HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 1

Transcription

1 HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 1

2 Table of Contents 1 About How to Build Your #GivingTuesday Campaign Page A Quick Word About Color Campaign Checklist How to Develop Your #GivingTuesday Marketing Plan Campaign Pre-Launch Prep Soft Launch Tactics Mass Launch Timeline Wrapping Up Your Campaign Resources HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 2

3 ABOUT About #GivingTuesday ushers in the charitable spirit of the holiday season and is the biggest giving day of the year. Since it began in 2012, it s always been held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.). #GivingTuesday can help you leverage the momentum of the giving season and carry it seamlessly into your year-end appeal. One of the most effective fundraising tools for a successful #GivingTuesday is crowdfunding. Crowdfunding: the practice of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically online. In this guide, we ll talk about the general principles of crowdfunding and how they can help you run a rock solid #GivingTuesday campaign. You ll learn how to develop an action plan that: Mobilizes your community and creates brand ambassadors. Prepares you for a wildly successful #GivingTuesday. Sets you up to kick off your year-end appeal. Supports your ongoing fundraising strategy. One important thing to remember as you read through this guide: #GivingTuesday may only last for 24 hours, but it s more than just one day. It s a multi-week campaign that leads up to the big day, then catapults your organization into its year-end appeal. If you wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving to start planning, you re going to be too late to the game to have an effective #GivingTuesday event. Done right and with thoughtful preparation, #GivingTuesday is a fundraising game-changer. Let s win it. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 3

4 HOW TO BUILD YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY CAMPAIGN PAGE How to Build Your #GivingTuesday Campaign Page Your campaign page is a landing page where you drive donors to support you on #GivingTuesday the heart and soul of your mission or goal. It s important that it looks great, reads clearly and engages your visitors within seconds. No pressure, right? Actually, it s not difficult if you know how to build it correctly trust us on this. But it s something you ll want to do now in order to give it the care and consideration it deserves. Don t put this task off; it ll be much less stressful if you prepare your campaign page well in advance. Ready to go? Here are 10 easy steps to make your #GivingTuesday campaign page a converting machine. 1. Communicate your most meaningful message within the first 2 3 sentences. Include why you are fundraising, what the need is and create a sense of urgency tell donors why they need to give today, not tomorrow. Feature a clear and compelling call to action. Be clear about the mission of your campaign. (If it s an end-of-year appeal with a #GivingTuesday mini goal or incentive, then say that.). Keep it brief. 2. Write a headline that refers back to what got them there. When someone clicks on a link to get to your campaign page, make sure the message and language in both places match. (Close is good, exact is best.) This way they won t pack up and go home before they even look around. Consistency is key to creating a good user experience. 3. Find the most relevant and engaging image or video possible. A picture says a thousand words, right? So keep your text to a minimum and let your image (or video) do the talking. You could feature someone you re helping, a family you re impacting or anything that puts a face to your campaign. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 4

5 HOW TO BUILD YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY CAMPAIGN PAGE 4. Incorporate a fundraising thermometer. It s an easy way for visitors to monitor your campaign s progress and motivate them to join your cause. Just make sure your goal is clear, realistic and explains how you will use the funds. 5. Define your metrics for success in advance. You are trying to raise money, yes, but what else can the campaign do for you? Crowdfunding campaigns are effective marketing tools that help you do things like grow your list, change the culture of giving and engage passive or lapsed supporters. 6. Display your logo. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it s worth mentioning that every single fundraising or campaign page you create should be branded so it s obviously yours. Stay consistent with your brand s fonts and colors and always, always include your logo. 7. Provide a specific call to action. Make the call to action button obvious, and tell your visitors what they need to do. Don t assume they ll just figure it out. Spell it out literally. Instead of Submit (that s outdated), use words like Donate Now, Give Today or Support Our Campaign. 8. Give the page a unique URL. Think vanity URLs. For example: nonprofit.org/givingtuesday instead of nonprofit.org/events/november/givingtuesday.html. 9. Add social proof. Third-party credibility can help boost conversions. Integrate quotes from social media, testimonials and data into the campaign page (e.g., 200 people have already supported our campaign ) to make your organization even more trustworthy. 10. Include a suggested donation amount. Default to asking supporters to give a specific donation like $50 instead of leaving the amount open-ended. At Firespring, our mission is to help you accomplish yours, and we do that by providing online tools and websites specially designed for nonprofits and their needs. If you d like to talk to a marketing expert about creating the most optimal #GivingTuesday campaign page for your organization or about your website and online presence in general we d love to help. Give us a ring at or visit firespring.org/givingtuesday to learn more. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 5

