Understanding the Giving Tuesday \u201cdiscovery\u201d phase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Believe it or not, donor acquisition and retention begin long before a donor actually lands on your donation form. By the time your Giving Tuesday donors make a gift, they\u2019ve already formed impressions and opinions about your organization and your mission. Those impressions will play a large role in their relationship with your organization and the likelihood that they continue to support you in the future. If you want to use Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to expand your donor base, you need to think of your posts as the first step toward an ongoing relationship with the people who will donate to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how do you do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some ideas!<\/h2>\n\n\n\nEmphasize your mission, not just Giving Tuesday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In your email appeals, social posts, and other media, focus on showing donors how their gift will make a difference in their community. \u201cDonate to us because it\u2019s Giving Tuesday!\u201d isn\u2019t particularly inspiring, but it also provides donors no reason to give to you beyond the holiday. Look at the implications in these two different appeals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Giving Tuesday! Please make a gift today!\u201d <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\nAsking donors to give because it\u2019s a \u201cgiving day\u201d may be effective in the short term. But the \u201cwhy\u201d behind giving\u2014the giving day\u2014isn\u2019t a long-term \u201cwhy.\u201d That \u201cwhy\u201d only works for 24 hours, and it implies a short-term, one-time transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Giving Tuesday! Celebrate by joining our community of (eco-warriors, animal advocates, etc)!\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThis appeal is better. It still emphasizes Giving Tuesday, but that is secondary to the main \u201cwhy.\u201d The main call is to join a community that addresses a particular issue. That plants the idea that making a gift is a first step in a longer relationship instead of a 24-hour giving blitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Craft your appeals in a way that frames Giving Tuesday as a great opportunity to get involved in something special. It\u2019s more than a 24-hour donation grab! By doing so, you\u2019ll establish from the start that new donors are getting involved in something special, not just giving to an organization that\u2019s making mass appeals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Show everyone you love your donors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Publicly recognizing your donors\u2014provided your donors are okay with it\u2014achieves two ends. One, it makes your donors feel seen and appreciated, which is a valuable donor retention tool. We\u2019ll go more into detail on this later! But it also plays a role in donor acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Donors want to know that they\u2019re valued by the organizations they support. That\u2019s why sincere thank-you messages, handwritten notes, and donor calls are such great donor retention methods! When a potential supporter lands on your website or social media channels and sees thank-you messaging for specific donors, they understand that you value the people who support you. Donating to a nonprofit that obviously values their supporters is more appealing than donating elsewhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell a consistent story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If your organization will be communicating over multiple channels on Giving Tuesday, it\u2019s really important that you be consistent across each one. Tell the same stories, use the same branding, include the same pictures\u2014you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine you\u2019re a food bank. A potential donor gets an email from you about your Giving Tuesday campaign. In the email, you ask them to donate to you so you can buy hams and turkeys for people to eat for Christmas. They click over to your Facebook page; there, you\u2019re asking people to give but talking about the new, expanded kitchen you want to build. On X, they see posts asking for donations to pay for gasoline you\u2019ll use to deliver meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How confusing!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your organization may run a lot of programs and offer many services, but focus all your Giving Tuesday appeals and stories on one<\/em> element or goal. The more specific you can be, the better! Saying, \u201cWe want to raise $5,000 today to fund our operations\u201d is boring. Saying \u201cWe want to raise $5,000 today to deliver Christmas dinners to local families\u201d is better. The more easily people can visualize how their money will be spent, the more likely they\u2019ll be to give!<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can read more about creating consistent Giving Tuesday branding (on social media in particular) in this blog entry!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe bottom line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Giving Tuesday can be a great opportunity to get yourself in front of new audiences. But, to be successful, you need to carefully plan a cohesive message for those new potential donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, emphasize your mission as a whole instead of focusing on the Giving Tuesday aspect. If you want your donors to stay engaged with you after Giving Tuesday, you need to base the beginning of your relationship on something other than a one-day event. While you’re planning your posts, make sure to focus on how much you appreciate your donors. This will show potential donors that you value your supporters beyond their capabilities for financial support. Then, combine your mission and donor appreciation elements with a consistent appeal. By the time you’ve built all these elements into your Giving Tuesday plan, potential donors will see you making appeals for them to join you in your mission by making a gift to a great cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you ready for Giving Tuesday?