#GivingTuesday may be a global event, but that doesn’t mean your small nonprofit is too small to capitalize on the big day. Quite the contrary! Check out these 5 easy tips for creating a powerful #GivingTuesday on Mightycause campaign, no matter your organization’s size.
#GivingTuesday Tip 1 – Setting SMART Goals
The goals to raise more money and get more donors are rather broad and not actually helpful. In order to get the most out of your goals, they need to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time based.
Consider listing three to five specific goals that you can measure. For example:
- Retain 60% of your #GivingTuesday donors from the previous year.
- Secure 15 new recurring monthly donations.
- Create a social media campaign video.
Be sure these goals are achievable and realistic. Look at where you are as an organization and at your donors. Set goals that cause you to reach and allow you to grow, but aren’t so far beyond your reach that you’re doomed to fall short.
You also want your goals to have parameters. Time-based goals add urgency and relief. Urgency gets us moving to meet the goal in time, and relief that this campaign will not go on forever.
Solid goals will become the pillars of your #GivingTuesday fundraising game plan.
#GivingTuesday Tip 2 – Set Your Game Plan
The key is planning ahead. But where do you start? Mightycause has you covered. Our #GivingTuesday Nonprofit Toolkit has everything you need!
First, download our Planning Guide, Checklist, and Playbook and gather content you already have. Pictures, videos, testimonials, quotes, bring them all together.
Second, pick a #GivingTuesday message. It can be the same theme you’ve had all year or something unique to #GivingTuesday. Whatever it is, give your organization and your supporters a focus and something to get excited about!
Third, use our email templates and best practices to map out your email marketing. Then plan your social media engagement using our social media tips and sample posts.
And don’t forget to use our #GivingTuesday graphics also found in the Nonprofit Toolkit. For real, everything you need is in the Toolkit!
#GivingTuesday Tip 3 – Drive Support!
Your website
A hurdle for any nonprofit is a clunky website with awkward donation flow. So as soon as possible you’ll want to go through your website and make sure your links are working, your supporters can find what they need, and your donation flow is straightforward.
To make the most of your #GivingTuesday campaign, allow all donation options to be streamlined consistent experience. Mightycause makes this simple with our embeddable widget or donation form. This will ensure donors that visit your website have a consistent experience and that all donor data is aggregated and available in your reporting system. Not only will Mightycause process the donations, we’ll also send the tax-deductible receipt to your donors.
Call to action
Craft a compelling call to action (CTA) that encourages people to donate, volunteer, or share your campaign. This isn’t your mission statement, it’s a short phrase prompting your supporters to act.
Examples:
- “Give Hope, Give Meals”
- “Support Furry Friends this #GivingTuesday”
- “Take Action Today”
- “Renew Your Impact: Donate Again this #GivingTuesday”
Get specific!
The best #GivingTuesday campaigns focus on solvable problems. You don’t just want a random financial target pulled from the sky, you need a real number to pay for real things your organization needs.
Create donation levels right within your checkout flows. This way your supporters see their dollars at work and are often prompted to give more when they see the benefits a few extra dollars can bring.
Utilize peer-to-peer fundraising
Get people sharing their personal stories about your work and why your organization is important to them and your community.
All your fundraisers need to do is click “Fundraise” on your organization profile page and they’re on their way to creating an individual fundraiser page. They can customize their page and then share it with friends and family. You can even create a fundraiser template for those that are willing, but need some help getting started.
Who can do peer-to-peer fundraising?
- Board members
- Staff
- Volunteers
- Social media followers
- Program alumni
- You!
You can even go bigger! Mightycause offers Teams and Event peer-to-peer fundraising options as well. Teams gather individual fundraisers to work toward a common goal and Events gather multiple teams and individual fundraisers.
Not only do Teams and Events bring in more donations, they build camaraderie and community!
#GivingTuesday Tip 4 – Use What You Have
Smartphones, Mightycause, Volunteers. . . Oh My!
You don’t have to have go big or go home. You just need to use what you have. Seriously, this can be a smartphone, Mightycause, and some volunteers. Not only are there a number of free tools to create marketing content, such as Canva, Youtube, and Vimeo, but your volunteers can be the reinforcements you’ve been looking for.
You may be surprised how many of your supporters have hidden (or not so hidden) talents. All you need to do is put out the word that you need some help.
Great jobs for volunteers:
- Help with social media
- Drafting posts, interacting with users, monitoring and live-posting, placing ads
- Help with customizing your Mightycause profile
- Thanking donors
- Calling, cards, and emails
- Content
- Video editing, photography, graphic design
- Marketing
- Help with strategy, placing ads, media outreach
Automate, automate, automate
Once you create the content, automate sending your emails and posting on social media. Now, you’ll still want to monitor the activity, but scheduling your marketing takes a big task off your shoulders without losing the benefits. You can even automate your first two thank you messages when you customize your Mightycause thank you page and receipt.
What’s more, with the Mightycause Accelerate Plan you can automate your data entry by using our data integrations.
#GivingTuesday Tip 5 – Follow Up
#GivingTuesday is about creating awareness and new relationships for your organization. So be sure to plan how you’re going to onboard and begin stewarding new donors. You also want to make a note to begin preparing all of your donors for your year-end campaign.
And of course – be certain that you are thanking your donors in a timely manner. This goes without saying, but we say it all the time anyway.
Finally, be sure to close the campaign loop. People want to know how the big day went!
- Post your results on social media
- Add them to your website
- Type up a quick blog bragging about your donors
- Send an email blast with a follow up message and thank your donors again
As you begin to put the funds to use, continue the follow up. Let’s say your #GivingTuesday focus was a particular initiative or new program, show your supporters how things are going. Tell the rest of the story. Not only does this bring #GivingTuesday full circle, it also builds rapport with your donors that will encourage them to return next year.
You may be a small nonprofit, but your mission and ability is mighty! Don’t wait- Register now for #GivingTuesday on Mightycause!