6 Ways to Stand Out This GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday has become a phenomenon — a day of global generosity that nonprofits everywhere capitalize on to fuel their missions. But with the surge of appeals flooding inboxes, social feeds and even doorsteps, standing out can be a monumental challenge. 

For nonprofits, this day has become the most competitive fundraising period of the year. To rise above the noise and mobilize your donor and volunteer base effectively, you need to approach GivingTuesday with strategy, foresight and an edge that drives sustained engagement.

1. Consider This as Just the Beginning

Instead of treating GivingTuesday as a standalone event, consider it as the launch of your entire year-end appeal. When you position GivingTuesday as the first touchpoint in a larger campaign, you create momentum that can carry your cause through December. 

This day becomes the catalyst, setting the tone for multiple interactions with supporters. By framing GivingTuesday as the beginning of an ongoing narrative, you extend the impact beyond a single day and give supporters a reason to follow your progress all season long.

2. Grow Your Donor Base

GivingTuesday is ideal for donor acquisition. Many individuals split their donations across multiple organizations, which means they’re already primed to support more than one cause. Take advantage of this generosity by focusing on expanding your network. Leverage your current donors, board members and volunteers to extend your reach. Each person in your network represents a potential web of new donors eager to contribute.

Here’s the key: Start by empowering a core group of dedicated donors and volunteers. These supporters should be your biggest advocates — people who are already passionate about your mission and invested in its success. Equip these individuals with the tools they need to spread your message and make it easy for them to share.

3. Create a Clear Plan

No one wants to go first. But if your core team of supporters sees each other stepping up, they’ll be more likely to dive in with enthusiasm. Equip them with a clear, actionable plan. 

• What to do? Specific actions, like sending a message to their contacts.
• When to do it? Ideal times to share, post or message for maximum visibility.
• Why it matters? Key points about your mission and impact that resonate emotionally.
• Where to direct new donors? A simple, accessible link to your donation platform or campaign page.

Even something as straightforward as encouraging your champions to text 10 friends with a call to action can create a ripple effect. By harnessing the power of a few, you can amplify your message to many.

4. Share Compelling Stories

If possible, arm your core supporters with video content that speaks to the heart of your mission. Visual storytelling is powerful, especially when it features real stories of those you serve and the change your organization is driving. People make decisions with their hearts first and their heads second, so let the emotional connection lead.

Showing a glimpse of your impact through well-crafted video can inspire, mobilize and convert casual supporters into engaged donors. These visuals should be short, poignant and authentic, allowing your champions to share easily on social platforms or via personal messages.

5. Use Tactics That Drive Results

Nothing amplifies giving like the power of a matching gift. For smaller donors, the knowledge that their contribution will be doubled or matched increases their motivation to give. Challenges or matching campaigns can create a sense of urgency and heighten the experience for donors, especially those giving at lower levels. They want to feel their impact, and matching gifts make this possible.

Consider partnering with a corporate sponsor or a major donor to create a challenge, and communicate this opportunity clearly in every message. When donors see that their contribution can go further, they’re more likely to feel that their support has genuine value, even if it’s a modest amount.

6. Make It Easy to Give

Great campaigns can easily fail to yield results at the point of clunky forms and difficult-to-navigate websites. Donors should be able to convert quickly and easily, with minimal steps. Send them to a dedicated, optimized landing page with a clear call-to-action and simple navigation to complete their donation. For online giving, reduce any unnecessary fields or barriers, such as long forms or extra clicks, that could deter someone in the moment. Make the journey from interest to action seamless.

GivingTuesday presents a unique opportunity to not only raise funds but also grow and engage your supporter base for long-term impact. By positioning it as the launchpad for a year-end appeal, empowering a dedicated group of champions, creating emotional connections through storytelling, leveraging matching gifts and simplifying the donation process, your organization can turn the momentum of GivingTuesday into a season of giving that lasts.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.