Top 5 Tips to Get Ready for Giving Tuesday 2021

It’s somehow already the end of October, which means Giving Tuesday 2021 (which is on November 30 this year) is right around the corner! Last year, two billion dollars were donated on Giving Tuesday (billions with a B!). Giving Tuesday participation has increased over the last twelve years, with the average nonprofit receiving one-third of its revenue from November 30 through the end of the year. It’s a fact that it’s a big day for nonprofits, and it’s something that your organization should definitely make a part of your stewardship and planning. 

If you’re wondering what’s the best way to be prepared for Giving Tuesday, you’re in the right place. This week our nonprofit experts shared everything you need to know to get ready. From how to start planning to setting goals, we’ve got you covered, as always. This week we were joined by our special guest, Rupert Schutz, Director of Email Marketing at Boys & Girls Club of America, and our nonprofit experts, Philanthropic Partnership Manager, Katie Branch, and Chief of Staff, Sarah Angello.

We rounded up the top five tips from the event so you can get ready for Giving Tuesday! 

1. Start Planning Now

Don’t let Giving Tuesday be the first time your donors and prospects have heard from you in a while. Try to get ahead of it as much as you can so you are executing the week of Giving Tuesday. It’s going to be crowded on the day of, and one email is not going to cut it. Try to build that connection on Thanksgiving. Be front of mind. Leading up to Giving Tuesday is incredibly important, but once Giving Tuesday passes, the followup that needs to happen with your brand new supporters is essential for your stewardship for the next year. You don’t want to lose these brand new donors. you want to put them in the pipeline and make sure that they’re hearing from you constantly throughout the year.

2. Set a Giving Tuesday Goal (It Doesn’t Have to Be Financial!)

Setting a campaign goal is really important so that you can get ready for Giving Tuesday. Having a goal demonstrates a need for your supporters. If you can support that the goal you have for Giving Tuesday will directly impact the work you’re doing on the ground, that will create a sense of urgency with your supporters, and encourage them to meet that urgent need. Whether it’s a small dollar amount, increasing your volunteer base, or bringing in new donors for the first time, your goal is customizable to where your nonprofit is right now.

Be sure you update your donors throughout the day, and once you meet your goal, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate with your supporters, thank them, and encourage them to continue sharing it with their networks, and show that the impact they are making that day will push that mission forward for the rest of the year. 

3. Keep Your Ask Simple

When you're sending out an ask in your Giving Tuesday campaigns, keep it simple. Focus on what your organization does, and make it very understandable. Make your ask crystal clear so that no one will be confused about what you’re asking. Make sure your visuals align with what your ask is, and make sure your call to action - the way someone will actually donate to your organization, or sign up for your volunteer shift, (whatever your ask is in your campaign), make it obvious. You want it to be extremely easy to know how to donate.

4. Push Hard, Work Smart

Don’t think that one email in the inbox on Giving Tuesday will be enough. You need to start warming up your donors beforehand with one to three emails. And then on Giving Tuesday, you should send a few emails. (Make sure you are excluding people who have already donated this year. In general, that is bad stewardship.)

You don’t need to rework every email. You can have one email written. In the second email, you can add a P.S. “just wanted to make sure you saw this.” And in the third email for the day, you can take the third paragraph of your first email and split it up. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, because we are small, overworked teams. Don’t be hard on yourself. Work smarter. It’s more important to get in front of people, and make sure they know what your mission is. And if you are a brand new nonprofit and don’t have an existing email list yet, lean on your existing network - friends, family, volunteers, board members, sponsors, ask them to help spread the word. 

5. Engage in the Conversation on Social Media

Leveraging social media during Giving Tuesday is a must! Be prepared to post 3 - 4 times per week. Focus on your narrative. Make sure your caption is powerful and impactful and that it is aligned and tells your story, and has a call to action at the end. Be a part of the larger conversation and use #GivingTuesday. If you have a budget for it, explore running ads on Facebook during this time. When considering which platform to concentrate most of your efforts on, keep your audience in mind when engaging on social media. Which organization are your donors on? Audit your audience. Do your supporters give through links in your email? Is it through your newsletter? Or maybe you have a huge following on TikTok and you can monetize it. Are there posts that you can repurpose? 

Every nonprofit organization can participate in Giving Tuesday!