What to Do the Day After Giving Tuesday - and Beyond
By now, we’ve all sorted through the flood of Giving Tuesday emails from yesterday. For those of us who are on the fundraising side, we’ve conceptualized, read, re-read, edited, re-read again, and finally posted and sent out our messages. Our goal (and hope) is that we’ll receive donations from current supporters, perhaps attract some new ones, and more than anything, we’ve kept our fingers crossed that our messages somehow managed to penetrate the cacophony of Giving Tuesday messaging.
Why do we have this worry? Because most of us on the fundraising side are also recipients of these messages and, let’s be honest, we know how we respond. We delete some without opening them, skim through others that were from familiar organizations or that were eye-catching (saving them as inspiration in the future), and maybe we make a gift or two to the causes that are most important to us. We may even share and encourage people in our network to give, but only in those cases where we care deeply about the cause or we are connected (personally or professionally) to the organization. With that lens, Giving Tuesday can feel pretty daunting at best, and like a necessary burden at worst.
What if I shared that the most important steps you can take to make sure your message has the desired impact happens on the days following Giving Tuesday? That there’s an opportunity to use the full season of giving - not just one day - to do the important work of stewarding your current donors and cultivating new relationships?
First, let’s do a refresher on what this season is like for many nonprofit organizations. During this time of year, organizations across the globe are conducting some sort of year-end appeal outreach. For the past 10 years, Giving Tuesday has come to serve as the social media main event of the season, viewed by some as an alternative or reprieve from the capitalism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. According to the Giving Tuesday 2021 Impact report, $2.7B were raised in the United States in 2021. Because of these results (and the visibility) many view Giving Tuesday as the most crucial day for giving.
However, according to nonprofit software provider NEON, one-fifth of all nonprofit revenue is raised during December, after Giving Tuesday. In fact, the last week of the year generates 12 times the revenue of Giving Tuesday, especially the last three days. And despite the view of Giving Tuesday as a way to counteract commercialism and create an opportunity for all organizations to reach supporters, Giving Tuesday can in some ways exacerbate existing inequities. To be the most successful, Giving Tuesday relies on a large amount of staff time and technology, and benefits greatly from an existing donor network. As a result, many smaller nonprofits that are Black-led or that serve Black- and Brown communities may not have the same opportunities to maximize the potential positive outcomes of a day of giving like this one.
Now that Giving Tuesday has come and gone, and with that data in mind, what can you do to make the most of the rest of the year?:
Don’t stop your outreach on Giving Tuesday: Some organizations take a one-and-done approach to Giving Tuesday - post on social media and send an eblast on that day, and wait. Given what we now know about the importance of December for donors, plan additional messages to go out via all channels to make sure you amplify your message at the most-strategic times.
Lead with impact and center your community: We know that Giving Tuesday is a crowded space with activations in more than 80 countries and more than 300 community-level campaigns. To make your message stand out, make it about your UNIQUE impact. What sets your organization apart from others? This messaging also provides a great opportunity to center community voices. Share quotes from program participants or others directly affected by your work. And make sure you consistently express your gratitude for your supporters and their role in making your work possible.
Examine your data: When your initial Giving Tuesday messages go out, regroup and examine your data. How much did you raise? What were your open rates and social media impressions? Are there audiences that you’re missing? Who hasn’t given so far this year that typically supports your organization? Based on what you discover, make adjustments to your approach and continue outreach based on the data.
Take it offline: Many make the error of posting on social media, sending an eblast, and just waiting. Let’s not forget the power of personal connection. Use this season as an opportunity to pick up the phone, set up a zoom, set up a meeting, or some other personal touch.
Remember your team: This season can be incredibly stressful for your staff - please remember to thank them, your board members, volunteers, and others that are instrumental to the success of the organization during this season and year-round.
There’s so much more to the season of Giving than just the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. While Giving Tuesday can be a powerful launchpad for your season of giving, remember your strategy for the remainder of the year and the power of using this season as a strategy for building deep, lasting relationships between your organization and your supporters.