10 Ways to Participate in #GivingTuesdayNow Without Asking for Money

You may have heard the news!

In response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19, GivingTuesday is hosting #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity, set to take place on May 5, 2020.

It is not mandatory for nonprofits to raise money on this day or to even participate at all. It may not be for everyone.

The purpose of this event is to leverage the name recognition and spirit of GivingTuesday to drive an influx of generosity and citizen engagement across the world.

My hope is that #GivingTuesdayNow will unite us, inspire us, and encourage all of us to stand up, stand tall, and shout from the rooftops about the vital importance that philanthropy and the third sector have on our society.

I feel strongly that nonprofits need to come together right now to showcase their impact, talk about their work, truly connect with their donors not just like ATMs but like humans, and to unite their communities around the cause.

If you don’t want to ask for money on May 5, there are dozens of other ways to create community and engage with your donors in a meaningful way.

Here are 10 ideas for you:

1) Good news stories.

People are hungry for happy, hopeful stories right now. Do you have stories of clients, staff, donors, volunteers, community partners, and more that you can share?

Consider re-purposing older content that people really liked, and packaging it together in a 24-hour storytelling campaign.

2) WFH stories.

Is everyone at your organization working from home, along with the rest of the country?

Share a day-in-the-life with multiple staff participating.

The Gibbes Museum shares on their social media channels and their blog how they #MuseumFromHome.

3) Donor and corporate sponsor showcase.

Let’s thank our loyal donors and corporate sponsors who are sticking with us through this crisis!

Create a gallery of donor logos or names (you can use free graphic design tool Canva to help with this) and post one per hour for 24 hours.

4) 24 hours of gratitude.

Other than our donors, what are we grateful for?

Ask your social media community to post one thing they are grateful for right now, no matter how big or small.

5) Photo contest.

Hold a simple photo contest around a specific theme.

The Getty Museum asked people to recreate a work of art using only the people and objects found around their homes.

The results are hilarious, and incredibly creative!

6) Amplify others.

Look to your supporters and your community partners for great stories and information.

What other organizations and institutions make your work easier? Who makes it possible?

None of us works in a vaccum. Who else in your community contributes to your mission?

Create a photo album on Facebook or Instagram to highlight these partners. Be sure to tag them so they get a notification!

7) Ask people why they give back.

Ask your supporters what the cause means to them.

Ask them why they give back and why it’s important.

8) Host a wellness or mindfulness challenge.

People are feeling stressed and anxious.

Share a yoga class, a meditation on Facebook Live, or even just some helpful tips on creating wellness right now.

9) Create a Kindness Calendar.

I’ve been seeing these pop up around GivingTuesday and I think they are great.

You can create and share a month of ideas, or even just 24 hours of ideas to fit into #GivingTuesdayNow!

10) Host a virtual thank-a-thon.

Feeding America took to Periscope and streamed a 24-hour thank-a-thon live for GivingTuesday.

Your nonprofit can use live-streaming tools like Facebook, Instagram, Zoom, or Belive.tv or bring in multiple people throughout the day and show your community how much you appreciate them.