#GivingTuesday is a day of global online giving that aims to lift up charitable organizations. It seems like a simple enough premise, but at Mightycause we hear a lot of #GivingTuesday misconceptions that lead to nonprofits not participating. And so, in this post, we’re going to tackle the four biggest myths about #GivingTuesday.
1. #GivingTuesday is just one day.
#GivingTuesday the event is more than just one day.
On Mightycause, donations open up for #GivingTuesday a week before the big day itself. That means you’ll have plenty of time to build momentum, secure donations, make your appeals and go into #GivingTuesday with a head start on the leaderboards. And, to clarify even further, #GivingTuesday on Mightycause begins at midnight Eastern time and ends at midnight Pacific time. So, regardless of your time zone, you’ll have the same opportunity to compete!
So, even though the event itself is just a day, #GivingTuesday is an opportunity for a full-fledged fundraising campaign. You’ll have a week to raise money, engage donors and collect donations, not just a day.
Some nonprofits start planning for #GivingTuesday as early as September, meaning that it’s the culmination of a months-long effort from their organization.
2. Participating in #GivingTuesday will distract from our big year-end fundraiser
What if we told you that many of the most successful #GivingTuesday campaigns actually are year-end fundraisers? Yep, that’s right: Instead of conducting a standalone event on #GivingTuesday, smart nonprofits use the day to start their year-end campaigns off with a bang.
Think about it: #GivingTuesday is a highly visible day, with millions of eager folks ready to support their favorite causes. It’s just a few days before December, so it’s timed perfectly as the beginning of a year-end campaign. And since it piggybacks off Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many people are already in an end-of-year, holiday state of mind. So, instead of thinking of #GivingTuesday as a single day and its own campaign, you can use it to kick off your year-end fundraiser. Ride the momentum from #GivingTuesday all the way to December 31st.
You may be concerned about donor fatigue, but a solid campaign that lasts for a little over a month shouldn’t cause fatigue. Especially if your nonprofit makes sure your asks are segmented and appropriate for the audience. For instance, sending an appeal to donate to your year-end campaign to a #GivingTuesday donor on December 1st might backfire. But Mightycause provides lists of all of your #GivingTuesday donors that will make it simple for you to filter out #GivingTuesday donors from early year-end appeals and keep your donors from becoming fatigued.
3. #GivingTuesday is “owned” by Mightycause (or another company).
Here’s the scoop on #GivingTuesday: It was started in 2012 by the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact and the 92nd Street Y. #GivingTuesday was not created as a proprietary venture, but as a way to bring people and communities together by giving back. It’s grown bigger each and every year. It has transformed from a small event with big ideas to a global movement. And, in that sense, no one owns #GivingTuesday.
Mightycause was formed in 2006 with the mission of lifting up small, underfunded nonprofits. And #GivingTuesday fit right into our philosophy so we started running our own #GivingTuesday event in 2013. #GivingTuesday on Mightycause is an organized giving day, meaning that we build a #GivingTuesday site, ask nonprofits that want to participate to register, provide training and have them engage in friendly competition on leaderboards. So, in order to participate in our #GivingTuesday event, you do have to register.
But no one owns #GivingTuesday. We don’t own #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday is a social movement focused on philanthropy and community. Nonprofits participate in all sorts of ways. Some run their own #GivingTuesday events and campaigns. Others participate in Mightycause’s #GivingTuesday event. Some stay true to the online giving intent of #GivingTuesday. And some nonprofits run campaigns that allow for checks, in-kind donations and more. There is no one “right” way to participate, but we believe our platform offers nonprofits of all sizes the best opportunity for success. This year, we’re waiving the platform fee for all nonprofits participating on Mightycause. Plus, all nonprofits registered for the event get exclusive access to advanced features to help accelerate your fundraising into end-of-year giving.
4. It’s not worth participating in #GivingTuesday.
This has got to be the biggest and most dangerous #GivingTuesday misconception of them all! We know that running a fundraising campaign is a big commitment. And we understand that your nonprofit may be small, low on human resources, and stretched thin. Registering takes time. Updating your Mightycause page takes time. Planning and executing a campaign takes time. And when you’re a small nonprofit, #GivingTuesday can seem like an intimidating commitment. But, really, it’s worth it. Trust us.
#GivingTuesday is a huge fundraising day. Aside from December 30th, it’s the biggest fundraising day of the year for nonprofits. People know about #GivingTuesday — each year, they’re ready for it, waiting to support their favorite causes. How many days like that are there each year? Days where philanthropists all over the world are just waiting to pull out their wallets and support charities? Not many! So, it makes good sense to seize the opportunity. There are so few “easy money” occasions in the nonprofit world; #GivingTuesday is one of them.
It’s the perfect way to kick off your end-of-year campaign with a bang. And you’ll most likely be able to pick up some new donors along the way, giving your nonprofit the opportunity to make your end-of-year campaign even bigger.
And if you’re small? No problem. Mightycause’s platform makes running your campaign easy as can be. You can manage nearly every aspect of your campaign from Mightycause. Our modern, attractive templates make it easy for your nonprofit to put together a professional, effective campaign. We also offer free trainings, email templates, planning guides and more that will help you fundraise effectively. And as a bonus, Mightycause handles customer support for your nonprofit and your donors.
Register now to take advantage of all the help Mightycause has to offer!