You’ve read our last post and understand why your Israeli nonprofit should fight the temptation to post a fundraising ask on December 1st simply because it is Giving Tuesday.
But the message of Giving Tuesday – that in the midst of a season of spending and consumerism it is worthwhile to think about the things that matter most – is indeed a resonant one. Is there a way to use it in a manner that will actually inspire your audience and advance your organization?
The answer lies, as always, in thinking of your treasured donors and building your relationships with them.
Stop thinking about your donors as ATMs and start remembering that they are humans. Acknowledge them for being the heroes they are in advancing your mission. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, and in preparation for an effective year-end ask, THANK YOUR DONORS.
#Gratitude Tuesday
Some organizations have chosen to post on their social media channels a series of #ThankfulTuesday #GratitudeTuesday #GivingBackTuesday messages, in which they directly and genuinely express thanks to their donors and partners for all they’ve helped achieve over the year. Even better — after posting to social media, pick up the phone and send an email to those who donated and say, “You may have heard about Giving Tuesday. We’re not asking for money today. We just want to give back to you and say thank you for making this great work happen.” I promise you’ll only see positive outcomes from this.
And then, following your Gratitude Tuesday in which you show your donors how much you appreciate them, spend the first 2-3 weeks of December showing them what their support has done over the past year. Send newsletters, post on social media — look back at what you said you wanted to accomplish with the funds raised last time you asked for money, and use your communication channels to show them that through their donations, they made that difference!
As 2020 nears its close, your audience will feel pumped about all that can be done simply by donating to your organization. This is the time to post your year-end call to action. Place your donor heroes at the center of your message and ask them to once again save the day through donating. At this point it will be a no brainer, as over the past 3 weeks you’ve demonstrated to them how much donating to your organization has been key to achieving the impact they want to make in the world.
This is not manipulation. It is effective communication and relationship building. Your donors gave to you in the past because they wanted to make a difference; at the very least you owe it to them to show them that THEY DID. And when they see that they did, they will want to do it again. And the return to your organization will be tremendous.
Will a throwaway Giving Tuesday post accomplish this? Of course not.
Some quick points:
*If your amuta has a US 501c3 fiscal sponsor, you may be enticed by Facebook’s Giving Tuesday matching offer. Facebook will be matching the first $7 million raised on their platform on Giving Tuesday. It sounds promising, but every year the match runs out within the first minute of Giving Tuesday. If you aren’t a mega-organization with major donors giving you millions and primed to click “Donate” at 8:00 AM sharp EST, don’t stress over this; the Facebook match is in no way going to benefit you.
*This year, Giving Tuesday coincides with World AIDS Day. If you run an HIV/AIDs organization, then the Giving Tuesday messaging actually strikes a chord more deeply with your particular audience.
*If you have been running a strategically planned, well executed campaign, and are launching it on Tuesday, December 1st, good for you! This post is not for you. I trust that your choice to frame your campaign around Giving Tuesday was made out of a deep understanding of your donor audience and the messaging that is compelling to them personally.
To all my nonprofit colleagues: Keep doing the amazing work you do, and keep treasuring the donors who do it with you! Hatzlacha rabba as you close another fiscal year and set goals for the next!
