7 Fundraising Ideas for Giving Tuesday 2021

GivingTuesday is just around the corner as we get closer to the holiday season. Can you believe it is already that time of year?

As we shared in our Look Back at GivingTuesday 2020 post, it was a phenomenal day of giving and generosity movement that has such an impressive impact on the social sector – even during the challenges of the pandemic. This year promises to be even bigger.

It's a way for millions of people to participate in radical generosity (34.8 million people last year, to be exact).

Together we give

Here are 7 ideas to make the most of this year's big day and capture more hearts, minds, and donations.

1) Start early!

The earlier you start planning your event, the more likely you'll have success, so if you want to participate in national movements like Giving Tuesday, then plan for it now. You can get started using our free The 10x Campaign Planner for Nonprofits™ resource here or by attending one of our free events listed below.

2) Find out what events your local community has planned.

Check their website or Facebook page for information about upcoming events. Some communities may hold multiple events throughout the week leading up to November 30th. As best you can, match your messaging, social media hashtags, and campaigns to events and themes at the local level. It is always easier to enter into a relationship and engage people when a conversation or movement is already happening. Trying to start or scale up on your own can be expensive and time-consuming. This, after all, is why Giving Tuesday is such a huge opportunity to attract and engage new donors.

3) Determine who else should participate in your event.

For example, maybe there is a celebrity or local personality that aligns with your specific cause. Even another nonprofit organization or cause with a similar audience or perhaps a for-profit company that will grant you access to their marketing channels. Bruce Burtch nails this strategy in our #TextGen Podcast episode on Cause Marketing here as he shares several ideas to approach business to build a win-win marketing campaign, like special offers or matching for donations.

4) Optimize for Mobile.

Use a mobile responsive and giving-friendly online fundraising platform like Classy (now GoFundMe Pro) or Fundraise Up. Both are partners of ours, and we've personally seen how they significantly boost online conversions. If you are not aware of the power of optimizing for mobile giving, be sure to check out the How to Maximize Revenue with Mobile Giving webinar here.

5) Use Text Messaging and Text to Donate.

Speaking of Mobile, be sure to leverage technology like Text-to-Donate and conversational texting to reduce the friction to capture online donations, as well as increase average donation amounts. Mobile technology plays a huge role when it comes to making sure your Giving Tuesday goes smoothly. Last year we saw over an average gift size of $135 per text donation.

More on Mobile Fundraising

When it comes to leveraging mobile to reach your fundraising goal, here are some additional points to consider:

a) Make use of resources like our free Implementation Workshop to help guide your use of the Rally Platform with your other platforms and goals. Buying software without thinking through how to best use it to accomplish a clear plan is a mistake we see all too many nonprofits make. Often a great idea can be taken to the next level with just a little support.

b) One simple idea to increase engagement is to use video to communicate with donors. Video messages help create a personal connection between donors and fundraisers. They're especially helpful if you want to get a compelling story across in a meaningful way and have a message stick. Tools like CauseVid are great for this and work well alongside text messaging. In addition, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok make video integral to their services. And for a good reason. People love videos.

c) Use Text-to-Donate and QR Codes along with social media posts and video/audio broadcasts to add a simple call-to-action with your appeal. Social media networks like Facebook have made it extremely difficult and expensive to capture and keep attention from your audience. It's hard to watch your audience grow through deliberate messaging to feel it is more and more challenging to get them to act. Using multiple channels to get the message out and then capturing permission for other methods is a sure way to drive online donations both now and in the future.

d) Be prepared for high traffic volumes during peak hours. Many websites experience increased traffic leading up to Giving Tuesday. To avoid overwhelming visitors, set aside a few days before launch to prepare for heavy demand. People grow more and more impatient these days, so a website that isn't snappy and responsive will negatively impact fundraising efforts. Routing people through a text number could be an excellent backup plan since you can message them later, even if they don't make a contribution.

6) Choose a theme.

A theme helps keep everything organized while creating excitement among supporters. Again, look at local themes and community campaigns and see if there are any overlapping opportunities. For example, we've listed several in The 10x Campaign Planner for Nonprofits™ mentioned above to help you craft messaging and participate with other organizations.

7) Have fun!

Your volunteers will appreciate knowing why they are participating in your event and making an impact. Tell them why you chose to partner together. Share stories about past campaigns and successes. And remember to celebrate along the way. Being positive and grateful always opens the mind and heart to what's possible. And that, after all, is the essence of great philanthropy and movements.

How We Help

While the Rally Platform is technically a cloud-based product, often referred to as a Software-as-a-Service, we prefer to think of ourselves as a Success-as-a-Service. That's because we've learned that success is not just about buying a tool but implementing it well to maximize fundraising efforts. So that's what we cover in our Implementation Workshop Series.

Just attend the next one and tell us what you look to accomplish on GivingTuesday and your year-end campaign. We'll give you some ideas, fundraising tips, and strategies we've seen work in years past and help you get the results you need to reach your fundraising potential.

Well, that's a wrap. Mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday 2021, and let us know how we can help! We are rooting for you to crush your 2021 goals!

Happy Holidays!