6 A QUICK WORD ABOUT COLOR A Quick Word About Color The color of your call to action button can significantly affect conversions. In fact, the colors you choose on your website and fundraising pages in general can convey a mood, general sense or feeling to your guests, whether you re aware of it or not. Here are some of the most used colors and what they represent, even without text: YELLOW optimistic, youthful and energizing RED sense of urgency, energy and strength BLUE trust, security and stability PURPLE wealth, extravagance and luxury PINK femininity, romanticism, sensitivity and nurturing ORANGE happiness, creativity and determination BLACK luxury, brilliance and sophistication GREEN freshness and safety, as well as wealth and prosperity HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 6

7 CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST Campaign Checklist Here s a handy dandy list of #GivingTuesday tasks to print out and check off if you re the sort of person who likes to do that kind of thing. 1. PRE-CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST Set up campaign page. Form your online street team. Contact and build your network. Create a marketing toolkit. Promotional calendar. Pre-written scripts and social media posts for others to share. Social media engagement tactics. Other media: press release, phone calls, postcards, letters and launch party. Plan for soft launch: Don t launch with a zero balance. Write a thank-you script. 2. DURING-CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST Assess status of campaign. Review your marketing calendar. Thank contributors and enlist their support in spreading the word. Ask them to post on social media. Ask them to the campaign to 10 friends. Post to Facebook and other social media sites. Send an blast. Look for excuses to share and engage people. Updates. Shout-outs. Milestones. Keep up the momentum. 3. AFTER-CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST Cash out. Let people know how the campaign went. Show contributors how you used the money. Give back to your supporters. Help their campaigns. Offer your crowdfunding expertise. Kick off your year-end appeal and ongoing fundraising strategy. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 7

8 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN How to Develop Your #GivingTuesday Marketing Plan As important as your campaign page is, it s equally important to have a marketing plan. You can build the most brilliant #GivingTuesday page on the internet, but if you don t drive traffic to it, it ll be brilliant alone. Don t treat #GivingTuesday like a Hail Mary pass in the last second of the game; give it the same thought and preparation you would a capital campaign with a strategic plan. You can (and should) start your marketing efforts several weeks before #GivingTuesday hits, but definitely plan to begin by November. By then, you ll want your #GivingTuesday marketing gears well-oiled and ready to turn. Goal: Turn your prospects into donors and your donors into brand ambassadors. First, you ve got to drive your message home. Did you know people need a minimum of 5 7 communications before they respond? You might feel like a broken record throughout November before donors even begin to really pay attention, so don t worry about overcommunicating about your campaign. Next and this is important once you have supporters, you want to turn them into ambassadors for your organization so they share with their network and encourage others to give too. Crowdfunding is about getting to your contacts contacts. Consistent communication via , social media and any other means that will resonate with your audience is crucial in order to reach your goal. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 8

9 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN Here are five practical tips for communicating with your prospects to turn them into supporters, and ultimately, brand ambassadors. 1. Look for reasons to be in touch so you aren t just asking for money. Give frequent campaign updates via or social media. Publicly thank people via the tag n thank method on Facebook and Twitter. Every time someone gives to your campaign, tag them with a note of thanks on Facebook so it shows up in their newsfeed and their friends can see it. Put a face to your campaign with pictures of people who will benefit from the funds raised. 2. Create a sense of urgency. You can potentially generate a flurry of giving with any or all of these: A deadline A reward A contest A matching incentive Entry into a raffle for taking a certain action 3. Reach out to people personally. Send s to folks you know would want to give. Once they give, thank them and ask them to share. Give them a blurb and campaign link to make it easy. 4. Send the word out over several channels. You will likely rely heavily on and social media to market your campaign, but don t forget about other marketing tools like: Postcards Letters Text messaging Posters Flyers Phone calls/messages 5. Thank people immediately. Why wait until the end? Once a person donates, say thank you. Even if they get an automatic receipt through your crowdfunding platform, send a personal note of appreciation and ask them to share your campaign page with their network. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 9

