Break in case of emergency – last minute #GivingTuesday tips
If you know me you know that #GivingTuesday is NOT my favorite. In fact, I hope to make that another post. But, this is famously a blog for young fundraisers or people new to the sector. Sometimes, you just need to do #GivingTuesday and keep it moving. Listen, I have been there. So, as someone who has forcibly lived through MANY years of #GivingTuesday I will break down some quick tips on what works, what doesn’t and why.
I will say - I think #GivingTuesday madness has subsided. It’s not the feeding frenzy it once was. But it is definitely still around. In my professional opinion, oversaturation is finally catching up. If EVERYONE with a nonprofit status and a screen is asking for money on the same day…it’s just not going to work.
But what if you need to do something? The first step….think SMALL. Going big rarely works unless you have established precedent and a massive audience. You’ll spend a lot of time, energy, creativity and resources just to go up against everyone else including colleges, hospitals, agencies 50x your size. What’s a fundraiser to do?
First tip, use GT as an excuse to contact your close circle of donors and urge them to give a little earlier this year. Use this as a touch point for the lybunts, sybunts in your life. Don’t even touch that Canva button yet.
Speaking of, do not waste your time on social media. I am sorry to go tin foil hat but the algo is NOT your friend on GT. If you’re not playing by whatever rules Meta sets for the year, your posts will absolutely be buried. In 2021 Meta was all in on an easy “first xx amount of donations will be matched just use our software” which…I hate Meta fundraising since you basically get NO donor contact info but OK I’ll play along. I reached my goal and moved on. Last year, Meta decided to push monthly giving and it was a DISASTER. If you weren’t bought into the monthly giving tool your posts were getting nowhere. Even though…that’s not how monthly giving works especially for nonprofits looking for GT donors (my love hate relationship with monthly giving is another post). I think I made $200 on Facebook last year. Luckily, I still hit my goal that day because I stuck to my close circles. This is not a humble brag, this is a social platforms are not your friends warning. DO NOT PUT ALL YOUR EGGS INTO THE SOCIAL MEDIA BASKET.
Next, have a hook. It can be a small hook but have something that will excite donors when you start your personalized outreach. I suggest a lil’ match. Now, I will eventually publish the post about how every person needs a donor who will give them $1,000 - $5,000 with a phone call. Yes, everyone. This is a good example of why.
If you’re reading this right now, it’s late in the game. You need something quick. A small match from a passionate donor is just the ticket. Or a few small matches from a group of donors. This could also be a Board match. In the next two weeks you need to find a donor or donors to give you a small amount for a 24 hour challenge match. Raise what you can. And be clear, this is a gift that can be used as a match. Book it as a donation NOT contingent on meeting the actual match. Of course, you will want to make it but ask for the donation first and then ask if you can announce it as a challenge grant or a challenge match. If you reach out to your core group and you get MORE than you think you can raise in one day – take what you need and table the rest for a December 31st match. You can even do a mid- December one and an end of the year one. This is one place in the plan I will allow for creativity.
Unsure “how much” you can make. Make a QUICK gift table. Decide on an amount – let’s say $5K – and break it down. Do you think you can do 20 $100 gifts and three $1,000 gifts? Play around until you get to a formula you feel good about. The divination behind gift tables is it’s own conversation which we will eventually get to. But my timing is off this year I AM SORRY.
Once you have a match in place start writing your personalized emails. They don’t need to be hyper personalized. If you can do an e-mail merge (sorry to any donors reading this) do that. But make it nice. Make it special. If you really want to get fancy, put what the donor gave last year and ask for a little bit more. You know, for THE MATCH.
Next, activate your Board. Even for a “shy” Board (another post) this is a perfect excuse to ask their networks for a gift. If you have a Board with a lot of corporate baddies, it’s also a great excuse to encourage them to submit for an employee match. Unless you have a hyper activated Board, write the ask emails for them and send them the template a few days ahead of time. Give them a goal like send to five friends. If you have a scary gate-keepy Board - make your boss do it.
And then you’re just about there. Feel free to post about the match on social but don’t expect that to be your money maker. Set a morning, afternoon and after hours MailChimp (or whatever you may use) and blast that to EVERYONE. Use the same simple thermometer graphics for all messaging. And don’t go much further.
I have done BIG Giving Tuesday campaigns. Which is why I feel so confident telling a group of fundraisers to think small. The bigger it gets the more disappointed you may be. I have been around long enough to have screwed up multiple Giving Tuesdays. I have NEVER been disappointed with the small swing approach. And to be honest, neither has my board or CEO. They were just happy we made goal and got some early money in.
Lastly. Do not beat yourself up about Giving Tuesday - it is totally fake. If you can’t use it to your advantage, IT IS OK. If you just want post one graphic, send one email and no one is forcing you to do more. BE FREE. Unshackle yourself from the expectations! If the vibe at your job is ~*we must do something~*. Use the above and see what happens. Maybe one day I’ll tell you the failures (one involves Soulcycle and it’s cringe). Do not blow the top off even if it feels like you should. Seriously, I am telling you. Good luck. 🫡 🤑
