Drop in to NationBuilder’s office hours every weekday from 12-3 p.m. ET (9-12 p.m. PT) between now and Dec 2, 2014 for tips and free one on one advice in preparation for this year’s #GivingTuesday campaign (or end of year giving efforts more generally.) Just call 213-873-8325 or email Rachael on our Nonprofit team at rcaine@nationbuilder.com.
All signs suggest #GivingTuesday is here to stay – more nonprofits are participating and more people are giving. According to a study quoted in Forbes, in 2013 donations were up 90% and the average gift was higher by almost $50 compared to the year before. But, with your budgets betting on December 2nd this year you should consider two things:
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How to make sure you can get your message out amidst the din.
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How to make #GivingTuesday more than just a day by translating that momentum into consistent support and engagement every day of the year.
You can also use the steps outlined below to start building momentum, right now.
Step 1: Identify your crew
Hands down, peer to peer asks are more powerful than organizational asks. So, #GivingTuesday success means you need to identify the supporters who 1) care about you most, 2) are willing to do outreach on your behalf, and 3) have great networks of their own to leverage.
By identifying the individuals who retweet you, recruit for your campaigns, turn people out to your events, and have a lot of influence over their peer groups, you can compose an amazing team prepared to make asks on your behalf this December. Try gamifying the process even further by using leaderboards to visualize progress.
Peer to peer outreach works in part because it’s relationships – real community – that inspires, motivates, and compels people to action, every day of the year. Humanize your emails and calls to action and encourage your supporters to be authentic in their outreach.
Step 2: Equip the troops
Amazing supporters are only as effective as the tools you give them to succeed. In advance of #GivingTuesday, share stories about your cause and the impact that you’re making with your advocates and recruiters, and give them space to share their stories with each other as well. Provide them with tools to personalize their outreach (i.e. text message blasts and 1:1 outreach, social media engagement, etc.), and keep track of their progress with systems that include recruiter links and other methods of monitoring feedback, as well as re-engaging the individuals #GivingTuesday brings into your orbit.
The key to success this #GivingTuesday is leveraging your supporters, humanizing your outreach, and investing in purposeful relationships with the individuals that support you—on #GivingTuesday and every day. Nonprofits that build these engaged communities also master the art of sustained donations, increased visibility, and steady growth in their reach, impact, and ability to serve.
Step 3: Design the path
Donating on #GivingTuesday is much more likely if an individual has engaged with you before. And, even if a #GivingTuesday donation is going to be an individual’s first interaction with your organization, it really shouldn’t be their last. To prepare for success this December, start now. Sit down with your team and identify what an engagement ladder looks like for your organization.
What kind of engagement do you want to have with folks throughout the year? And who are those people? Social media validators/retweeters/promoters, volunteers, recruiters, advocates, signers, customers, donors, etc? The set of actions you’d like people to take will differ for every organization, but identifying them is a key to success. Once you know what they are, you can rank them in order of relative investment or involvement required (i.e. small gift ask vs. large gift ask).
And remember, #GivingTuesday is just another day. People don’t decide to give just because of the holiday, so use this as an opportunity to get to know your supporters and figure out how to compel them to take action, all year long.
You can always check out NationBuilder for free for 14 days, just use this link to get started - nationbuilder.com/gt.