GivingTuesday is a global day for celebrating generosity and encouraging nonprofit supporters to donate, volunteer, and contribute to their favorite causes. It’s also often the start of year-end giving season. This is a time of year that’s critically important for nonprofits working to raise the funds they need to fuel their missions, because 30% of all annual giving happens in December.
In this blog, we’ll go over effective strategies to market your organization’s giving and volunteering opportunities on GivingTuesday. Plus, we’ve included an email template that you can use for your own campaign.
How to promote GivingTuesday
Just like any campaign, you should promote GivingTuesday for at least several weeks leading up to the day itself. Whether your goal is to raise a specific amount of funds, host a volunteer event, or both, you’ll need to reach as many supporters as possible and give them a smooth, tailored experience, so your plan should help you reach supporters through a variety of channels. Your channel mix might include:
- Email: Set up an automated email series to make sure your supporters receive several messages about GivingTuesday prior to the event. This will capture interest and ensure they know about your campaign.
- Social media: Different social platforms prioritize different types of content. On TikTok and Instagram, you might promote your campaign with short videos. Meanwhile, you might write out a short message to post on Facebook.
- Phone calls: Calling supporters to express gratitude is proven to boost retention, so this can be a great way to make sure your audience is ready to support your upcoming campaign. Create a loose script that your staff members can follow during the call itself, but encourage them to make it their own! This personal touch will shine through in conversations.
- Direct mail: Be sure to send direct mail messages long enough in advance that your supporters have time to respond before GivingTuesday. Include pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes and a reply device, or add a QR code to your physical letter so donors can easily complete their gift online.
Prepare for your campaign by pre-writing several messages for each of these channels. Use your fundraising software to help you draft messages using built-in templates, and then schedule and send those messages.
What to include in your GivingTuesday emails
Year after year, email helps nonprofits raise funds, recruit volunteers, retain supporters, and more. It’s an essential channel, and your software should help you send effective messages. For example, try varying your messages based on which supporter segments you’re contacting and then seeing if higher numbers of subscribers click through those more personalized emails.
No matter who the recipient is, each email should include the following components:
- Snappy subject line
- Salutation
- When GivingTuesday is
- Donation methods
- The impact supporters’ donations and/or volunteer shifts will make
- A clear call-to-action (e.g., “Make your gift now” or “Sign up now”)
Try using the email template below to incorporate these components into your own GivingTuesday messaging while customizing your message for each audience segment.
GivingTuesday email template
Subject line: GivingTuesday is [date]. Are you ready?
Hi [First Name],
GivingTuesday is coming up on [date]! For over a decade, this day has brought together generous individuals like you all over the world to raise funds, volunteer together, and create change in your community.
In the past, you’ve shown your dedication to our organization by [contributing to (name of campaign or project)] / [volunteering with us via our (project name) initiative]. You can continue making a difference this GivingTuesday!
Your support this year will be dedicated to [project] and will help by [describe the impact of the donations — for example, “providing (expected number) laptops for schools in your community”].
Make your contribution by donating on our dedicated GivingTuesday campaign page below:
[Button: (Give/Volunteer) on GivingTuesday!]
Every dollar counts. Your generosity will have an immediate impact on [beneficiary and how they are impacted].
Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
[your name]
P.S. If you would like to make a contribution today in support of GivingTuesday, please click here. [include link]
Following up after GivingTuesday
Your nonprofit’s GivingTuesday communications are important after the significant day has concluded as well. These are just a few essential next steps for retaining a volunteer or donor:
- Make sure your donor management software has sent an automatic thank-you email with a receipt.
- Follow up with an additional acknowledgment, like a mailed note, phone call, or video message.
- Enroll them in a welcome email series (if this is a new supporter) to educate them about your work.
- Email them a brief survey to ask about their contact preferences, and make sure their response is reflected in your nonprofit software.
- Send a final message to all supporters once your campaign has ended to report on your results. Include metrics like how many dollars you raised, how many projects volunteers completed, and how this will impact your community.
Whether it’s GivingTuesday or any other day of the year, your software should help your nonprofit create compelling messages, send them to your supporters, collect donations, thank donors and volunteers, and report on your outcomes. Request a demo of Bonterra Fundraising Essentials to see how our tech can help you succeed.
