Giving Tuesday, a movement developed in our modern world of technology, where social media rings a strikingly gracious tone. We all know about how capitalistic culture can bend over backward for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but the following Tuesday can be an even more beneficially impactful day worldwide. Let’s dive into #GivingTuesday, and how it can benefit your organization today!
The movement that is continuously growing and evolving, #GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact. They started off with a bang that has only grown through the years; in 2012, there were 2,500 NGOs participating and a gross total of 12 million dollars raised. The 2018 predicted number of participants has grown at an exponential rate, with a gross predicted total as over 300 million dollars! So what does this mean for your organization? Here are tips VPG found to help you maximize your rewards by participating in the FREE #GivingTuesday campaign!
First off, make sure to register your organization to be included in their list of participants. This global movement falls on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. While you’re gearing up for this important day, it’s helpful to include some “mega messages” from the #GivingTuesday Toolkit to help inspire your members and your potential donors. Perhaps compare Black Friday and Cyber Monday to Giving Tuesday in the sense that we have two days to consume, and one day to give back; it’s a powerful act to make the most of your generosity in one day! You can also encourage those who are weary by explaining how everyone has something to give. People can give time or expertise, monetary donations large or small, simple acts of kindness, food or clothing. Every act of generosity counts.
Consider #GivingTuesday the kick-off to the charitable season. Connect your #GivingTuesday campaign to your end of year Holiday campaign. It’s time to get creative! We’ve all seen the typical phone-a-thons and email asks, but maybe this year you decide to focus on collaborating with your local community. You can provide peer to peer mentorship in exchange for gifts, holiday events with raffles, or even partnering with other nonprofits to come up with something extraordinary together! Here are a few more ideas for your local business/nonprofit to kick-off your end-of-year success. Once you’re registered, the #GivingTuesday team will provide a variety of plug-and-play materials created by industry experts that can help you use social media and innovative marketing to draw attention, support, and funds to your cause.
The extraordinary component of #GivingTuesday is that it harnesses the potential of graciousness via cyberspace with a click of a button. Be sure to include the GivingTuesday hashtag in all of your posts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), and they guarantee to repost you! It’s a simple way to multiply your presence. You may also want to try experimenting with your own hashtag in addition to the widely-known #GivingTuesday. You can add it to the page on your website you’ve entirely devoted to your #GivingTuesday campaign, which can include any and all of the #GivingTuesday logos found here. In that page, it could be fun and fruitful to include short video blogs to update your donors. You can create contests that are easy to follow, and beneficial to your campaign, thanks to your online presence. Also, always be sure to email your updates with the #GivingTuesday team with any interesting findings, high-resolution photos, or announcements they can share.
While a key component of maximizing your donor gifts is to plan ahead, the perks of social media are that you can participate and connect instantaneously with one hashtag. Send out a simple press release (example found here), and get those hashtags going! We at VPG trust these tips find you supported and inspired in this wonderful season of giving.
MVP
Megan Van Petten
CEO & President
Van Petten Group, Inc.