Today is #GivingTuesday!
Chances are you participated in the absolute madness that is Black Friday, or the quieter deal-shopping on Cyber Monday, or even the locally-focused Small Business Saturday.
So why not participate in an international day of giving back? That’s the premise behind #GivingTuesday – to kick off the year-end charitable giving season with a splash.
Here are some great campaigns to check out for inspiration:
Montserrat College of Art is asking for 88 donations of $14 each – to represent the 88 seniors in the class of 2014:
Microsoft is matching donations today:
It’s #GivingTuesday! MSFT is matching up to $250K of your donations to our nonprofit partners http://t.co/eTHxfbFKwg pic.twitter.com/EI1R8xJwmX
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) December 3, 2013
No Kid Hungry is updating it’s supporters on it’s #GivingTuesday goal:
$11,000 toward our $25K goal for #GivingTuesday! Thanks @TysonFoods for the $25K match! Let’s do this! http://t.co/1XmUqMKZLy #NoKidHungry
— No Kid Hungry (@nokidhungry) December 3, 2013
Mashable has collected some of the best UNselfies posted on the web, detailing why people are supporting charity today and this season: http://mashable.com/2013/12/03/giving-tuesday-unselfies/
What should nonprofits do after #GivingTuesday to continue the momentum and to keep the donors in the fold? Here are 6 things you need to do after today:
1) Send thank you notes immediately. Send a special thank you note to everyone who participated in #GivingTuesday as soon as you can. These people may have donated online in the spur of the moment or based on something they saw on social media. There is going to be another big thing tomorrow to capture their minds. You want to say in the forefront of their minds and make sure they feel appreciated while you have their attention.
2) Encourage donors to spread the word. Your donation page should already have this capability, but it’s a good idea to send #GivingTuesday donors another reminder. Directly ask them to share the background of why they gave and why your cause is important to them. Explain that by sharing their generosity on social media and via email, they will encourage others to give.
3) Create a short Storify. Highlight other local nonprofits and partners, donors, volunteers and community members and their participation in #GivingTuesday. A great primer on creating a compelling Storify is here.
4) Keep a separate list of the #GivingTuesday donors. Send them periodic special emails and make sure to let them know first about your plans for #GivingTuesday 2014! You may even want to get their feedback on the day, the ease of donating online, and request their support in getting the word out about 2014 ahead of time.
5) Celebrate! Update your supporters on how much you raised and whether or not you met your goal. If you met it, then celebrate! If you are close, explain what needs to be done to get to the goal in the next few days.
6) Demonstrate impact. Always, always show the direct impact of the donations raised any day of the year, not just on #GivingTuesday. Provide stories, testimonials, short videos and photos showing the many ways that your nonprofit has made the word a better place.
More resources on #GivingTuesday:
8 Essential Steps to Get Your Nonprofit Ready for Giving Tuesday
Using Data To Make the Most of Your #GivingTuesday and Year-End Giving Campaign
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