#GivingTuesday occurs annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. On this day, everyone is urged to come together to inspire generosity. After a long weekend of shopping, feasting and festivities, we are called upon to celebrate our favorite charities through donations, spreading awareness or general support. Whatever cause you are passionate about, there is surely a reason to get excited to give back!
Introduced in 2012, #GivingTuesday has quickly gained momentum and proven not only to be a meaningful global movement, but a successful marketing tactic as well. It serves as an effective channel for non-profit and charitable groups to raise awareness for their cause and generate revenue, and to also help maximize visibility and gain new sponsors.
The #GivingTuesday website provides branding and marketing tools that can be utilized in conjunction with your marketing efforts, allowing you to extend your outreach and benefit from this day of giving. This can involve promoting the event on your website, including it with your annual holiday appeal or holding fundraisers and charity drives that coincide with the event. Posting on social media with the hashtag #GivingTuesday engages your current followers and can motivate them to take action. Using the hashtag #GivingTuesday will also help your campaign go viral, boosting the number of supporters and potential donors. Be sure to have a clear call-to-action so that people know what they can do to help.
If the primary goal of your charitable giving campaign is to raise funds, you must ensure that your fundraising efforts have a sense of purpose and sincerity, leaving a resonating impression and motivating folks to give and join in the cause. Make your message relatable in order to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Get personal! Humanize your organization and build rapport by encouraging existing followers, allies and volunteers to share stories regarding your movement and what your organization means to them. Potential givers will appreciate heartfelt stories from real people more than a calculated plea.
Minimize the number of e-mail blasts that are sent out, as too frequent contact tends to scare off potential donors. The e-mails that you do send should contain meaningful content, such as highlighting the organization’s accomplishments over the past year thanks to the donations of loyal supporters like them. This type of material is what inspires people to contribute and make a difference. Quality over quantity!
The most important step in making your #GivingTuesday efforts count is to document your results! Pay close attention to your website analytics to measure which strategies are working, and which are not. Did you get more engagement during a spike in social media activity, or after you sent out an e-mail blast? Figure out what works for you and your audience so you can apply those successful strategies to next year’s campaign.
Sabre Digital Creative is proud to support many non-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts for #GivingTuesday. Call 508-652-0012 or email info@sabredigitalcreative.com to find out how you can raise awareness and revenue for your cause!
Sources: www.givingtuesday.org