#GivingTuesday may only be a few years old, but it has had a profound impact and shows no sign of slowing down. Last year, there were more than 754,000 Tweets sent with the #GivingTuesday hashtag.
With so many organizations beginning to maximize the opportunity of #GivingTuesday, how can you make sure your organization’s case for support stands out?
Here are four ways to rise above the noise on #GivingTuesday.
1. Make sure your emails are optimized to convert.
If your emails don’t clearly communicate your organization’s case for support and why the recipient should care, the likelihood of it converting to a donation is very slim. Renew your focus on understanding constituent interests, tailoring messaging to constituent segments, and creating mobile-friendly emails and donation forms.
2. Send a “teaser” email the day before #GivingTuesday with your compelling case for support.
While most organizations put all their focus on taking advantage of the 24 hours they have on Tuesday, you should consider sending out an email a day early. This distinguishes your case for support a day ahead of time. Additionally, people are more likely to open emails from organizations and brands on Cyber Monday looking for deals and information. In fact, one of our clients experienced their highest average gift day on Cyber Monday last year.
3. Be prepared to send two (or more) emails on #GivingTuesday.
We’ve seen a lot of success with our clients sending multiple emails in one day for specific time-sensitive campaigns. This is incredibly effective when you’re close to achieving your goal. Treat #GivingTuesday as a single fundraising day. Don’t just ask for money (although that’s the point). Make sure you include pictures/stories of impact. Be specific on what the funds will help accomplish at your organization.
4. Find a major donor or corporation willing to make a matching gift.
Matching gifts provide an incredible opportunity for your organization on #GivingTuesday. Not only are you able to secure a significant donation, it also grabs the attention of your donors and increases their likelihood of giving. In fact, a matching gift can increase response rates by 71 percent and the average donation by 51 percent.
Don’t forget about corporate matching gift programs! 65 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs. Add a box to your donation form for “My employer offers a corporate match” so you don’t leave this money on the table.
Taking the time to consider how your organization can implement these ideas is essential for #GivingTuesday success. Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of organizations competing for attention. Instead, develop a plan to engage donors at the right time, with the right message, and a compelling call-to-action.
What will you do differently this #GivingTuesday than you did last year? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
To learn more about how to maximize the opportunity of #GivingTuesday be sure to download Pursuant’s free resource: The Ultimate #GivingTuesday Field Guide.
This guest post was written by Rebecca Gregory Segovia, executive vice president of client strategy at Pursuant and Rachel Muir, vice president of training services at Pursuant.
With over two decades of leadership experience, Rebecca Gregory Segovia has a strong vision and passion to help nonprofits reach donors and raise dollars to further their mission. Her specialties include integrated marketing, direct response fundraising, and leveraging technology to achieve results.
An expert consultant, trainer and presenter with over 20 years’ fundraising experience, Rachel Muir’s career spans launching and running successful nonprofit organizations. She is now the vice president of training services at Pursuant where she provides custom training courses for nonprofits and classroom training opportunities for fundraising professionals.
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Great share, Vanessa. Thanks.
I will pass it along