Five Ways Nonprofits Can Maximize #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is just a few weeks away, but it’s not too late for nonprofits to set up a successful campaign. #GivingTuesday 2016 is November 29, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Last year the online event raised more than $116 million for charitable causes in more than 70 countries.

Dana Ostomel, vice president of nonprofit industry development for Firespring (www.firespring.com), says #GivingTuesday has become increasingly important for many nonprofit organizations. Ostomel founded the crowdfunding platform Deposit a Gift (recently acquired by Firespring) to help nonprofits with online fundraising campaigns. She suggests nonprofits keep five key points in mind for a successful #GivingTuesday.

1. Offer incentives to your audience. Incentives motivate giving. One tactic that works well is donation matching. If your campaign reaches a certain donation level, the total will be matched by a generous donor, growing the impact of each contribution.

2. Create an online street team. Recruit a committed group of advocates to help you create as much noise and reach as many people as possible online. Remember, you can’t do this alone.

3. Develop a strategic marketing plan. Take #GivingTuesday as seriously as any capital campaign. Your marketing plan should drive your promotional efforts from pre-Thanksgiving through the new year.

4. Generate a sense of urgency. Engage your audience with an emotional hook about the work and mission of your organization. Leverage this to convince them to give today and not wait until tomorrow.

5. Establish an appreciation strategy. You don’t just want your supporters’ capital, you want their social capital. Gratitude puts people in the mood to share. Send each donor an immediate thank you email with a request to spread the word about your campaign.

On #GivingTuesday, Deposit a Gift will waive its platform fee for nonprofits that use the service to set up their campaigns. Deposit a Gift can help organizations create custom landing pages, develop promotional campaigns and manage donations.

Nonprofit organizations interested in running their #GivingTuesday campaign on the Deposit a Gift platform can visit givingtuesday2016.depositagift.com. Ostomel is also hosting a series of free webinars with tips on creating a successful #GivingTuesday campaign.