Make #GivingTuesday Work for Your Nonprofit

We're here to help you to make the most of #GivingTuesday, no matter what resources you have available. Get in touch with us for a toolkit and/or support to use iConnectX as part of #GivingTuesday activities.

Whether you’re a dedicated fundraiser for a charity or an individual with a giving mindset, you probably know about #GivingTuesday. The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become a key day on the fundraising calendar, or as stated by the original organizers at givingtuesday.org:

              #GivingTuesday is a global giving movement…a new global ritual based on joy and hope.

Over the period of six years that #GivingTuesday has existed—from 2012 to 2018—more than $1 billion has been raised for nonprofits across the world, and momentum continues to build. Most fundraising experts are predicting another year of growth, with the potential of as much as $500 million donated this year to nonprofits, large and small.

For charities, #GivingTuesday presents an opportunity and a challenge. The end of the year is a such a crucial time for charitable giving, so #GivingTuesday can feel like a distraction for overloaded fundraising staff. The other challenge can be the competition; thousands of nonprofits will be using every channel available to them to raise funds. How does a small or mid-size charity break through the noise?

At the same time, there is ever-increasing awareness and changes in giving behavior as a result of #GivingTuesday that can help nonprofits raise funds, find friends, and promote their mission. This year presents a particularly strong opportunity given the calendar. Giving Tuesday falls on December 3rd, which makes it the perfect day to launch end-of-year giving.

We at iConnectX suggest that there are a variety of ways to leverage the phenomenon of #GivingTuesday in way that enhances all-important year-end giving and that activate your most loyal supporters.

For giving-minded individuals—like the professionals who are part of the iConnectX community—#GivingTuesday is a wonderful opportunity to advocate and fundraise for the charity or charities that you care about most.

With this in mind, we have few suggestions on ways to develop a #GivingTuesday campaign—for fundraising teams or for giving-minded people— with multiple benefits to charities and long-term returns.

1. Promote awareness and love

#GivingTuesday doesn’t have to focus on securing donations. Rather, you can use it as an opportunity to raise awareness about your cause. That awareness can lead into your end-of-year giving activities.

So consider a simple request of your most loyal supporters: ask them to follow and like your charity on all the social media channels they use (including iConnectX). Even better, ask them to share why they care about your charity.

It’s an easy lift for fundraising staff, board members, and volunteer fundraisers. Simply prepare two or three short emails and a few social media posts that your cause ambassadors can cut, paste, and personalize.

Better yet, if you have photos of your volunteers in action, or your clients, distribute them to your board members and supporters (both volunteers and contributors). Ask them to include the photo with a social post.

Lastly, create your own hashtag to share. One simple idea is to use is a #love hashtag, like #lovethehomeless or #love[your organization]. You can link the hashtag to the rest of your end-of-year fundraising activities.

2. Educate

In the same vein as creating awareness, you can use #GivingTuesday to educate your audience—starting with your existing base of volunteers, board members, staff, and other ambassadors—about what your charity does and why.

It’s simple as coming up with five facts about your cause, your charity, and the impact it has. You can then share on all forms of social media and ask friends and supporters to do the same. It’s a great opportunity to simply draw potential supporters to your website for more information.

Ideally, you would send new supporters to a page where you can capture email addresses. You can create a simple dedicated landing page, or send them to your About Us page. Just make sure to create a form to collect emails. The people who respond are likely primed to give as part of your year-end fundraising activities.

3. Promote a “sneak preview” of what’s to come

You may have a holiday of end-of-year event—a fundraising drive, an auction, a party—in the works. You don’t have to have all the details at hand by December 3rd… but you can use the day to provide a sneak preview of what’s to come.

Again, the set-up is simple, and it’s a great way to engage your board and loyal supporters. Provide them with a sneak preview email and social post to share on #GivingTuesday. Then request that they let friends and colleagues know something special is around the corner.

If you have the time and resources, you can have fun creating a short sneak preview video. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be a message from a volunteer, a board member, your Director of Development, or CEO. Create a short script and grab your phone. Voila! You have your own trailer to share on #GivingTuesday.

4. Deploy your volunteers and board members

You may not realize that you have a dedicated fundraising team that can organize a series of #GivingTuesday events. Your board and most dedicated volunteers can plan and execute #GivingTuesday on your behalf.

What they need is a few ideas to spark their imagination. So come up with a list of your most dedicated ambassadors and ask them to organize a series of small events, online or in person. Five ideas are more than enough to get them excited.

To keep in line with your messaging, provide them with a short version of your mission statement, a logo, and a hashtag. Then let them take charge!

5. Collaborate with us at iConnectX

At iConnectX, we provide a multitude of ways you can create a #GivingTuesday event or campaign, all in one place and with a minimum of effort. What can you do?

• Set up a mini website to share information and raise awareness. Our staff is available to you to help. You can then gain access to a new audience of giving-minded professionals.
• Set up an online fundraiser or deploy your most loyal supporters to do it. There’s a simple mechanism for setting up online fundraisers. You can create one just for #GivingTuesday or for end-of-year giving. It’s also a place where you can send your board, volunteers, and donors to do the same.
• Introduce your supporters to a new way of giving: iBridge. This is a truly unique way for professionals to give back to the charities they care about.

We have set up a way for professionals to offer up their time as coaches in support of a charity or charities. A professional sets an hourly “price” for coaching services, and when someone buys that time, the funds go to the charity or charities.

We’re building a cadre of experts across industries, so this is a compelling offer that helps up-and-coming professionals build career skills while supporting worthy causes.

• Organize and set up an online auction. This can seem labor-intensive, but an online auction doesn’t have to be. You can offer five to ten services that your volunteers provide, from coaching to knitting lessons to reorganizing that messy closet.
• Promote an upcoming event.If you are hosting a holiday or end-of-year fundraiser, iConnectX can help you organize and promote it. We offer a ticketing service, as well as support in communicating with attendees.

There are a multitude of benefits for any of the activities we suggest. They can help you:

• Excite and engage long-time supporters.
• Motivate less active board members or those who are hesitant to ask for money.
• Recruit new volunteers.
• Promote your cause.
• Prime likely supporters for end-of-year giving.
• Enhance what you already have planned for #GivingTuesday and end-of-year fundraising.