Soapbox Engage Blog

"Giving Days" are fun, community-wide variations on crowdfunding. It’s a 24-hour period when a nonprofit focuses on mobilizing its network to raise money for the cause. The best known "giving day" across the globe is Giving Tuesday, of course; however, more cities, regions, universities are hosting their own Giving Days to benefit nonprofits in their geographic area.

While Giving Days aren’t really new, they've grown in popularity over the past few years. Now, many organizations participate in at least one local or regional Giving Day as part of their annual fundraising plan.

Giving Days benefit the entire community as well as the charities that receive vital funding! With the right planning and preparation, your organization can raise a lot of money by participating in (or hosting your own) Giving Days. Perhaps more valuable is the publicity and visibility that comes with these types of events.

We unpacked some of the reasons why Giving Days are worth your time and gathered some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of participating in a Giving Day event.

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Are Giving Days worth the effort?

How successful are Giving Days? Well, in 2017, New York City raised $15.7 million in 24 hours during their NY Gives Day campaign. The much smaller city of Fredericksburg, VA, raised over $1 million in under 36 hours for local charities during their "Community Give" event! Miami hosts a very successful yearly city-wide Giving Day, raising millions of dollars in just one day for hundreds of worthy causes.

Many colleges and universities host their own Giving Day campaigns. In 2019, Purdue University raised a record $41,596,696 in just 24-hours! Columbia University raised over $22 million in its 2019 Giving Day.

Factors that make Giving Days successful

Giving Days and other fundraising "sprints" are successful because it focuses everyone’s efforts on accomplishing a common goal. They combine social media campaigns and crowdfunding tactics to mobilize donors. They are particularly impactful because they ignite a sense of urgency and capitalizes on a spirit of friendly competition and camaraderie among organizations and community members.

Of course, widespread advertisement is definitely helpful, too. One of the factors that make Giving Days so successful is the advertising. The host organization wants the event to be as successful as possible, so they often go all out to make sure everyone knows about the event. This is a win-win for all the nonprofits who will be receiving the donations!

It’s easier to ask for money on Giving Days

Giving Days also create a natural space and opportunity to ask for donations. Whether it’s a college hosting their own Giving Day or a charity participating in a city-wide day, it’s a great excuse to ask boldly for donations. Because it’s part of a bigger campaign, people don’t perceive the request for donations as desperate or annoying. People tend to get more excited about participating in a more significant movement or event.

Because most Giving Day activities happen online, they are often beneficial in attracting new donors.

Giving Days create a sense of urgency to donate

Many Giving Day organizations publish their live statistics and a count-down clock so donors can see how close they are to reaching their fundraising goal. Many Giving Day host organizations provide matching funds that further incentivize donors to give during the event.

People tend to respond to invitations like, "We only have 5 more hours to reach our goal of $100,000! We’re just $7,000 away, and your donation will be doubled by a generous matching grant. Will you make a donation to help us reach our Giving Day goal?"

Friendly competition and prizes go a long way

Additionally, people tend to be very competitive by nature. Giving Days tap into that inner competitiveness.

Some cities have leader boards, showing which charities are raising the most money. Other Giving Days offer short-term prizes throughout the event, like an extra $1,000 to the organization with the most total number of gifts or the charity that raises the most money during a set time.

The North Texas Giving Day offers a variety of prizes, like a $1,000 donation to the organization with the most retweeted tweet during the Giving Day and a $5,000 reward for the "best business nonprofit partnership."

Some nonprofits offer prizes and benefits to their significant donors once they reach specific fundraising goals. All these little incentives spark friendly competition and get people excited to help rally the troops for your cause.

4 ways to get the most out of the next Giving Day

There are some strategic things nonprofits can do to get the most out of the next Giving Day.

Start planning as early as possible

Begin planning and preparing for the day of giving at least 6 months out. Be sure to register and fill out any necessary forms as soon as possible. Many Giving Day organizations host training webinars or provide online tutorials. Take advantage of as many training tools as possible. Even if much of the information feels "old hat," you might miss one or two details that make all the difference!

Many Giving Day organizations also provide planning tools, templates, logos, and other free resources. Some even offer fundraising coaching! These resources could save you valuable time and money.

Set realistic and measurable goals

People are motivated by realistic and quantifiable goals. Your goals don’t need to be tied exclusively to the amount of money you raise (although those are reasonable goals, too). Some of the most popular Giving Day goals focus on increasing the number of donors who participate, adding a certain amount of first-time donors, and reaching new audiences.

Take the time to learn about different prizes and incentives the sponsor organizations provide. Many Giving Days reward charities that have the highest participation or raise the most money. It’s not usually helpful to make those prizes your primary goal, but they can be beneficial.

The prizes are usually designed to incentivize organizations to build their online presence, become more visible, and bring in more first-time donors. Accomplishing these types of goals will serve your organization’s fundraising efforts year-round!

Have a plan to keep new donors after the Giving Day is over

By design, a day of giving tends to bring in quite a few new donors. (It’s one of their greatest strengths!) It’s critical for organizations to develop a plan to continue engaging with current and new donors and develop a healthy relationship after the Giving Day is over.

Your efforts don’t need to be complicated. A little can go a long way. Take the time to send a thank-you note to every donor. You might be surprised (and a little sad) by how many charities fail to say thank-you in a meaningful way after a Giving Day event. Your supporters want to feel appreciated.

Come up with a way to welcome your new donors to your community. Send them a welcome packet with loads of information about your work. If possible, meet your new donors in person. Some organizations host exclusive "thank-you" receptions for their first-time donors after a major giving event.

Share what you did with the donations

Don’t forget to tell your donors what you did (or plan to do) with the money! People want to know their contributions will make a difference in the world and that you used it as you said you would. You will earn a lot of respect and trust if you offer this kind of information to your supporters.

Other tips for Giving Day success

Many Giving Day events have their own online giving platforms. This is excellent because it helps new donors discover your organization! If you are planning to rely on your own donation page for the Giving Day event, make sure your infrastructure can handle a higher volume of donations. You wouldn’t want your online donation processing system to crash because so many people are crowding the server to give!

Regardless of your capacity, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan to receive and process gifts, just in case something goes wrong.

Some schools and organizations mobilize volunteers to help with various tasks on Giving Day. You can even set them to work ahead of the event, making "pre-asks." It never hurts to prime the pump, so to speak! Get a few volunteers to contact current donors to make sure they are aware of the Giving Day and offer suggestions on ways they can participate. Encourage your current supporters to contact their friends and family on your behalf.

Share your goals and ask which one they would be excited to help you accomplish. Someone might not be able to give a lot of money, but they may have lots of friends they can connect you with!

Are you ready to participate in your first Giving Day event or take your participation to the next level? Here are three more resources to help you get the most out of any Giving Day.

• 6 Cost-Effective And Creative Donor Thank You Gifts: Saying "thank-you" is a critical part of fundraising, especially after major Giving Day events. Here are some practical, easy ways your organization can thank your donors.
• Step-by-Step Guide to Creating A GivingTuesday Campaign: GivingTuesday is the most popular and widespread Giving Day event. Many of the steps to prepare for a successful GivingTuesday apply to your local or regional Giving Day event, too.
• 5 Easy Steps To Create A Monthly Giving Program: One way to engage donors from a Giving Day event is to invite them to give monthly! Here’s an easy guide to help you launch a monthly giving program.