What Is #GivingTuesday?
There’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, and, now, #GivingTuesday. It’s an international day of giving that brings nonprofits, donors, businesses, and communities together to celebrate generosity and the impact of giving back.
#GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 in a partnership between the 92nd Street Y in New York City and the United Nations Foundation as a response to consumerism during the holiday season.
#GivingTuesday participation continues to grow. Last year’s #GivingTuesday online donation totals were more than 50% higher than results from 2015! $177 million was raised on November 29, 2016. #GivingTuesday 2017 is on November 28.
Why #GivingTuesday Works
Just like other giving days, #GivingTuesday concentrates fundraising efforts and donors’ excitement into one 24-hour period. This amplifies the sense of urgency, which drives action.
The immediacy and swell of social and community energy helps to encourage people to participate, whether that’s to donate directly or to help advocate and fundraise for a favorite cause.
Plus, as a kickoff to year-end giving, you can rest assured that donors are in a generous mood, coming off Thanksgiving in the United States.
Why Year-End Is Important
Year-end is important to nonprofit fundraisers because 30% of giving takes place in December alone.
A combination of generous procrastinators, a general “giving” mood, and those seeking to make donations for tax purposes makes December giving so important.
Putting together a great #GivingTuesday and year-end campaign ensures that you don’t miss out on giving these donors a chance to connect with your nonprofit and make one last gift before 2018 is here.NetworkForGood.com 6
#GivingTuesday Is Growing
At Network for Good, we continue to see #GivingTuesday grow each year. More nonprofits are participating, acquiring new donors and adding to their December donation totals.
Want a Year-End Fundraising Boost?
Tapping into a giving day like #GivingTuesday can be a great way to engage existing donors.NetworkForGood.com 7
Should You Participate in #GivingTuesday?
Year-end is a critical time, and your team probably already has a full plate. With that in mind, is #GivingTuesday worth it? From where we sit, the answer is simple: Yes! At Network for Good, we are big supporters of the #GivingTuesday movement because we believe it offers nonprofits a unique chance to create community excitement and pride around giving and to carry that momentum to year-end. A whole day dedicated to generosity? Yes, please!
Consider these points:
#GivingTuesday isn’t a separate event. #GivingTuesday is really the kickoff for December giving and should be treated as such. It needs to be integrated into your overall year-end giving plan. Instead of thinking of this giving day as one more thing to do, think of it as an opportunity to fully round out your year-end fundraising activities.
#GivingTuesday is ultimately about creating excitement and activity in the community you already have. #GivingTuesday has gone from a grassroots movement to a mainstream event. Your supporters will likely expect that you’ll participate in this national day of giving. Give them the chance to be involved in a variety of ways beyond making a donation. By involving donors in the campaign and making them feel like a part of the event, you’ll also strengthen their relationship with your cause and increase their loyalty to your organization (think, recurring giving).
#GivingTuesday is additive to other year-end giving. Whether or not you put up big numbers on #GivingTuesday this year, getting your message out to supporters early will help you stay top of mind through the end of the year. Based on 2016 giving totals, Network for Good’s research shows that nonprofits that participated in #GivingTuesday raised five times more in December overall. #GivingTuesday has an additive effect, rather than just shifting giving to earlier in the season.
#GivingTuesday is a chance to amplify your results. By taking advantage of free training resources, templates, and even cash prizes and matching funds offered by organizations like Network for Good, Facebook and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or GivingTuesday.org, even a small campaign can see bigger returns.
#GivingTuesday is about building on your strengths. Although giving days can be a way to try new things, all great campaigns start from focusing on your best assets and proven tactics. If you don’t have a big Twitter following, focus instead on your core list of supporters, including board members, volunteers, and community partners. If your email list is just getting started, think about partnering with other organizations or businesses to help get the word out.
#GivingTuesday is a good opportunity to attract new supporters and followers through a peer-to-peer campaign. By leveraging your existing base, you can tap into their networks by providing them with the right messages and tools to spread the word and raise funds on your behalf on the big day.
Below is a list of our favorite Giving Tuesday resources, including Mittun’s limited edition Nonprofit Website Supercharge Toolkit which literally has everything you could ever want to improve your website.