Giving Tuesday has emerged as a fundraising opportunity you don't want to pass up. Year after year growth has been exceptional! In December of 2019 over $500 million was donated on #GivingTuesday. Why not join the movement and benefit from this global day of generosity? Here are some tips for your first Giving Tuesday campaign.

Set Goal and Purpose -  It’s always good to set a realistic goal that is a bit of a reach. Be specific about how the funds will be used. Instead of saying they will be used for the food pantry, try messaging $10,000 will supply 50 families of four with food for a month. Donors are motivated with specifics. Keep your message consistent throughout the campaign. We suggest first time campaigns set a goal of $5,000.

Campaign Challenge Match Donor - If you are able to find a generous donor or corporate sponsor to match donations up to a certain amount -  it will make a big impact. Donors love knowing their donation will be matched and are likely to give a little more. If you can't get a matching sponsor how about a cover the fee sponsor? Research has shown that donation pages where a sponsor covers the fees have better success.

Determine Your Message / Challenge - Giving Tuesday isn't just about raising money. It is also about making your supporters feel connected to your mission and organization. Connect with them by asking them to post on your social media. Maybe it's a get outside challenge, a dance off, a positive message, a pet photo, etc. For example, the ice bucket challenge went viral because it was an engaging challenge!

Create a Timeline - Be specific about your social media, email marketing, snail mail and personal outreach goals and timing. Have content ready ahead of time and decide when you will send. 

Recruit Social Media Stars - Identify a core group (board members, donors, volunteers) who have a good social media audience and ask them several weeks ahead to post for you the week of Giving Tuesday. Provide them with graphics, photos, videos and messaging. Videos under one minute with text are the best at driving engagement. 

Get Your Fundraising Platform Ready - Choose either a Donate page with goal tracker and donor comments OR a Crowdfunding campaign for your Giving Tuesday fundraising. If you use Crowdfunding be sure to customize your message and goal. Encourage supporters to personalize their fundraiser page with a personal message and images. Encourage them to share via social media on Giving Tuesday. 

Invite People to Fundraise - A personal ask can go a long way. Be sure to start with your Board of DIrectors and staff then reach out to large donors and volunteers. Pick up the phone before you follow-up with an email invitation. Invite on social media too.

Thank Your Donors - Be sure to give special thanks to your core group of social influencers and to everyone who took the time to fundraise.

We hope you’ve gleaned some helpful Giving Tuesday tips for your first campaign. CharityWeb’s online fundraising platform is for nonprofits of all sizes with no monthly fee for all-volunteer organizations.

For instructions on setting up your campaign in your CharityWeb Dashboard click here.