10 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TIPS Where to post: Share your campaign link on all your social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). On Facebook, use everything you ve got: your organization s page, your personal page even create an event page. Of course, send all traffic to your campaign page. Don t be shy: Like and tweet about your own campaign site to start getting social traction. When to post: Post at least once a day or every other day leading up to #GivingTuesday. For every four posts, make one a direct ask for money and the other three something interesting or relevant to your audience. What to post: Photos of the people your organization serves who will benefit from your campaign (along with your campaign page link). Updates that bring people along on your fundraising journey. Brief snippets of how you will use the money raised. Tag and thank people who support you. Use hashtags to engage relevant and new followers. Who to connect with: On Facebook and LinkedIn, search for groups related to your cause. On Twitter, search by hashtag to see who is talking about your cause or interests. Add new friends to your networks and use all your platforms since you ll likely find different contacts on each site. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 10

11 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN MARKETING TIPS While social media taps into the viral nature of crowdfunding, is also an effective tool, especially for your campaign launch and updates because you know it goes straight to your supporters inbox. Just be smart about it. Follow basic etiquette. Don t just send the link to your campaign page. Write a brief with a call to action. Never CC your contacts and expose people s s. Use a professional marketing tool like Firespring.org, Mailchimp or Constant Contact. Create distribution lists. Before you start, pull together your contacts into a distribution list or third party marketing system. As you gain new supporters, export their addresses and import them to your system. Segment your list into 1) a mass list and 2) your online street team list (we ll talk more about your street team in a moment). Adjust your signature. Create a signature that everyone on your team/board can use in their to advertise your campaign. It s a free marketing tool! HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 11

12 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN DONOR MATCHES By nature, humans are procrastinators that s why it s important to motivate supporters to give now, not later. Incentives work well with crowdfunding campaigns to create a sense of urgency, and one tactic that s particularly effective is donor matching. This is when you challenge your community to raise a certain amount so another donor can match it. With donor matching, it s all about the marketing. Set a deadline to make it clear. Create an online street team to help you spread the word. Identify a group of people you ll ask to give early and help you gain momentum. Have them donate on your campaign page and leave encouraging public messages, even if they only give $1. Develop a plan to promote your donor match via and social media channels. Remind them that you can t achieve the match without them. A donor match tool creates heightened intensity and generates a frenzy of activity, but it will only work if you get the word out. For samples you can use to announce a donor matching opportunity, refer to the Resources section at the back of this guide. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 12

13 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR #GIVINGTUESDAY MARKETING PLAN THE $1 ASK STRATEGY This idea is very effective with crowdfunding campaigns. Try it: When you ask for just $1, people usually give more. The task: Solicit $1 donations on Facebook. Try to get everyone you know to post about the campaign if people have similar friends, it will flood Facebook feeds and make it look like a popular campaign. Even though you re asking for a small donation, people almost always give more. How: Write a blurb you can circulate to your online street team so it s easy for them to copy, paste and share. Creating a pre-packaged way for people to request a small donation means you ll likely get more buy-in. They can easily use it in an blast too. The main strategy: Keep up the encouragement through Facebook posts and reminders. The most successful campaigns send updates and Facebook posts daily because people need reminders. Example blurbs from previous $1 campaigns: Friends! My [son/daughter] is going to volunteer at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic during spring break. We need to raise money to get them there, so we re doing our first ever crowdfunding campaign to help support everything from the travel to all the extras that we ll need to shower love on the kids at the orphanage. Would you donate $1 in [your kid s name] s honor? If even just half of my Facebook friends did that, we could raise more than $[amount]. Who can part with a dollar today? Friends! My [son/daughter] is on a swim team in Harlem yes, we have that here. But it s underfunded, so we re doing our first ever crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds to support the coaches, travel, etc. Would you donate $1 in [your kid s name] s honor? If even just half of my Facebook friends did that, we could raise more than $[amount]. Who can part with $1 today? Friends! Please help [name] s family with their expenses. She was such a kind and generous woman. Would you donate $1 to her memorial fund? If even just half of my Facebook friends did that, we could raise more than $[amount]. Anyone have $1 they re willing to spare today?? HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 13

