GivingTuesday, the annual day of generosity to encourage people to do good, is only five weeks away (Nov. 30). That doesn’t mean it’s too late for you and your team to participate, or plan, for the big day.
“Playbook: Preparing for Giving Season from Facebook and Network for Good” offers a variety of tips, suggestions and best practices around the annual day of giving that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Here are a few ideas from the 21-page guide:
- Define a smart goal: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely monetary goals for GivingTuesday as well as the rest of the calendar year.
- Identify where donation funds will be allocated: Determining needs early — whether for general operating funds or a specific program — will help guide messaging when it comes to your organization’s communications strategy.
- Thank recent donors: Expressing gratitude is always a good way to nurture relationships with donors and keep them engaged with your cause. Email impact reports about their donations by early November and post reports on social media. A phone call or personal visit might be appropriate to deliver an update.
- Determine how you measure progress toward monetary goals. Track progress at least weekly so you can report to your board, colleagues and prospects. Facebook’s Fundraising Insights Dashboard provides information on fundraisers created for, and donations to, your nonprofit.
- Use custom links to invite supporters to fundraise for your organization: Each on-boarded nonprofit is assigned a unique URL from Facebook that can be shared with supporters in emails, social media posts and on your website. When supporters click the link, they’ll be taken directly to the fundraiser creation page for your nonprofit, making it easy for them to start fundraising for your organization.
Facebook will match up to $8 million during GivingTuesday on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Facebook will match 100% of donations to qualifying Facebook Fundraiser on the first $2 million, then match 10% of donations on the remaining $6 million.