Every year, Australians from all walks of life graciously get out their checkbooks and smartphones to donate to local charities and nonprofits. These donations can make up half or most of the entire operating budget of crucial public services run by private Not-for-Profits.
To help you get on top of this year’s Giving Tuesday, we’ve put together a quick tip list for optimising social media interactions and churning up some new donations.
What is Giving Tuesday?
The idea of Giving Tuesday relates to the period after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a natural progression of shopping and spending holidays. Thanksgiving for Americans is always the fourth Thursday of November. In 2024, that will fall on November 28. It works like this:
- Thursday: Thanksgiving Holiday (big family feast)
- Friday: Black Friday (massive discounts at big box stores and brands)
- Saturday: Small Business Saturday (local discounts at your favourite mom-and-pop shop)
- Sunday: Sofa Sunday (time for relaxing and watching movies or football)
- Monday: Cyber Monday (online deals from sites like Amazon and BestBuy)
- Tuesday: Giving Tuesday (donations spike to nonprofits)
So many shopping discounts and benefits happen on Black Friday that Americans wanted to theme an entire extended weekend with other events to convince consumers to open their wallets. While people may be searching for the best Christmas gifts, you can utilise this holiday to boost annual giving campaigns.
Tips for Your Giving Tuesday Campaign
#1 – Work with Supporters
People are more responsive to brand ambassadors and influencers than your NFP. Use this predisposition by reaching out to online supporters through social media to share fun stories, heartwarming videos, images, captions, and hashtags related to your nonprofit. You’ll cultivate the impact that naturally boosts the already nostalgia-inducing season most consumers feel from all the Christmas music and holiday cheer.
#2 – Create a Goal
Collective action is much easier to achieve when there is a goal to reach. Set up an easy-to-communicate goal of funding you wish to receive or new donors to your annual giving program. Having a clear goal gets everyone on the same page, binding social media communities together and getting you featured on posts and shared stories about where and how to give this season.
#3 – Keep Your Campaign Front and Center
Don’t be shy about your goals this Giving Tuesday. Everything from your social media accounts to your email signatures, website, and even phone messages for call waiting should reflect your campaign. You want to catch as many fish in the net as you can. They are already primed for seasonal giving. You want to direct their attention to your specific Australian nonprofit.
#4 – Create Quality Content
You’re going to need some great new material to post online. Have a series of posts planned about two weeks before Giving Tuesday. This should be a collection of images, videos, sound clips, stories, and anything else that resonates with your target audience.
If you’re lost on where to start, look at your previous year’s engagement data. That will tell you what types of posts get the most views, likes, and comments. You only need to repurpose these posts around your themed Giving Tuesday campaign.
#5 – Make Your Donor Journey Simple
You must have a single, versatile payment system for accepting donations. Something you can “shortlink” on your website and in emails. It should be clickable so that when someone sees your social media post, there is only one click away from quick and easy donations.
You may want to research the different platforms. Many of them (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.) have some form of internal giving mechanism you can set up to streamline accepting new donations.
#6 – Use a Press Release
Yes, a press release (known as a PR) may seem old-school, but there are so many online distribution services out there that will help you send that release to all your local and national resources that it’s worth the time to put one together.
The more buzz you can create around your Giving Tuesday campaign, the better the donations. Just be sure to tell everyone where they can learn more about your campaign by providing a link to your website or @account_name for your NFP brand.
Bonus: Remember Welcome Wednesday
One final note to mention about this year’s upcoming Giving Tuesday is the following day. Welcome Wednesday targets capturing all the engagement you cultivated and developing long-term donors.
You want to change all your online marketing back to its original form before Giving Tuesday. Send out thank you notes (digital or handwritten) to all your donors, and then send out a new email to everyone who engaged with your campaign about what to look for in the future.
Create an enthusiastic message about looking ahead and how people can become involved with your NFP. You can even add a note about volunteering opportunities and openings for new clients.
A little extra forethought about this day can go a long way to keeping the “party” going all year round.
Final Thoughts
While Giving Tuesday may have started as an American idea, the global movement is sweeping the online world. You can learn more by visiting Giving Tuesday AU to see samples of how other NFPs are making the most out of the holiday. Keep an eye out for partnership opportunities as well to boost your online engagement.
Consider updating your website. Giving Tuesday campaigns are a fantastic time to unveil a new website. You could make having an improved mobile responsive website a funding goal this year.
Our team at Web105 works with all kinds of Australian organisations, from healthcare teams to government agencies and local NFPs. Let’s build a beautiful, user-friendly site for this year’s Giving Tuesday. Reach out today, and let’s discuss your unique site needs.
FAQs
What countries participate in Giving Tuesday?
What began as a grassroots movement in the US has moved into the rest of the world. All corners, from Australia to China to Norway and beyond, use Giving Tuesday to boost annual funding.
How do nonprofits participate in Giving Tuesday?
Many nonprofits use Giving Tuesday to engage more potential donors, but you can also host unique events like a holiday food drive or rally for new volunteers. As long as you’re engaging your audience, you are part of the global movement.
What do you say in a Giving Tuesday campaign?
You can start an email with something like, “Over the next 24 hours, people all over the world will come together to participate in the global day of giving – Giving Tuesday.”