14 CAMPAIGN PRE-LAUNCH PREP Campaign Pre-Launch Prep One of the most important things to do before you publicly launch your #GivingTuesday campaign is get your community prepped and on board with you. The first step is to make two lists: 1. Supporters: Those you can count on to give. These donors will be critical to your soft launch and help you gain momentum the week prior to #GivingTuesday. 2. Online street team: Those you can recruit to help you spread the word, typically people who have close ties to your organization. Once you have your lists complete, here are next steps for your pre-launch prep. Plant seeds with supporters. Tell them you ll be running a #GivingTuesday crowdfunding campaign to get them fired up. People who feel part of the journey from the get-go are more likely to support you. Talk about your upcoming campaign with anyone who will listen. Your board, staff, volunteers, friends and family share with as many people as you can and ask them to spread the word. Make personal asks. Crowdfunding is a tool to work your network, so line up people to donate at strategic moments and ask them to share your campaign with their friends. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 14

15 CAMPAIGN PRE-LAUNCH PREP Create a marketing toolkit. First, make a promotional calendar this is your roadmap, telling you what to do when. Then add these tools to your kit: 1. Prewritten s (find samples at the back of this guide). A soft launch to help you build momentum before the big day. Follow-up s to send to every contributor, encouraging them to share the campaign link. messages you can give people to send to their friends so they can just copy and paste. 2. Methods to invigorate the campaign. Determine when willing donors will make strategic contributions you can announce on social media. Decide on contest ideas you can run on social media (maybe even on your website). Something like, Everyone who gives within the next four hours gets entered to win a prize. 3. Facebook blurbs. Give these to supporters, staff and volunteers to post to their own networks so they don t have to do anything but copy, paste and share. 4. A campaign hashtag. Come up with something clever, short and memorable so people will use it. 5. A press release. If you want press coverage, having your release available on a free site like PRLog.com or a paid site (with distribution channels) like PRWeb.com will help you and anyone in your network with press contacts. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 15

16 CAMPAIGN PRE-LAUNCH PREP Next, create your online street team. Crowdfunding campaigns work best if you get other people buzzing about them (e.g., ing, sharing, tweeting, etc.). To make as much noise and reach as many people as possible, develop a team of advocates, or your online street team. Start with a core group now, and through personal outreach and appreciation, add to the team as you go along. HOW TO RECRUIT YOUR TEAM: Make a list and contact people you can count on to help spread the word and recruit their friends. (Consider asking your board, staff, friends, family, regular donors and service recipients.) You should ask individually and personally via and phone. Clearly explain their responsibilities so they know what to expect. TASKS TO GIVE YOUR TEAM: Facebook: Ask them to Like, comment and share your posts with their own networks. Twitter: Tweet on your behalf to give you access to influencers. Provide sample tweets using ClickToTweet.com. Send s to their network about your campaign (provide prewritten blurbs). Personal appeals: Participate in an tree and send out personal appeal s to a list of people you give them (provide the copy to make it simple). Phone: Call past donors to thank them for their support and survey their thoughts about your organization (provide the questions for them). The key to success is keeping it fun and easy. Follow up often because they ll forget. Provide direct links to exactly where you need them to go. And don t make the tasks too strenuous; they re busy. Give them what they need to do their job without hassle. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 16

17 SOFT LAUNCH TACTICS Soft Launch Tactics Unfortunately, campaigns don t take off on their own. A soft launch will help you kick off your campaign and get your fundraising thermometer rising even before #GivingTuesday rolls around. WHAT IS A SOFT LAUNCH? The period of time when you share your campaign with a smaller circle of people who will donate before you launch to the public. The best way to engage them is with personal s. You can find examples at the end of this guide to help you. WHY DO WE NEED TO DO A SOFT LAUNCH? Giving begets giving. Part of what drives crowdfunding campaigns is the power of the crowd people like to support what everyone else supports. Generating advance support creates social proof that your cause is worthy. WHAT S THE GOAL? Try to advance your fundraising thermometer 30% before #GivingTuesday. Frontloading your thermometer to that degree is the secret sauce for campaigns that meet and exceed their goals. This doesn t happen by accident; you only get there through targeted communications and outreach. WHEN SHOULD WE START OUR SOFT LAUNCH? Ideally, about three weeks before #GivingTuesday, but definitely no later than one week before the big day. A head start on the thermometer sets you up for success with the rest of the campaign. Do not launch your campaign with a zero balance! Raise the thermometer 20 30% before #GivingTuesday even rolls around. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 17

