Whenever I start talking about Giving Tuesday, I see lots of eye rolls from nonprofit leaders who feel like Giving Tuesday is a waste of time. In the first episode of Season 5 of the Nonprofit Jenni Show, I break down the four most common objections I hear from nonprofit leaders about why they don’t like to participate in this 24-hour giving day. I also interview Sarah Barr, the Executive Director of the Marysville Uptown Theatre Organization, who is in the midst of planning and executing a Capital Campaign, Giving Tuesday Campaign, and Year End Appeal all at the same time.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday is a 24-hour day of global giving which occurs the Tuesday following the US holiday of Thanksgiving.
Typically, nonprofits use Giving Tuesday to host a 24-hour digital fundraising campaign where they ask social media followers and e-newsletter subscribers to give donations online. However, there aren’t any rules about the way you must participate in Giving Tuesday! Some organizations choose to use Giving Tuesday as a day of service, where they rally volunteers who want to give time instead of money to complete a big project. Other nonprofits like to spend Giving Tuesday making personal phone calls to donors giving thanks for their support throughout the year.
4 reasons nonprofit leaders don’t want to host a Giving Tuesday campaign
When I meet a nonprofit leader who doesn’t like Giving Tuesday, I’ve noticed they usually express one (or more) of the following common reasons for avoiding this global day of giving:
Giving Tuesday never raises enough money for us.
The donations we get from new donors on Giving Tuesday are too small.
Giving Tuesday cannibalizes our year end campaign.
I don’t have time to plan a Giving Tuesday campaign.
4 false assumptions about Giving Tuesday
Each of these common reasons for avoiding Giving Tuesday has an underlying assumption that I’d love to challenge you to reconsider!
Objection #1: Giving Tuesday never raises enough money for us.
The underlying assumption: Giving Tuesday should raise a significant portion of our annual campaign.
Question that assumption:
How much money do you usually earn from social media/email fundraising campaigns throughout the rest of the year?
What is the primary purpose of having your social media accounts and email newsletters? Is it fundraising? If not, why do you put the pressure of fundraising a ton of money on one day of the year on these media?
If the primary purpose of Giving Tuesday is not to raise a significant portion of your annual campaign, what should the primary purpose be?
Objection #2: The donations we get from new donors on Giving Tuesday are too small.
The underlying assumption: We should be able to secure large gifts from new donors on Giving Tuesday.
Question that assumption:
What is the average first-time gift size you generally get from new donors?
What is the average gift from new donors who give through social media?
Does the first gift represent the overall value of a new donor? Could they become a major donor, volunteer, or another important stakeholder in the future?
Objection #3: Giving Tuesday cannibalizes our year end campaign.
The underlying assumption: Our Giving Tuesday campaign should target the same audience as our year end campaign.
Question that assumption:
What are the demographics of the people who generally give to your year end campaign? How old are they, how long have they had a relationship with your organization, what method do they use to make a donation?
What are the demographics of the people who generally give through social media or email campaigns? How do they differ from your year end givers?
Who else could you target for Giving Tuesday to avoid cannibalizing your year end giving audience? (Examples: college students, lapsed donors, volunteers who have never given a financial gift)
Objection #4: I don’t have time to plan a Giving Tuesday campaign.
The underlying assumption: I need as much time to plan for Giving Tuesday as I do for a major fundraiser.
Question that assumption:
How much time do you normally take to plan a regular social media or e newsletter campaign?
How much time should you spend planning a digital Giving Tuesday campaign in comparison to your normal weekly campaigns?
How can you use free resources from GivingTuesday.org to cut down on planning time?
How can you delegate planning tasks to your marketing committee, young professionals group, and/or board members?
Example of a Giving Tuesday campaign: The Avalon Theatre
Sarah Barr is the Executive Director of the Marysville Uptown Theatre Organization, who is in the midst of planning and executing a Capital Campaign, Giving Tuesday Campaign, and Year End Appeal all at the same time. I loved speaking with her on the podcast to learn how she’s creating one cohesive capital campaign which incorporates Giving Tuesday and a year end appeal.
MUTO is working to renovate the Avalon Theatre in Union County, Ohio so it can become a performing arts center once again, as it was when it originally opened. Sarah planned this capital campaign to incorporate several fundraising components, including a quiet phase, a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, an upscale fundraising event, and a Giving Tuesday campaign incorporating a mass mailing and social media component. Here are some of the vital details about the campaign:
Capital campaign goal: $3.2 million
Campaign timeline:
2017: Working with contractors to evaluate needs
March 2019: The “quiet phase” begins, when the nonprofit approaches major funding organizations who will commit the first major portion of the fundraising goal
August 2019: Dance contestants participating in the upcoming November event begin raising awareness about the capital campaign through their social media
Early November 2019: Major fundraising event with a “Dancing With Our Stars” theme, which includes a nice dinner, storytelling about the capital campaign, and a fun dance competition
Late November 2019: Mass mailing sent to county’s residents in conjunction with a social media Giving Tuesday campaign, with a “Past, Present, Future” theme highlighting the organization’s impact on the local community and economy
Giving Tuesday (December 3, 2019): Celebration of meeting the capital campaign fundraising goal
December 2019: If needed, MUTO will let supporters know about any remaining fundraising needs to finish out the campaign
Do you need more support with Giving Tuesday or year end fundraising?
Don’t forget, Nonprofit Jenni offers free initial consultation calls to help with your management, marketing, and development needs. Schedule your free half hour call now to talk through your upcoming fundraising campaigns!
Also, don’t forget to check out Little Green Light’s free guides like “How to Retain Donors After Your Giving Day” so you can make the most of Giving Tuesday or your local 24-hour day of giving.