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Looking for more Giving Tuesday goodness? We’ve got you covered with the #GivingTuesday Ultimate Guide.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you’re looking for online fundraising tools that will help you run the best Giving Tuesday campaign, we’d love to help you out! Contact us to learn more about our unlimited donation forms, campaign thermometers, and other tools you can build into your Giving Tuesday campaign. Schedule a demo today<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n
This appeal is better. It still emphasizes Giving Tuesday, but that is secondary to the main \u201cwhy.\u201d The main call is to join a community that addresses a particular issue. That plants the idea that making a gift is a first step in a longer relationship instead of a 24-hour giving blitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Craft your appeals in a way that frames Giving Tuesday as a great opportunity to get involved in something special. It\u2019s more than a 24-hour donation grab! By doing so, you\u2019ll establish from the start that new donors are getting involved in something special, not just giving to an organization that\u2019s making mass appeals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Show everyone you love your donors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Publicly recognizing your donors\u2014provided your donors are okay with it\u2014achieves two ends. One, it makes your donors feel seen and appreciated, which is a valuable donor retention tool. We\u2019ll go more into detail on this later! But it also plays a role in donor acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Donors want to know that they\u2019re valued by the organizations they support. That\u2019s why sincere thank-you messages, handwritten notes, and donor calls are such great donor retention methods! When a potential supporter lands on your website or social media channels and sees thank-you messaging for specific donors, they understand that you value the people who support you. Donating to a nonprofit that obviously values their supporters is more appealing than donating elsewhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell a consistent story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If your organization will be communicating over multiple channels on Giving Tuesday, it\u2019s really important that you be consistent across each one. Tell the same stories, use the same branding, include the same pictures\u2014you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine you\u2019re a food bank. A potential donor gets an email from you about your Giving Tuesday campaign. In the email, you ask them to donate to you so you can buy hams and turkeys for people to eat for Christmas. They click over to your Facebook page; there, you\u2019re asking people to give but talking about the new, expanded kitchen you want to build. On X, they see posts asking for donations to pay for gasoline you\u2019ll use to deliver meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How confusing!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your organization may run a lot of programs and offer many services, but focus all your Giving Tuesday appeals and stories on one<\/em> element or goal. The more specific you can be, the better! Saying, \u201cWe want to raise $5,000 today to fund our operations\u201d is boring. Saying \u201cWe want to raise $5,000 today to deliver Christmas dinners to local families\u201d is better. The more easily people can visualize how their money will be spent, the more likely they\u2019ll be to give!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read more about creating consistent Giving Tuesday branding (on social media in particular) in this blog entry!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Giving Tuesday can be a great opportunity to get yourself in front of new audiences. But, to be successful, you need to carefully plan a cohesive message for those new potential donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, emphasize your mission as a whole instead of focusing on the Giving Tuesday aspect. If you want your donors to stay engaged with you after Giving Tuesday, you need to base the beginning of your relationship on something other than a one-day event. While you’re planning your posts, make sure to focus on how much you appreciate your donors. This will show potential donors that you value your supporters beyond their capabilities for financial support. Then, combine your mission and donor appreciation elements with a consistent appeal. By the time you’ve built all these elements into your Giving Tuesday plan, potential donors will see you making appeals for them to join you in your mission by making a gift to a great cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for more Giving Tuesday goodness? We’ve got you covered with the #GivingTuesday Ultimate Guide.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re looking for online fundraising tools that will help you run the best Giving Tuesday campaign, we’d love to help you out! Contact us to learn more about our unlimited donation forms, campaign thermometers, and other tools you can build into your Giving Tuesday campaign. Schedule a demo today<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\nThe bottom line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Are you ready for Giving Tuesday?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Increase](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/8356283\/61170572-d14c-4be7-8254-b221c0860be1.png\")
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