18 SOFT LAUNCH TACTICS Send s to key supporters and ask them to donate and share early this is key before you launch officially and share with a wider audience. Here s how to do it: 1. Make a list of five people you can ask to give $500 or $1,000. These could be people who are either well off or known as enthusiastic supporters. Then make an appointment with each to make the ask. Your goal: Secure about $2,000 total. 2. Develop your efforts. Personalized s are best people will typically respond to those more often than a generic sent to a large list. Have each member of your street team write individual s to 100 people over 30 days; if you break it down, that s just three or four per day (assuming you start in October). You can create a template to make it easy. Our experience is that roughly half the people who get a personal will donate. 3. Have each street team member make a list of 30 people who really love them, your cause or your organization. If you start early enough, you can have your team members call one person a day for 30 days, and tell them, Don t take no for an answer. Let them off the hook for $5 if you have to, but make it a goal to get some type of donation from each person. Use this strategy to get your campaign off to a running start. Once #GivingTuesday hits, you will already have created momentum and a larger group you can tap into to spread the word. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 18

19 MASS LAUNCH TIMELINE Mass Launch Timeline THE WEEK YOU OFFICIALLY LAUNCH Get ready for a full-court press. The momentum you create during the soft launch and the first official launch days is critical, so strategically plan in advance what your marketing communications will be this week. Sample schedule: Send an announcing the campaign with a follow-up a couple days later. Post on social media every day. Make public acknowledgments every day. Announce a big gift at a strategic time. Make personal follow-ups. Plan a big push with your online street team. A good way to start your week is to a very broad audience. Follow that up later with progress updates so they feel invested in your cause and goal. Try to an update at least once during the week and twice if it makes sense. THE WEEKEND BEFORE #GIVINGTUESDAY While people are out shopping and fighting the Black Friday crowds, remind them to give back and help your campaign get the momentum it needs for a successful #GivingTuesday and overall holiday appeal. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 19

20 MASS LAUNCH TIMELINE Countdown tips: Send personal asks to your inner circle of key supporters (e.g., board, staff, volunteers, friends, family and online street team). Your ultimate goal: 100% participation by Monday. Tell them that even $1 helps, but to leave a message with their donation about why your cause is important to them. Social capital can be just as important as money. Ask key supporters to contact just 10 friends by Monday with news about your campaign and how they can support it. Send personal thank-yous to everyone who has given so far and ask them to share your campaign page with their networks and friends. THE DAY BEFORE #GIVINGTUESDAY It s almost here! Remember: #GivingTuesday gives you license to ask and ask and ask some more. Get ready. Monday s activities: Get social media traction. The number of Facebook Likes, tweets and shares that your campaign gets are cues to popularity, so make them rise. Don t be shy: Click the Like button yourself and tell your staff to as well. Advertise your campaign from your website s homepage. Create a graphic to match your campaign s top image and link to your campaign page directly from your website. While you re at it, give your site a once-over: How does it look? Clean up outdated content, low-quality images or broken links. Ultimately, your website is the center of your organization s marketing universe. It should be in tip-top shape come #GivingTuesday. Prepare tomorrow s scheduled s and social media posts. Then you ll be free to pepper them with live updates and tons of personal follow-up and gratitude throughout the day. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 20

21 MASS LAUNCH TIMELINE Talk up your campaign now. Tweet and ask people to help you get momentum. Our #GivingTuesday campaign is live! Donate now to help us reach our goal tomorrow: [campaign link]. Most importantly, keep up the momentum from your soft launch: Remember to work your network today with a lot of personal asks. Get that fundraising thermometer to rise as much as possible before your big push tomorrow. Lean on key supporters like staff and board members, asking them to share with their networks too. THE BIG DAY By the time #GivingTuesday actually arrives, you ll have done most of the legwork. But don t stop! Continue to keep the momentum rolling and catapult your nonprofit into a successful year-end appeal. Deploy a few mass s with updates (very brief, not copy heavy). Send immediate thank-you s and personal solicitations to give and share (text or call if you have to). Post on and monitor social media, share tag n thank acknowledgments and personally ask people to tweet or post on Facebook for you (provide a blurb to copy/paste). If any donors have offered a match, use it to challenge people in the final hours. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 21

