Five ways to put an exclamation point on your GivingTuesday success.
We all understand the hype around GivingTuesday. Toolkits and pre-programmed materials abound. You get your social media posts ready and your email directing everyone to give. Maybe you even secure a match for the day.
The thermometer goes up. Your donation page gets a lot of hits. Gifts are automatically acknowledged, of course. You send something at 11pm letting prospective supporters know you are close to the goal. Voila – 12:01am – the victory post!
Now what?
Of course, you and your team are exhausted from the long hours preparing for the day, and the adrenaline rush when the thermometer peaks. Everyone’s attention immediately redirects to the piles on their desks, the year-end appeal letter that still needs to go into the mail, etc., etc.
But what about putting an exclamation point on GivingTuesday? After such a resounding performance, you don’t want it to just die on the vine. How can you continue the momentum?
You’ll maximize gifts and goodwill with these tactics:
1) Say a big, heartfelt thank you. Send a personalized note of appreciation to your staff, donors, volunteers, partners and community. Add some “thank you” social posts to celebrate the success of your GivingTuesday campaign.
2) Multiply donated dollars with employer matching gifts. Employers that offer matching gift programs can be found online. Reach out to those donors whose companies match and you may be able to double (and sometimes triple) their gifts. (Adding a blurb about employer matching on your donation page can prompt future donors to check their employer’s policy.)
3) Carry GivingTuesday enthusiasm forward. Instead of treating GivingTuesday as a one-and-done activity, promote it as the kick-off to a larger year-end campaign and an even bigger funding goal.
4) Plan your next social media campaign. If this was your first experience with a full-blown social media campaign, start planning your next one in conjunction with another important date/event for your nonprofit.
5) Steward new donors. It’s number five on this list, but it’s by far the most important! When you make a donor feel important and continue to cultivate the relationship by sharing compelling stories highlighting the impact your organization is making in the community, you’ll likely create a donor for life.
I find that people want choices in how they show support for the causes they care about. When you make GivingTuesday just one of many meaningful touchpoints, you keep your organization relevant, inspiring and continuously top-of-mind.
A Nonprofit Virtual Assistant (NPVA) can support your nonprofit with social media scheduling, donor gift acknowledgements and more. You can purchase an NPVA package online now or book a call with Jill, our NPVA Program Manager, to discuss your needs.