Giving Tuesday is a global day emphasizing altruism and giving back and can be as simple as lending someone a helping hand.
For organizations, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to encourage supporters to donate and to reach a new audience of potential donors.
But there’s a difference between participating in Giving Tuesday and participating in Giving Tuesday effectively. If you do it right and effectively, you can double the impact of supporters’ gifts.
Give first, then ask
Before you ask people to donate on Giving Tuesday, think about what you’ve done to give them a reason to open their wallets.
How have you cultivated your brand and positioned it as a value?
If this sounds familiar, it’s because I wrote about this very idea in June. Swap transactional messaging with ones that showcase what your organization does and how you advocate for the issues your donors and potential donors care about.
Think about it — would you donate money to an organization you know nothing about? Chances are slim. Let your audience know where their money is going and how it will be spent.
For example, if funding goes toward a capital campaign, tell them what it means for the community at large. If it goes toward providing necessary resources, highlight it.
Storytelling is powerful, and it’s a gateway to encouraging people to donate to your cause. Don’t underestimate it.
Spend every other day outside Giving Tuesday telling people about the wonderful things your organization does for the community.
Take a consistent, 360-degree approach
Once you’ve cultivated a fervent group of supporters throughout the year, you’ll want to reach them in as many avenues as possible.
Have a synergistic approach across all your forms of communication, including:
- · Websites
- If you don’t already have a donation page, create one. Add a donation page that links back to that page on other parts of the website.
- Social media
- Mix messages of your mission and the work you’re doing alongside posts about donations. Link back to your donation webpage (add the page to your Instagram bio).
- Paid media
- Put some money behind your efforts; don’t get lost in the shuffle.
- Newsletters
- Send fundraising appeals to your supporters, linking back to your website.
- Third parties
- Create a toolkit your staff, partners, and other third parties can use so your messaging remains consistent.
Make sure you maintain consistency in your messaging across all platforms and funnel people to the same location, i.e., a donation website.
Use communications that exist already; you don’t need to create new ones. For example, will you use your TikTok channel after Giving Tuesday? It’s better to be absent on a platform than have one that looks abandoned.
Keep the message going
This last tip is short and sweet.
Keep the work you’ve accomplished going after Giving Tuesday. Keep amplifying the good work your organization is doing all year-round.
Storytelling doesn’t stop.
Decide what your next chapter should be.
Kenneth Hilario is the Director of Content Strategy in our Philadelphia office.
