Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and then Giving Tuesday — the week after Thanksgiving usually means Americans are getting more emails and feel like they have less money to spend.
This year, fourth quarter fundraising will be make or break for many worthy nonprofits that are dealing with pandemic-impacted budgets. If your organization is feeling financially stressed, it's especially important that your Giving Tuesday emails stand out from the crowd.
Here are 5 tips to make sure your Giving Tuesday campaign is successful:
1. Pick a theme and stick to it
Be creative and find a great story or frame to showcase your work, but once you select your campaign idea, stick to it. Branding is all about consistency, so don’t jumble your message. Stick to one main theme and stay on message.
2. It’s ok to be funny!
This year has been serious enough; your emails don’t have to be serious too. We could all use some levity and a fun distraction. That doesn’t mean you have to hire your favorite stand-up comedian to draft your fundraising appeal, but it does mean that you don’t have to shy away from humor, especially if it can make your communications more eye catching or memorable.
3. Find folks to share
Before you launch your campaign, make sure to get buy in from your staff, board, and volunteers. They should be ready to help spread the word through their own networks! If you have dozens of people sharing your message, you will expand your reach.
4. Don’t just email past donors
While it may be tempting to segment your list and only email past donors, don’t limit your potential. Email your whole, active list at least once — you never know who will be ready to chip in.
5. Start Early
You can avoid the Giving Tuesday onslaught of emails and give your organization a better chance to stand out if you start your campaign early. This also gives your donors time to budget — the earlier you start asking, the more likely your donors are to still have money in their pockets to give to your campaign.
If you're ready to get started crafting a successful Giving Tuesday campaign, we're here to help. ACM Strategies will build your team a customized year-end fundraising strategy, complete with sample social media posts, graphics, and written materials that will drive your fundraising results. Learn more here.
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