Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means lots of good food and great sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But, many people tend to forget about Giving Tuesday, and even if you’ve never planned a giving campaign for this particular Tuesday after Thanksgiving, now may be the time to reel in some support.
We know the school year has been hectic, and the holidays have crept up on all of us, but there’s still time to gather your team and bring together a successful Giving Tuesday campaign. We’re giving you five easy steps to make that happen.
Decide how you want to accept gifts
First, ask yourself these questions. How have supporters given in the past? Do we have the ability to accept online gifts? Can we accept gifts through Facebook giving? You want to go with the quickest option that makes the most sense for your school. Whichever route you choose, though, make sure it is clear to your supporters.
Personalize your graphics
Graphics are one of the first things you should make sure is prepped. Graphics should represent your school and be eye-catching enough to get someone to stop and look. At a minimum, you’ll want to make sure you have these three types of graphics: one main design announcing the campaign, a photo frame for supporters, and a “thank you” graphic to be used once the day is over. If you have an in-house graphic designer, great, but the official Giving Tuesday website has a page with free graphics to use if you don’t.
Create a landing page or Facebook event
Now that you have graphics in place, it’s time to decide where this event will “live.” Your event’s home will depend on your team’s bandwidth, but either option should work well for this one-day event. You can add a landing page onto your current website with an easy-to-remember custom URL – something along the lines of www.yourschoolname.org/givingtuesday. The landing page should include why people should give, what the money supports, and how they can give. This page is enough to get your message across. If creating a landing page isn’t for you, creating a Facebook event should suffice. Include the same information that you would on the landing page, and then be sure to invite as many people as possible.
Send a targeted email
A giving campaign is a perfect time to utilize the email lists you have. Tweak the messaging slightly based on who you are sending the email to (parents, alumni, local businesses, etc.). Your message should clearly define your ‘why.’ Let them know what’s going on at your school and how their gift could help future plans.
Promote heavily on all social media platforms
This step goes without saying. Promote, promote, and promote some more on your social media platforms. An easy way to keep track of the conversations surrounding your Giving Tuesday campaign is to create a unique hashtag. Make sure this hashtag is on your graphics, in the text of your posts, and everywhere else you mention the campaign. You will also want to keep your supporters updated on your progress on the day of the event. If accepting online donations, prepare to periodically let everyone know how much you’ve raised throughout the day. This will keep them excited and the momentum going.
Even if you don’t participate in Giving Tuesday, don’t miss out on other fundraising opportunities. Read one of our previous blog posts, Online Fundraising Ideas for Your School, to find a few easy ways to bring in the dollars.
