This #GivingTuesday

Created By: Victoria Becker and Maryann Grunseth
October 17, 2022

It’s that time of year again. As the seasons change and the holiday season swiftly approaches, so does GivingTuesday. On November 29^th, the world of philanthropy will come together in this annual, collective call to action. Originating in 2012 as an initiative at the 92Y, this philanthropic rite of passage has grown to become the most prevalent day-long push for giving, raising an estimated $2.7 billion in the United States in 2021.

While GivingTuesday might be a push for donations in its essence, it serves a much larger purpose of energizing an organization’s supporters and deepening the feeling of community of those in your corner. GivingTuesday presents a valuable opportunity for a touchpoint with your organization’s supporters and advocates, reaffirming their commitment to your work and impact. Ideally, your most involved donors renew their commitment to you with an additional gift and new supporters are drawn to your cause.

In gearing up for this momentous opportunity to rally your organization’s community, it is important to determine what your objective is as well as the audience you are trying to reach. When considering the answers to these questions, here are 5 things to keep in mind when crafting your GivingTuesday strategy:

1. What have you raised in the past and what is a realistic goal?

• Share your goal in advance of GivingTuesday and update your supporters on progress made during and after the day has ended. If you miss your goal, use that in your messaging to help corral gifts in the following days.
• If this is your first GivingTuesday, what is your organization doing now that should be the priority takeaway for audience members? Consider highlighting new programs or testimonials that demonstrate the impact of your organization.

2. What is the quantifiable impact of each dollar amount raised?

• Facilitate donors’ participation by telling the story of their tangible impact for them. How many people will your organization provide ‘x’ resource with ‘y’ dollar amount?

3. Who in your network can you leverage to make a greater impact?

• A donor match is a great tactic for motivating donors to support you. Consider what major gift donors would be incentivized by a match. Alternatively, you could use a match as a way to steward a gift that you have already received.
• GivingTuesday is the perfect opportunity to call upon your most enthusiastic supporters to serve as your ambassadors for your cause. Using a peer-to-peer giving platform or creating a social media toolkit for donors and volunteers will help spread the word.

4. What platforms are most effective in tapping different target audiences and what are your largest and most engaged channels?

• Is your organization hoping to expand its individual donor base with immediate contributions from older donors? Are you prioritizing the cultivation of younger potential donors to expand your reach? Use audience segments to appeal to your target audiences. Donors will feel special if they receive messaging that acknowledges a gift they made earlier this year versus a general solicitation.

5. How will this day tie into your larger fundraising efforts and kick off your end-of-year campaign?

• GivingTuesday galvanizes and reminds donors why they support your work. How will you ride this wave to cultivate donors and prospects beyond November 29^th? Be sure to thank your GivingTuesday donors and give folks who missed GivingTuesday ample opportunities to make their gifts before year-end. For those who gave on GivingTuesday or early in the end-of-year campaign, send a reminder about employee matching gifts to help double their impact.

Lastly, be sure to engage and acknowledge community members and participants, reminding them how critical their support is in the execution of your organization’s mission.

Good luck, and happy GivingTuesday!

Want to transform how your organization raises money? Reach out to Orr Group today to understand how we can help you advance your mission and achieve your revenue goals.