Nonprofit Donations: Riding the #GivingTuesday Wave
Still think #GivingTuesday is a passing fad? Think again.
The trend continues to grow and impact more and more organizations. Every year, nonprofit donations increase on #GivingTuesday. In 2014, online donations grew 36% compared to the previous year.
According to the Case Foundation:
Measuring the amount of online donations every #GivingTuesday serves as a gauge of our nation’s philanthropic health.
As it turns out, our nation’s philanthropy is very healthy. Not every nonprofit that tweets the hashtag sees instant donations, though. Catching the wave isn’t quite that easy. But if you learn the best practices for participating in #GivingTuesday, the chances of your nonprofit donations seeing an uptick are quite good.
Focus Your Efforts
Your nonprofit is capable of doing wonderful things in your community, but no one organization can do it all. If you go into #GivingTuesday expecting to conquer every need on your list, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Instead, build your #GivingTuesday campaign around fulfilling one need. Need money to renovate your building? Want to stock up on food for the homeless? Make your main goal the focus of your #GivingTuesday posts.
Set a Specific Goal for Nonprofit Donations
In a perfect world, your organization’s #GivingTuesday campaign will draw in more nonprofit donations than you can even measure. But our world isn’t perfect. Donors sometimes need to be convinced and encouraged to give. One way to do that is to set a specific financial goal.
The goal needs to be reasonable, but also high enough to incite a desire to help. Don’t announce that you hope to raise $3 million if you are a tiny organization in a small town. Donors will recognize that the goal is impossible to reach. Why bother trying? If the number is within reach, though, donors will see that they can really make a difference.
Share Your Story
Another way to convince donors to give is to explain the story behind your need. In your blog posts and status updates, give background on your organization and the work you hope to do. Share stories about the people you plan to help. Tell followers how much you want to raise and how you will use the nonprofit donations you receive. If donors see how their gift will be used, they will be more likely to get on board financially.
Join the Conversation
Simply adding #GivingTuesday to the end of your posts may not give you instant success, but it does allow you and your organization to engage with other like-minded groups. To make the hashtag work for you, make it a two-step process:
- Use the hashtag on relevant posts.
- Follow the hashtag yourself and interact with others in the movement.
Make it a two-way conversation. Join forces with other organizations and help cross promote each other’s campaigns.
#GivingTuesday is no time to be selfish. By helping one another ride the wave, everyone can enjoy success. Everyone can put good into the world. And after all, that’s what it’s all about in the end.
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