Leveraging #GivingTuesday to Benefit Your Church

#GivingTuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday) is a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, businesses, and individuals will celebrate generosity and giving by making donations to their favorite organizations.

How can your church get in on the spirit of generosity on this great day? Here are some tips for catching people already in the giving mood:

• Highlight a special need or upcoming event at your church and promote it with a #GivingTuesday campaign of your own.
• Include information about #GivingTuesday in your email newsletters, print bulletins, announcements, and on your website and social media. Promote the overall spirit of giving.
• Update your Givelify mobile giving app profile image to promote #GivingTuesday.
• Set up a #GivingTuesday fundraising envelope in your Givelify profile. Partner with a local charity such as a food pantry or animal shelter, and donate all gifts made to that campaign to your chosen charity.
• Participate in the global conversation by being sure to use the #GivingTuesday hashtag on social media.

Why Is #GivingTuesday So Important?

In 2013 people made $19 million in donations with an average gift size of $142. In 2014 those numbers increased dramatically, with $45.68 million in donations and an average gift size of $154. That represents a 60% increase in donations year-over-year. #GivingTuesday is even more widely known now, so what will this year bring?

Free #GivingTuesday Tools and Tips

It’s not too late to include #GivingTuesday in your year-end communication. Need help? We’ve got some great resources for you.

Official #GivingTuesday Toolkits
Fundraising experts have created several toolkits and other resources to help you plan and execute your #GivingTuesday campaign. They include social media, sample press releases, sample outreach emails, and website tips.

Case Studies
Not sure how participating in #GivingTuesday can benefit your organization? Check out these case studies about how other religious organizations have benefited from getting on board.

Webinars and Reports From Blackbaud
As a founding partner of #GivingTuesday, the global movement dedicated to giving back, Blackbaud offers resources to help organizations join the movement that celebrates the willingness of others to give.

Prepare Your Organization For #GivingTuesday – Free Kit from Hubspot
To help you jump start your organization’s efforts this season, Hubspot put together a Giving Tuesday Marketing Kit to help engage your network of of supporters. The kit includes motivational quotes to share, Facebook and Twitter images, and fact sheet that boils down everything you need to know about Giving Tuesday

Free #GivingTuesday Campaign Planner from Salsa Labs
Use this #GivingTuesday Campaign Planner from Salsa Labs as a resource for your #GivingTuesday strategy and to help coincide with your end-of-year fundraising plan. With a little preparation, #GivingTuesday can be the just the boost your year-end fundraising campaign needs to win the hearts and minds (and hopefully the wallets) of those already in the giving spirit.