How to Work #GivingTuesday Into Your Year-End Mobile Fundraising Plan

To say that your year-end fundraising plan is important is an understatement. You need to take advantage of the fact that time is limited for people to get those final tax deductions before the new year. You also have a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the holiday season and the increased sense of generosity it brings.

In many ways, #GivingTuesday is a movement designed for this very purpose. It can be particularly helpful when it comes to making the most of your mobile fundraising efforts.

What is #GivingTuesday?

At its core, #GivingTuesday is a national event used by nonprofits since 2012 to complement Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Much like those two days, the majority of #GivingTuesday efforts exist online. Instead of spending money shopping, people donate via social media, crowdfunding and more. According to GivingTuesday.org, 700,000 people made donations last year in excess of $116 million dollars.

This is so important to mobile fundraising because of the hundreds of millions of worldwide social media users (and again, social media is a pillar of #GivingTuesday), nearly 80% of them access their social networking via a mobile device like a smartphone. In that respect, #GivingTuesday isn’t just built for fundraising – it’s built for mobile fundraising in particular.

How You Can Work #GivingTuesday Into Your Mobile Fundraising Campaign

This year’s #GivingTuesday event takes place on November 29, which means that you still have time to prepare. Start by developing a well-laid plan that is custom-built for your target audience. Who are you trying to reach this year? What can you do to engage with these donors in particular? The answers to these questions will form the basis of every move you make moving forward.

You’ll also want to send out “teaser” email campaigns in the days leading up to #GivingTuesday. Let people know that the event is coming and what role they can play. This gives your donors themselves time to get ready so #GivingTuesday doesn’t come as a surprise.

You’ll also want to send at least two, but probably more, emails ON #GivingTuesday to keep people updated throughout the day. Let people know how you’re doing on your fundraising goal, how they can help at a specific time and what their contribution really means. Treat this as the single-yet-important opportunity it really is.

Finally, use #GivingTuesday as a springboard for the remainder of your year-end fundraising plan. Once the day is over, send a final email to essentially segue into the rest of your efforts. Use the momentum #GivingTuesday generates to propel you forward through the end of the year and beyond.

Utilize Your Mobile App

Since your messaging will likely reach most of your potential donors via their mobile devices, be sure to include a link to your mobile giving app profile. Not only will this drive donations while your cause is top-of-mind, you can remind them that they can continue to donate anytime, anywhere.