It’s the question of the season. Every year I am asked by organizations, “Should I post a Giving Tuesday appeal?” As a nonprofit Executive Director or Resource Development professional, you’ve surely asked yourself the same, and you may be thinking of some catchy social media posts to share this Tuesday in hopes of bringing in some new funds.
So…tomorrow is the big day. Should you make a Giving Tuesday ask?
Those of you who have worked with LSF on campaigns know the power that can be achieved in zeroing in on a dedicated day of giving for your annual fundraising campaign. The sense of urgency achieved by such a time period, paired with the palpable collective impact of many giving at once is a true motivator for more generous giving on your donors’ parts.
But when most Israeli organizations ask me if they should post a Giving Tuesday ask, I tell them…NO.
I’ll tell you why not. It’s likely that the same applies to your organization.
What does Giving Tuesday mean for nonprofits in Israel?
Giving Tuesday is an online event that originated in the US and has been taking place for 12 years, marketed as a now-global movement for generosity and selflessness at a time when consumerism and consumption are at the center. Following Thanksgiving on Thursday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, the idea is to bring things into perspective, remember what’s important, and use our money to promote the causes that matter most.
For those of us on this end of the globe, Giving Tuesday is not nearly as known and therefore not necessarily expected. But, on the other hand, while Thanksgiving is not a common Israeli observance, Israelis have certainly adopted the “November sales” holiday season with open arms, and perhaps Giving Tuesday will have a welcome place within it.
And, more importantly, most Israeli organizations have overseas donor audiences, and are struggling with the question of whether or not their US donors will be moved to donate by the Giving Tuesday message. Should they post an online appeal on Giving Tuesday?
Online campaigns vs. traditional fundraising: אותה גברת בשינוי אדרת
At LSF, we manage a lot of online fundraising campaigns, especially crowdfunding campaigns, and one of the things we cannot stress enough is that even the very best crowdfunding platforms are not replacements for traditional fundraising, which is based on ongoing investment in your relationship with donors.
There is no such thing as throwing a link onto your Facebook page and at the end of the day finding that you have magically attracted a flood of new donors and inspired your existing donors to give more.
When was the last time you asked this audience for donations? Since then, have you acknowledged their gift and expressed gratitude? Have you shown them since then what their donation accomplished? If you have been neglecting these crucial pieces in donor stewardship, you are not ready to ask for money again. Never forget the wise adage regarding the cycle of donor communications: Ask, Thank, Report. Otherwise, your donors at the very least have no reason to want to donate again, and worse, will feel resentment for being seen merely as sources of money and not partners in your vision.
What’s the harm?
So if you haven’t been planning a year-end campaign on Giving Tuesday, it likely won’t bring in many donations. But why not jump on the bandwagon and see what comes of it?
Because there is still time to plan a year-end ask in a manner that will make your donor audience — whether they are existing donors or grassroots supporters you aim to convert into donors — feel amazing about giving.
And if you throw away your ask on a stale social media post invoking a movement that barely speaks to your audience anyway, you not only fail in that moment, but you’ve set up your next ask for failure as well.
People love your work, and if you post a spontaneous Giving Tuesday message, perhaps it will inspire the donation of a few hundred shekels. But those donors who respond to that post are the ones who were waiting to be asked regardless.
NEVER have I seen a Giving Tuesday fundraiser go up on the spot and make money it wouldn’t have made simply by asking those same people at any other time of the year. And had the fundraisers instead made the ask with some thought and planning, those same donors would have given as long as they were asked, and likely would have given more, and felt even better about it.
If you instead spend the next 3-4 weeks focusing on the donor stewardship steps that will bring your audience closer and excite them about partnering with you, those same donors will give, probably even more, and more donors will be inspired to join.
See our next post:
How can I take advantage of Giving Tuesday without hurting my year-end ask?
