3 Ways to Harness the Power of the #GivingTuesday Movement for your Non-profit
If you work in the non-profit sector, you may have seen the #GivingTuesday hash tag floating around social media for a few years now.
#GivingTuesday is a global giving movement held each year at the end of November (this year it falls on 27 November), aimed at harnessing the generosity of the public and focussing it into one day of action. It began in the US, as a way of countering the post-Thanksgiving consumerism shopping sprees of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
But what exactly can you do to harness the power of #GivingTuesday and make it more than just trendy hash tag activism or piece of content on your social media?
Here are my top 3 practical suggestions:
1. Launch your End of Year / Christmas Donor Campaign on Giving Tuesday
#GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to raise funds for your organisation.
Many organisations will plan an end-of-year 'ask' of their supporters. #GivingTuesday is a great day to launch your campaign, particularly online, to harness the power of a global movement of giving back.
For more ideas, download the official #GivingTuesday Toolkit here.
2. Create a #GivingTuesday mini-campaign online
If you’re a small non-profit, perhaps you don’t have an end-of-year fundraising campaign organised. But that doesn’t mean you can’t harness the visibility of this day for a mini online ask.
Don’t forget – your campaign or activity around #GivingTuesday doesn’t have to be limited to one day – you could launch your campaign on the day, or begin a week or two before the day, with your ‘big ask’ on the actual day.
You can register as an organisation to take part in #GivingTuesday Australia here.
3. Ask volunteers or supporters to make contact
Perhaps you’re the type of non-profit where you provide services, rather than solicit donations. Think of other ways you can ask your community on social media, in your email newsletter or via your website to support your work.
Do you need volunteers for an upcoming end-of-year event? Are you planning a working bee? Or can you focus on general volunteer call-out on #GivingTuesday?
What if I don’t work for a non-profit but want to be involved?
As an individual, #GivingTuesday is the perfect day to focus your own personal giving.
In Australia, Connecting Up is supporting this year’s Aussie version of the #GivingTuesday movement.
Or perhaps just make contact with your favourite charity organisation on or around the day. It’s as simple as giving a small cash donation or asking how you can contribute to your local community organisation.