Last-Minute Tips For #GivingTuesday

On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, businesses, foundations, non-profits, communities, and students around the world will come together for one united purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. Anyone, anywhere can get involved in #GivingTuesday and give back in a way that is meaningful to them. From fundraising to volunteering to pro bono service, #GivingTuesday is a wonderful way to engage your employees, investors, and clients and to become part of a larger worldwide movement that promotes philanthropy.

A full #GivingTuesday toolkit can be found on givingtuesday.org, along with a plethora of ideas, tips, tricks, and samples. This last-minute guide will cover the basics on how your company or foundation can participate, tell you what you need to do to ensure success, and provide a free interactive #GivingTuesday planner.

YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY

Below are some examples of ways your organization can activate on #GivingTuesday. You are not limited to these ideas — the sky is the limit! As long as you are giving in some way, you are participating. The type of program that is right for you will likely depend on the size and scale of your organization. Don’t forget, you can also check givingtuesday.org for more ideas, trends and tips to start your #GivingTuesday initiative.

Monetary Donations and Fundraising

• Donate or organize a fundraiser for a nonprofit or a group of non-profits. Experiment with creative approaches to expand your donor base beyond your employees to raise more for charities around the world.

• Use #GivingTuesday as a launch pad to start a donation campaign that will run through the end of the year.

• Partner with a non-profit to host a matching gift challenge for #GivingTuesday. This could be a 24-hour challenge leading up to #GivingTuesday, or it could launch on #GivingTuesday and run through December 31.

Volunteering

• Organize a team volunteer event with your staff or allow staff to volunteer at a non-profit of their choosing on #GivingTuesday.

• Encourage staff to donate pro bono hours to help charities in need of their skills.

• Organize a donation drive for people to donate goods, clothing and other items to those in need.

Collaboration

• Partner with another business or a local organization to give a donation (money, goods or services) to nonprofits.

• Ask organizations to work together to build a local #GivingTuesday movement. In 2016, over 80 cities

and states led their own #GivingTuesday movements to benefit local nonprofits.

• Create a #GivingTuesday product to sell during the holiday season and donate proceeds to a partnering charity on #GivingTuesday.

• Contact your local government officials to proclaim November 28, 2017 #GivingTuesday in your city or town. Make this a big press moment and bring the community together to celebrate generosity.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Social media is a very important part of #GivingTuesday (it is a hashtag after all) and is the key to making sure the giving message grows and reaches new audiences. Social channels are also one of the best ways to celebrate giving and to share your organization’s story, mission and values. Here are some ideas on how to use your social media accounts to promote your #GivingTuesday campaign:

• Use your company/foundation social media accounts (or open a new social media account) to talk about giving.
• Celebrate employee heroes and service leaders on social media and with your local press.
• Email your staff and clients to educate them about #GivingTuesday and invite them to give.
• Share photos from past giving initiatives or volunteer events to teach your followers about how you serve the community.
• Create a #GivingTuesday video with your staff. Share on YouTube, Facebook, and social media using the hashtag #GivingTuesday.
• Brand your organizational social media accounts with #GivingTuesday graphics and be an ambassador for the movement.
• Partner with organizations or sponsors to do a social media fundraising campaign, where a certain amount is donated per re-tweet, like, or post.

Remember to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday on social media when talking about your campaign. You can also tag @GivingTues, find them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Snapchat (givingtuesday) and they will retweet or share your messages.

GET TO WORK

Below are the steps you need to take to get your #GivingTuesday campaign off the ground.

1. Kick off your planning with a staff meeting and select the team that will work on your #GivingTuesday campaign. Assign roles and determine how your organization will participate.
2. Once you determine how you will participate, set a goal and give your employees and community something to aim for.
3. Determine an evaluation strategy. Find a team member to oversee this evaluation and use the resources on the #GivingTuesday website to determine how you will track, measure and share the results from your campaign.
4. Announce your plan in a press release or with a staff launch party, and start spreading the word about your plans for #GivingTuesday on social media.
5. If you are planning an in-person event or celebration on November 28, send out invitations!
6. Write a blog post about your campaign and share it on the #GivingTuesday website.
7. Schedule regular social media messages and send a newsletter or e-blast to your employees, investors, donors, and clients.
8. Pitch your local press. Use the #GivingTuesday Sample Press Release (at givingtuesday.org) to share your campaign plans with your local media.
9. Report results from your campaign. Email the #GivingTuesday team at info@givingtuesday.org with any interesting findings or announcements they can share.
10. Continue to use the momentum from #GivingTuesday to boost your end-of-year or holiday giving campaigns

Please refer to The Complete #GivingTuesday Toolkit for more resources!

Does your company want to launch a #GivingTuesday campaign? Good news — There’s still time! Contact sales@donationx.org to set up employee giving, matching gifts, dollars for doers, and more with DonationXchange.