Forging a social media strategy for GivingTuesday + year-end

With 4.88 billion social media users around the world, it’s no secret that these platforms are powerful tools for nonprofit organizations seeking to reach wider audiences, boost engagement, and drive donations. As GivingTuesday and the year-end fundraising season approach, having a well-thought-out social media strategy can go a long way toward securing the revenue your nonprofit needs to further its purpose.

Why focus on GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising?

GivingTuesday is a global movement focused on charitable giving that takes place annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Similarly, year-end is an ideal time for nonprofit fundraising, with 30% of annual giving taking place in December and 10% of all giving occurring in the last three days of the year. Since these ideal fundraising dates happen so close together, it’s worth it to make a concerted effort to leverage the giving spirit for your nonprofit.

With this in mind, your GivingTuesday and year-end social media strategies will differ from your typical social media strategy due to the following factors:

Exposure. GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising center on inspiring generosity among new and existing nonprofit supporters. In fact, GivingTuesday received 20.1 billion social media impressions just last year. This means your organization has more opportunities to get in front of more potential donors.
Urgency. Having a limited time to donate taps into your supporters’ sense of urgency. If they realize there is only one or two more days left to reach a donation goal before GivingTuesday or the year ends, then they’ll be more likely to donate.

With the right approach, embracing GivingTuesday and year-end campaigns on social media can ignite giving spirits, make a significant impact, and drive positive change.

Building a social media strategy for GivingTuesday + year-end

1. Set clear goals and objectives.

The first step in developing a successful social media strategy is setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Identify what you want to achieve through your GivingTuesday and year-end campaigns, such as acquiring new donors or meeting a specific fundraising target.

2. Know your audience.

Examine your supporter base and identify common characteristics of those who tend to resonate with your cause. Consider which social media platforms your target audience is most active on and focus your efforts there.

There are two main generational demographics when it comes to giving: traditional donors (Gen X and Baby Boomers) and next-gen donors (Gen Z and Millennials). Below is a general breakdown of the users you’ll typically find on different social media platforms:

TikTok. On TikTok, 69% of users are next-gen donors and 31% are traditional donors.
Twitter. On Twitter, 61% of users are next-gen donors, and the remaining 39% are traditional donors.
Facebook. Facebook has a fairly equal amount of both next-gen (49%) and traditional (51%) donors.
Instagram. Instagram has the second-highest percentage of next-gen donors, with 64% being between the ages of 18 and 39.

Leverage your fundraising technology to track donor demographic information and pull this information quickly. Then, adjust your social media strategy accordingly.

3. Craft compelling content.

Engaging content lies at the heart of any social media strategy. Some high-quality content ideas for GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising include:

Impact stories

Share real-life success stories that highlight the impact of your nonprofit’s work to inspire support. For example, take a quick video of your beneficiaries or volunteers to show how your nonprofit makes a difference in real people’s lives.

This Instagram post is an example of an impact story that you could incorporate into your GivingTuesday or year-end social media strategy. — In this video, Natik shares the story of a program participant, Bernabé, who was able to participate in training to lead a growing community of beekeepers in his area.

Behind-the-scenes

Offer a glimpse into your nonprofit’s daily operations, showcase an employee teambuilding event, or introduce your team members. Humanizing your organization fosters trust and connection in your supporters.

Visual content

Utilize eye-catching images, infographics, and videos to convey your message. Visuals can help your post stand out on social media.

Remember to include eye-catching images in your GivingTuesday and year-end social media posts, like this Instagram post example. — In this post, Mutts with a Mission utilizes a compelling image to showcase their service dogs’ aircraft training.

Countdowns

Build anticipation by creating countdown posts as your campaign launch approaches, or use them to drive giving during the final hours or days of the campaign.

In this countdown post, Go For Yours demonstrates how you can create urgency in your GivingTuesday and year-end social media strategy. — In this countdown post, Go For Yours creates urgency for donors to contribute to their fundraising campaign before it ends.

In each post, use calls to action (CTAs) to communicate what you want your audience to do, whether it’s donating, volunteering, or sharing your content.

4. Create a posting schedule.

Consistency is key to keeping your audience engaged on social media. Develop a posting schedule that mixes regular content like inspiring impact stories and campaign updates with timely posts related to specific GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of scheduling tools and templates to manage your posts efficiently.

5. Leverage hashtags and trends.

Using popular GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising hashtags can do wonders for your visibility and help you connect with a broader audience interested in charitable causes. So, don’t shy away from using trending topics and hashtags to spread your message far and wide.

6. Engage with your community

Social media is all about building connections. Engage with your followers, respond to their comments, and give public shout-outs to major donors. Building a strong and responsive community will foster loyalty and encourage more people to support your campaign. Plus, it’ll show your audience that you genuinely care about their involvement.

Making the most of your year-end social media strategy

By following these steps, your nonprofit is bound to drum up support, engage donors, and make a lasting impact. Remember to stay flexible and adapt your strategy based on real-time insights and feedback from your supporters. With a well-executed social media plan, your nonprofit can create meaningful and successful GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising campaigns that will leave a positive impact on the world.

Interested in learning more about how to make the most of GivingTuesday and year-end fundraising? Download our free GivingTuesday checklist and year-end fundraising campaign guide to start your planning today!

About the author:

Community Boost is a premier full-service nonprofit digital marketing agency dedicated to purpose-driven organizations of all sizes and sectors.