Giving Tuesday Partnerships: 3 Opportunities To Enhance Your Campaign

If you work for a nonprofit, you understand the value of teamwork. From homelessness and healthcare to literacy and school lunches, you know what it’s like to work together to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges. When you combine the efforts of nonprofit organizations, donors, governments, businesses and other institutions, things really begin to get done.

This efficacy is why we encourage nonprofits to think about creating partnerships to support their #GivingTuesday campaigns. In fact, one of the primary reasons the annual giving day has been so successful is because it appeals to everyone – not just nonprofits.

Schools, city governments, retailers, corporations, individuals, and big and small nonprofits have been participating in #GivingTuesday by the thousands, and many of them are working together to raise funds for those 24 hours and beyond. They have all realized that giving back is so much more effective – and fun – when you do it with others.

What could a partnership for #GivingTuesday look like? Here a few ideas and ways to approach it.

Matching Sponsorships

One of the most common ways to collaborate with another organization is by getting (or giving) monetary matching support. End-of-year giving is full of matching grants and major gifts, and #GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to kick that off. And of course, knowing that you have some guaranteed money coming in to help you reach your goal is not only comforting for your organization, but also an incentive for your community.

• Create a realistic goal when setting up a match. Do the research on how much your organization has raised in the past to project their potential, and break down the match details accordingly. For their first crowdfunding campaign on CauseVox, Advocates used a sponsor match of $2,500 to help them reach an ultimate goal of $8,000 to fund summer activities and excursions for individuals with disabilities.
• Draw the connection between who is giving the match and who is receiving it. No matter which side of the partnership you’re on, tell the story behind it.
• For in-kind donations of goods or services, make sure your communications clearly explain the value in dollars, and how it helps to progress your goals. One year, Walgreens matched every pneumonia vaccine administered at their pharmacies between Black Friday and #GivingTuesday to the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign, up to $25,000.

Check out some other great examples of corporate sponsorship and partnership from www.GivingTuesday.org.

Communications & Marketing Support

In this day and age, branding is everything. Between commercials, ads, social media, and more, everyone is fighting for their name and mission to be seen by millions of potential consumers and donors.

#GivingTuesday is no different, so partnering with an organization that can lend some brand recognition and reach can be extremely beneficial, especially on a very crowded giving day.

• Consider the assets of the organization you’re looking to partner with. Are they on Facebook or Twitter? Do they tend to get a lot of media hits? The more your potential partner is already recognized, the easier it will be to get your #GivingTuesday campaign front and center.

• Creating a whole set of communications and marketing assets for #GivingTuesday can be daunting for smaller nonprofits. Partnering with another resource-scarce organization can double the load; if you’re working with a partner that has the capacity, don’t hesitate to ask for help in building creative materials like graphics, media kits, videos, and more.

• Let your partner share their story. Find space in your email calendar, swap social media accounts for a day, and line up media interviews. In the past, the United Methodist Church created toolkits, graphics, and other assets for branches around the world to use in their individual campaigns. One year, they raised more than $6.5 million for the church’s Advance Projects.

Resource-Based Support

Partners are more than funders and a Twitter account with a million followers. They can provide volunteers, event spaces, connections, advertising space…the opportunities are endless. Also, it’s important not to forget what you can bring to the table, too. The ultimate partnership gives on both sides. Here’s a handful of ideas to think about when collaborating for #GivingTuesday:

• Corporate employee giving campaign
• Local, national, or virtual event hosted by a sponsor
• Incentives or rewards from a business for donations
• Co-host a volunteer opportunity
• Collaborate in a fun video or social media campaign
• Devise a #GivingTuesday guide that correlates to your mission
• Utilize celebrity ambassadors for further reach
• Partner with a peer nonprofit for a targeted impact metric or project
• Request support from your local government or Chamber of Commerce
• Coordinate with local schools, universities, and youth organizations
• Host a contest, sweepstakes, or friendly competition with a partner

Learn more about working with partners and find more tips for your #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign in the CauseVox #GivingTuesday Resources Center.

This post was originally published in November 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness in October 2022.