Sometimes we need just a bit of encouragement or inspiration to do good things. This is the idea behind Giving Tuesday, which was created in 2012 as a day for people to do good. Over the last decade, Giving Tuesday has grown into a high-impact movement to unleash the power of “radical generosity” around the globe. Today, Giving Tuesday continues to inspire millions to work together and celebrate generosity, whether you give your time, your money, your goods and services, or your voice.
What does Giving Tuesday mean for your own charity? Your organisation can leverage this powerful and special movement to give a little back to your own critical cause. Giving Tuesday is an ideal time to build awareness of your mission and boost donations, thank supporters, and amplify your achievements.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday happens every Tuesday, but this year the annual celebration takes place on Tuesday, 29th November following Black Friday, which kicks off the holiday shopping season. The campaign has generated more than 60 billion media impressions and over 13 million social media conversations and boasts a global presence via 75 country movements. It’s hard to underestimate the impact of Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday was born in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in partnership with the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact. Since then, it has grown into an independent nonprofit and movement that is organised by a diverse network of partners, communities, and individuals. Today, everyone can (and should!) participate in Giving Tuesday, including your own charity.
How does Giving Tuesday benefit charities?
For charities like yours, the holiday season is also the giving season. Billions of pounds are generated toward the end of the year and statistics show that around a third of all giving takes place in December. This is often attributed to the all-around holiday spirit coupled with a well-timed moment for individuals and entities to maximise their tax benefits.
At this time of year, people are already starting to think about supporting the causes they care about. Your charity can leverage the power of Giving Tuesday by tapping into this positive moment to build awareness of your mission and maximise your fundraising efforts. At Rocket Charities, for example, we see many of our charitable partners and clients launch highly successful, one-day fundraising events on Giving Tuesday. As we mentioned above, Giving Tuesday generates a lot of traction in the news and social media. Savvy charities recognise this potential and find creative ways to build upon the high-profile momentum of Giving Tuesday.
For more, see this helpful guide on how charities and community organisations can participate in Giving Tuesday, including several case studies.
Ideas for Running a Giving Tuesday Campaign
Leveraging the momentum of Giving Tuesday is a clear winner. But how exactly can your charity pull this off? Here, we share four easy and creative ways to run a Giving Tuesday campaign this year, no matter the size or focus of your charity.
Host a Facebook Challenge
Facebook Challenges are an incredibly effective way for charities to reach new audiences, engage with supporters, and boost fundraising efforts. Typically, Facebook Challenges are time-bound fundraising events that take place entirely through Facebook in which participants complete a specific activity. Often, these challenges include fitness activities, like completing a certain number of push-ups or walking a certain number of kilometres. A key benefit of these challenges is that they make participation more accessible for a broad group of people, no matter where they’re located. Consider planning a Giving Tuesday Facebook Challenge to magnify awareness of your cause and maximise your donations. For more tips and ideas, check out the Charity’s Guide to Facebook Challenge Fundraising.
Encourage Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
As a charity, you probably understand the value of peer-to-peer fundraising. A study of 4,800 organisations found that campaigns that enabled people to raise money through peer-to-peer fundraising were 4.5 times higher than the median amount raised by ticketed events, and the vast majority of people (4 out of 5) who gave to a peer-to-peer fundraiser were new to the organisation. For Giving Tuesday, ask your supporters to make personal fundraising pages on social media and encourage their friends and family to donate to your cause. To ensure their success, give your supporters a specific goal to reach, offer special charity branded merchandise for the occasion, and equip them with the right resources, like sample social media posts, graphics, and email templates.
Make It a Game Day
No matter how you tap into Giving Tuesday, strive to make your campaign engaging, fun, and memorable, which helps ensure that your supporters will come back for the following Giving Tuesday. Consider creating a game that your supporters can take part in throughout the day on Giving Tuesday, such as a virtual scavenger hunt in which people race to find the greatest number of household objects over a series of rounds. (The UK Sepsis Trust provides a helpful how-to guide.) To thank your supporters for creating or joining the game, consider gifting special Giving Tuesday merchandise that features your charity brand. After all, it is Giving Tuesday, and that includes giving a little back to your own participants and supporters!
Host an Event
Lastly, another creative way for your charity to leverage Giving Tuesday is with a special event. In-person (or hybrid) gatherings are a highly effective way to raise money for critical causes. Fundraising events not only attract new supporters but also offer a channel to celebrate and honour your existing community of patrons. Keep your goals in mind as you plan your Giving Tuesday event. For example, a morning coffee event is a low-lift way to drum up smaller donations, versus an evening gala which takes a bit more preparation, but often attracts large-sum donations. We’ve mentioned this before, but it’s a helpful thing to keep in mind: People will show up to support your charity and your cause. At the end of the day, it’s the generous spirit of Giving Tuesday that will propel the event forward and make it a success. For more tips, see this post on 7 Steps to Plan a Stress-Free Fundraising Event.
We hope this post inspires you to get involved with Giving Tuesday this year. Whether you go big or small, you, too, can help unleash the power of radical generosity around the globe and do good for your charity at the same time. And, in the spirit of Giving Tuesday, it would be our honour to help give you affordable, custom merchandise to enhance all of your upcoming campaigns. Please get in touch with us today!