#GivingTuesday is a global movement that promotes community engagement and giving back. Started in 2012, it has quickly become the biggest giving day of the year. In 2018 alone, nonprofits around the world raised $380 million online.

Start preparing today with our tips for a successful #GivingTuesday campaign.

Tip #1: Start planning early

The key to success is a great plan! If this is your nonprofit’s first #GivingTuesday use this workbook provided by #GivingTuesday to help your team get started planning. In your planning session you’ll want to:

• Set a goal –  What does your team want to focus on for this #GivingTuesday? Is there a project you want to get funded, is there an amount you want to raise? Set a realistic goal and make sure your team is in agreement.
• Make a plan and assign roles – With your goal in mind, write out a plan for how you will get there. Write out the tasks your team will need to get done. Then set clear deadlines and assign owners for each task. Make sure to schedule periodic check-ins to make sure things stay on track.
• Create a Communication Plan – Social Media is a key part of #GivingTuesday. Start planning your communications calendar now. Create your plan for when you will start communication and through what channels. Check out #GivingTuesday’s 6-Week Communication timeline to help you set out your calendar.

Pro Tip: Write out your emails and social media posts ahead of time and schedule them to be sent out (check out these free social media scheduling tools). Planning your posts ahead of time will relieve you of stress closer to the date. Use the #GivingTuesday Social Media Toolkit to get inspirations for your posts.

Tip #2: Create a beautiful campaign

Now that you’ve created a goal and a plan, you can put your campaign together.

Example Campaign

Be sure to customize the campaign to fit your organization’s needs. Some things we recommend for a great campaign:

• • Write a powerful story
  • Have a clear call-to-action
  • Include high-quality visuals (BONUS: include a heart-warming video)

Tip #3: Engage your community

As important as donations are, the real value of #GivingTuesday is the opportunity to build relationships with your supporters and engage your community. Get creative this year and think about ways you can engage your community beyond donations. Consider offering volunteer opportunities and other ways people can get involved with your cause.

Reach out to local businesses and ask if they would consider sponsoring a Matching Grant for your campaign or donate in-kind donations. Remember, it’s about relationship building, so starting these conversations helps you start the relationship building process.

Tip #4: Find a way to stand out

With the explosion of #GivingTuesday’s popularity, there is a lot of buzz coming from a lot of nonprofits. You will want to stand out in a crowded field. Here are some ways to make sure you get noticed:

• Utilize your current base. You don’t have to start from scratch. In the weeks leading up to #GivingTuesday tap into your current supporter base to help you spread the word. Run a P2P style campaign that allows your most engaged supporters to fundraise on your behalf.
• Get creative with social media. Consider doing a live stream on the day-of or weeks leading up to give your supporters an inside look into your organization. Also, check out our post on 5 creative social media ideas you can use.
• On the day-of make sure to post regular updates. Remember, the heart of #GivingTuesday is rooted in social media so don’t go radio silent on the day of. Post regular updates on the progress of your campaign throughout the day. Don’t be afraid to also give shoutouts to your donors thanking them throughout the day for their support. Tag donors in your posts to get your post in front of more people.

Tip #5: Thank your donors!

This may be the most important part of your whole campaign: thank your donors!  Be sure to send out timely and personal thank you letters. The purpose of this letter is to make your donors feel good and tangibly feel the impact they made to your organization. This will make your supporters feel like they matter. For an extra personal touch use this free tool to record a short, personalized thank you video to send with your thank you emails.

Tip #6: Think beyond one day. Keep the momentum going, straight into end of year giving!

Don’t let your momentum stop when the day is over.  Whether you reached your goal or not, use this campaign as a launching pad for your year-end giving strategy.

If you reached your goal use the momentum to encourage people to continue to give! Share your stats on how you did on #GivingTuesday and the impact those donations will make. Then continue to inspire people to support your cause.

If you don’t reach your goal, don’t be discouraged! You’ve got a jump start now and you can still ask people to help you reach your goal. Reframe the ask and extend your campaign deadline till the end of the year.