Schools are starting again. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is rumored to return to Starbucks menu any day now. So, although you might not be thinking so, it’s time to start talking about Giving Tuesday. This global giving day will be here before we know it. Though there's a moderate push to make it more of a weekly endeavor, the global Giving Tuesday event traditionally takes place the day after "Cyber Monday" (November 28, 2023).
Year after year, shared moments like holidays or giving days (like Giving Tuesday) create a sense of connection for donors to understand they're part of something bigger than themselves.
Table of Contents
- What kinds of organizations benefit from Giving Tuesday?
- What benefits come from a successful Giving Tuesday campaign?
- When should organizations begin planning a Giving Tuesday campaign?
- What planning steps should I take for a successful Giving Tuesday campaign?
- Is online giving critical for Giving Tuesday success?
- Why are matching gifts so popular in Giving Tuesday campaigns?
- When is the best time to start a Giving Tuesday campaign?
- Are Giving Tuesday hashtags really necessary and effective?
- Should organizations host a P2P fundraising campaign on Giving Tuesday?
- Is Giving Tuesday a good time to ask for recurring donations?
10 Giving Tuesday 2023 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are ten frequently asked questions from small nonprofits about how to leverage Giving Tuesday for tremendous fundraising success!
1. What kinds of organizations benefit from Giving Tuesday?
Thousands of organizations of all shapes and sizes run successful Giving Tuesday fundraising campaigns each year. Nonprofits that see the most success from their Giving Tuesday efforts typically commit to at least three months of planning and preparation for the event, and they have at least a small amount of money they can spend on the campaign. We are just about three months out from Giving Tuesday, so it’s great that you’re reading this blog post and getting ready to start now!
2. What benefits can an organization expect to enjoy from a successful Giving Tuesday campaign?
The beauty of a Giving Tuesday campaign is that you don't need to limit yourself to fundraising goals. A successful campaign can bring quite a few benefits and perks!
For starters, Giving Tuesday is a great marketing opportunity and strategy to increase your organization's visibility. Many people actively look for causes and organizations to support during this day of generosity. If they run across your nonprofit, your name recognition increases. Additionally, asking your supporters to share about their Giving Tuesday donations on social media will boost your visibility among their network.
Giving Tuesday can also offer an opportunity to build trust and credibility. Many states have their own Giving Tuesday websites where they advertise vetted nonprofits in different communities. When people see your nonprofit listed on these credible sites, you immediately garner additional trust and credibility, which lasts much longer than one day!
Giving Tuesday is also a chance to collect valuable donor data. Many people give to organizations for the first time on Giving Tuesday. This is an excellent opportunity to gather their contact information so you can follow up and build a relationship with them throughout the year. If you use a fundraising software platform, like the Soapbox Engage Donations app, it's easy to collect even more donor data and learn about the types of people interested in your cause or mission.
3. When should organizations begin planning a Giving Tuesday campaign?
As the saying goes, "failing to plan is planning to fail." The sooner you begin creating your strategy and campaign, the better. After all, it takes time to create compelling storylines that can build real connections with your audience and educate them about your cause.
Most industry experts recommend beginning your Giving Tuesday preparations at least three months out. Some organizations that rely heavily on Giving Tuesday funds start analyzing the previous campaign and building the next one just a few weeks or months after Giving Tuesday!
4. What planning steps should I expect to follow to create a successful Giving Tuesday campaign?
While the planning process might look different from one organization to the next, most nonprofits who run successful Giving Tuesday campaigns have a few things in common:
- They set specific goals for their campaign. Whether it's a fundraising objective or deciding to focus on networking or another area entirely, they set specific and measurable goals.
- They have a clear and compelling "why" behind their goals. They're able to answer the question, "How will accomplishing these goals on Giving Tuesday serve our mission this year?"
- The organization spends time developing a cohesive campaign that aligns with its brand and mission. This helps new followers begin to know and trust the organization and deepens the bond with existing supporters.
- It's not necessary to have flashy, expensive content. Still, successful Giving Tuesday campaigns invest in quality visuals and content that will connect with donors on various platforms.
- Almost all successful Giving Tuesday campaigns have high-quality online donation pages and the ability to share those pages on social media.
5. Is online giving critical for Giving Tuesday success?
There's an increased demand for excellent online giving experiences. People expect a streamlined, modern process that matches (or exceeds) their online shopping experiences at their favorite e-commerce stores. This means it's likely worth a little more prep time to make sure your online presence and donor experience is ready for the Giving Tuesday crowd!
