Final Countdown to #GivingTuesday

We’re just a day away from the third annual #GivingTuesday; it’s time to do a status check.

With Thanksgiving this week, time is getting tight to put the final pieces into place for the 24-hour giving holiday on December 2. Hopefully, you’ve been able to make use of the CauseVox GivingTuesday Resource Center to help your organization prepare.

So, are you ready? Here’s our final checklist of things to be thinking about as we get closer to Tuesday.

Graphics, Design, and Branding

• Check GivingTuesday.org for web banners, logos, and other fun graphics they have created just for nonprofits, businesses, and individuals participating in the movement. It’s an especially easy resource for social media images.
• If you’re using CauseVox for your #GivingTuesday campaign, did you know you can customize your site colors, branding, and URL to match your organization’s website? Let us know if you need help.
• Make sure any campaign partners have the materials they need to help spread the word and don’t forget about your community, too.

Communications and Storytelling

• Opt-in to our #GivingTuesday directory so your stories can get shared with new audiences. You can do this from within the CauseVox admin interface, and we’re also waiving monthly fees for all #GivingTuesday campaigns on CauseVox.
• If you haven’t already, let the #GivingTuesday team know you’re participating, so they can include you in their list of orgs and help promote your campaign.
• Don’t forget to let your community know about your campaign. Send them an email and post on your website and social channels anytime up to the day before the campaign, especially if there is a match or incentives, so they can be ready to donate on Dec. 2!
• Review your campaign ask and make sure the story is compelling enough to drive donations. Now is the time to make adjustments, not the night before.

Logistics and Technology

• If you’re launching a new site, a new tool, or new anything, test and retest it over the next few days. Make test donations, uploads, or any other tasks your community will be asked to do on Dec. 2.
• Go over your launch schedule and make sure everything is in the correct order: you don’t want an email and tweets going out before your donation form is live.
• Create an action plan with your team to prepare for the unexpected: site goes down, a match falls through, bad press, confused donors, etc.

We want your #GivingTuesday campaign to be successful – we know it may not be easy. We’re proud to participate in this global movement dedicated to giving, and we’re proud to work with partners like you. Good luck!