Making the Most of Your Resources for a #GivingTuesday Campaign

We are less than two months away from #GivingTuesday, December 2, and we’re starting to feel the crunch here at CauseVox. We’ve already heard from some of our nonprofit clients about the campaigns they’re planning, and we hope the resources we’ve provided so far are helpful.

Speaking of resources – as a small organization, we understand that planning and executing large fundraising campaigns such as #GivingTuesday can put a squeeze on an already tight budget and timeline. But we also know first-hand the power of the nonprofit community, and it’s easy to see that collaboration and partnership are at the very heart of the #GivingTuesday movement.

So if you are beginning your planning, taking the next step, or even if you’re just now considering signing up, don’t hesitate to ask for help to make your fundraising campaign a success. Here are a few places to start:

CauseVox.com

We’d be remiss if we didn’t offer our own services and support as you prepare for #GivingTuesday. A few weeks ago, we released a short online guide, and we also have a comprehensive eBook on crafting a GT fundraising campaign for those who might be unfamiliar with the movement.

But wait, there’s more:

• Sign up to take our webinar on November 10, 2014, and hear tips from CauseVox CEO Rob Wu on best practices for your #GivingTuesday campaign
• Visit our special #GivingTuesday resource center frequently for more posts like this one to get tips, best practices, and other support

GivingTuesday.org

Your best resource for all things #GivingTuesday is of course, GivingTuesday.org. It’s chock full of case studies, toolkits, videos, blog posts, and more to inspire you and make it easy to join the #GivingTuesday movement.

We recommend checking out the following:

• The videos. Everything from webinars from their team to experts in the nonprofit community on specific tactics and tools. They post at least one new one each week.
• Ideas and examples. From families to schools and cities to nonprofits, there are myriad ideas to choose from to borrow or tweak for your own GT fundraising campaign.
• Toolkits. Get a sample press release, find FAQ and download materials you can customize for your own partners to help spread the word about your campaign.

Your Community

It may seem obvious, but it’s true: your best asset is your own community. Whether you choose to do crowdfunding only or incorporate a peer-to-peer element, your people are already primed to support you, so why not make the most of it?

In addition to donating, ask your community:

• To help spread the word on social media and other places online. Offer guest blogging opportunities, appoint social ambassadors, and provide website banners and badges to show support.
• To submit their personal stories relevant to your GT campaign. Use them in the lead up to December 2, and on the big day to inspire people to give.
• To fundraise on your behalf. Challenge your super-activists to become fundraisers for this 24-hour giving campaign, and reward the first 10 to 20 to sign up. Make it worth their time and effort.

Your Peers

As we said before, we believe in the power of the nonprofit community, and #GivingTuesday has made it easier than ever for organizations to partner and support each other on this global day of giving. If we all give to each other first, we set an example for the world. Don’t hesitate to visit and review discussion boards, Facebook groups, blogs, Twitter hashtags, and more to find the latest conversations around GT. And more likely than not, your nonprofit friends and partners will be participating in the campaign as well, so find a time to share ideas and see if there is an opportunity to collaborate.

What are some of your favorite resources that you’ll be using as you get ready for #GivingTuesday?