I received an email from one of our clients mid-day on Giving Tuesday. Here is what it said: “As of noon today, Giving Tuesday has raised $6,555! We have already exceeded what we raised on Giving Tuesday the past 2 years.”
This was great news! We all could use an additional $6,555 for our missions. But it got me thinking about why Giving Tuesday worked so well for this organization and why it can work for yours too:
- A Deadline with Consequences: Giving Tuesday lasts for 24 hours. If donors don’t give a gift by the end of the day they miss the opportunity to help.
- A Clear, Affordable Offer: This organization has a fundraising offer that is easy to understand: help a homeless mom and her kids. This simple storyline combined with a low price point ($35 to provide a night of safety) makes it easy for donors to make a giving decision. You want the donor to think, “Giving this gift is a no-brainer. Of course I’ll help!”
- Create Opportunities for Matching Gifts: In this particular case the donors gift was doubled if they gave a gift during Giving Tuesday. Donors never tire of matching gift opportunities. It makes them feel like they got a deal for doing a good thing—a win-win situation.
In addition to what I mentioned above, I believe the greatest value Giving Tuesday brings to a nonprofit like yours is free marketing and promotion. Everyone is talking about it. It’s all over social media. It’s covered on the news. Other nonprofits are talking about it. Co-workers are talking about it. Your donors can’t but help hearing about Giving Tuesday!
My hope is next year you will take advantage of this special day. Even if you just raise a few thousand dollars, it is worth your time to ask your donors to give a gift during Giving Tuesday.