Additionally, while some nonprofits host in-person activities and events as part of their Giving Tuesday campaign (like volunteer opportunities, charity runs, or other events), most of the frantic giving activity happens on social media and other online platforms. That means it's critical to have a mobile-friendly donation page that people can use on their phones and share on their social media accounts! Luckily, the Soapbox Engage Donations app offers mobile-friendly designs.
6. Why are matching gifts so popular in Giving Tuesday campaigns?
Did you know that $2 to $3 billion is donated through matching gifts programs each year? Matching gifts help boost momentum in giving and help incentivize donors to give more generously because they want their money to be doubled and make a bigger impact, especially when there's a time limit on the offer.
Many smaller nonprofits find matching gift sources through a few major donors or local small businesses that want to invest in your cause. Some organizations host crowdfunding campaigns in advance and use the funds to offer Giving Tuesday gift matches.
Corporate sponsorships can be another valuable source of matching funds. Using this strategy can also help increase your visibility among businesses and brands and incentivize employees to make a Giving Tuesday donation to the cause!
7. When is the best time to start a Giving Tuesday campaign?
Surprisingly, the answer is NOT to launch your campaign on Giving Tuesday! Because there are thousands of organizations vying for people's attention on that day, the best strategy is to begin a "soft launch" up to two weeks before Giving Tuesday.
Begin your campaign with previous Giving Tuesday donors, current donors, and board members. In addition to asking for donations, ask for their feedback on the campaign! That will give you enough time to implement their suggestions and polish up your campaign.
Begin to "prime the pump" on all your social media platforms and with an email campaign about 7 days out. Many organizations find that planning a week-long campaign with Giving Tuesday being the "pinnacle" helps them stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of current and potential donors.
8. Are Giving Tuesday hashtags really necessary and effective?
Hashtags turn words or phrases into searchable terms, especially on social media platforms. When you add a #GivingTuesday hashtag to any of your posts, this helps people find your post when searching for Giving Tuesday events, opportunities, and topics. By using the hashtag, your organization becomes connected to the entire Giving Tuesday movement.
Hashtags work across most social media platforms and can increase traffic and engagement with your content! Tweets with hashtags get as much as 60% more engagement than tweets without hashtags.
While Giving Tuesday hashtags aren't absolutely necessary, pairing them with a unique hashtag for your campaign is a good marketing strategy. And the great news is, it's free!
9. Should organizations host a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign on Giving Tuesday?
At its core, Giving Tuesday was designed to be a grassroots, collaborative effort of generous people supporting the causes they value. Peer-to-peer fundraising can be an effective Giving Tuesday fundraising strategy that gets at the heart of this mission.
With a few personalized donation pages, a reasonable fundraising goal, and some fundraising tips, your supporters just might become your biggest fundraisers and advocates on Giving Tuesday!
You really don't need much to have a really impactful peer-to-peer fundraising campaign:
- Inspiring images, photos, and infographics to share on social media
- Email templates to send to networks
- Sample social media posts
- Fundraising tips and tricks
Many nonprofits who rely on peer-to-peer giving throughout the year might already have some of these resources at hand and can simply adapt them for the Giving Tuesday campaign. At Soapbox Engage, we offer a peer-to-peer fundraising add-on that should make this process a breeze for you and your donors.
10. Is Giving Tuesday a good time to ask for recurring donations?
Recurring giving programs can be a powerful strategy to boost your annual donations. Giving Tuesday is a great time to invite people to give beyond their year-end or one-time donation! Many nonprofits set internal goals to boost participation in their recurring giving programs with their Giving Tuesday campaigns. After all, people are already in the mindset of giving and making an impact in the world; why not invite them to make a difference year-round?
Many people are accustomed to the "subscription economy" now. Organizations compare their monthly giving programs to Hulu, Netflix, Peloton, and the dozens of other subscriptions potential donors might already have. This is actually an advantage for nonprofits!
Consider identifying previous Giving Tuesday donors and developing curated invitations to your recurring giving program for them. Emphasize the unique value they offer your nonprofit and how a recurring gift can amplify their impact.
We know you probably have loads of other questions about how to raise the most money this Giving Tuesday. These ideas, strategies, and resources will help you develop an effective Giving Tuesday strategy and even offer some new ideas to experiment with in 2023!
Here are three more resources to help you develop a strong year-end giving campaign:
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