22 WRAPPING UP YOUR CAMPAIGN Wrapping Up Your Campaign Congratulations on a successful #GivingTuesday! You re almost done with your campaign great job. Just make sure to end on the right note. How you wrap up your campaign is as important as how you ve run it. THE DAY AFTER #GIVINGTUESDAY Update your thermometer to accurately reflect the total raised. If you received offline donations, add them in. Send a mass to thank your community. Tell them how your campaign went, celebrate your success and most of all, show your appreciation. Issue a new challenge to get to your year-end goal. Maybe a new donor match? Raise X amount more money? Help X more people? Decide on an aggressive yet attainable new goal to hit by December 31. Challenging goals can keep the momentum going. Head seamlessly into your year-end appeal. Many organizations use their #GivingTuesday campaign as a kick-off for their end-of-year appeal. Run yours through New Year s to maximize your efforts. If you did all the necessary work for a successful #GivingTuesday event, you ve built some incredible momentum. Why not keep it going? HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 22

23 WRAPPING UP YOUR CAMPAIGN THE WEEKS AFTER #GIVINGTUESDAY Plan your communications for the rest of the year. Follow up frequently with those who gave and ask them to talk about your organization with their networks. Deploy a new donor match for a 24-, 48- or 72-hour blitz. THE LAST WEEK OF THE YEAR Remember: There s still time to do a final fundraising push. Many people wait until the last minute to decide where to donate. If you don t remind them your nonprofit is an option and put the link to your website at their fingertips, you risk being ignored or forgotten. It doesn t take much to stay on people s radars. These eight tips will keep you on their minds. 1. Schedule 2 3 s: 12/27, 12/29 and 12/ Send personal updates/thank-yous to those who have donated and ask them to send to 10 friends on your behalf. Give them a prewritten blurb to make it easy. 3. Remind donors that their gift is tax deductible if that applies. 4. Include the link twice in your mass s (top and bottom). 5. Add the link to your signature. 6. Call board members and ask them to 25 contacts. Provide the text to make it easy. 7. Post on social media every day. As people give, do shout-outs to build momentum and excitement. 8. If you have an incentive to leverage, deploy it the morning of 12/29 and give people 72 hours to earn it. People respond well to deadlines. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 23

24 WRAPPING UP YOUR CAMPAIGN And now you can breathe a sigh of relief. You did it! You successfully managed your #GivingTuesday campaign, which provided the perfect launch pad for a year-end appeal and fundraising push. Congrats! But as we all know, it doesn t end there. There will always be another campaign, another big event, more appeals and budgeting challenges in the world of nonprofits, fundraising is a constant. One of the best things to do to ensure you re always ready for the next step is to maintain a stellar online presence, not just on #GivingTuesday, but year-round. Did you know 82% of donors will visit your website before giving? That s why a captivating and engaging website that s easy to navigate is no longer a luxury; it s a must-have. We d love to talk with you about how Firespring can provide you with the website and online tools you need to further your cause and increase donations throughout the year and on #GivingTuesday. To learn more, give us a ring at or visit firespring.org/givingtuesday. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 24

25 RESOURCES Resources Don t feel overwhelmed! These examples are here for your convenience. Use some, none or all of them it s completely up to you. Come back as needed throughout your campaign for s you can send to motivate your supporters. You can personalize them and make them your own; we just wanted to give you a head start. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 25

26 RESOURCES Announcement Before you launch to the masses, do a soft launch. This means promoting your campaign to a smaller audience of key advocates who you can count on to give. Your soft launch goal is to make the thermometer rise 30% so when you launch publicly, your campaign already has momentum. Subject Line: Don t let us launch with a zero balance! Dear [first name], We re excited to tell you we re getting ready to launch our #GivingTuesday campaign page [insert campaign URL as hyperlink info] for [organization name]. We created a unique crowdfunding page and are hoping to leverage the power of your social networks to make this a big success! Here is the direct link: [campaign URL]. We plan to launch officially to the masses on [date]. Help us start strong we don t want to start #GivingTuesday with a zero balance. What can you do to help? If you were planning to give, please do so today: [campaign URL]. Plus, here are five easy ways to help spread the word: 1. Forward the link to 10 friends and invite them to contribute. 2. Post the link to your Facebook page or profile (tag your friends to encourage others to do the same and get some social traction). 3. Click Like on our campaign page. 4. Post to LinkedIn. 5. Tweet about your support for our campaign. Thank you in advance for helping our campaign be as successful as possible. Best, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 26

27 RESOURCES Follow-up After sending the first soft launch , we recommend a follow-up note to the same individuals to remind them to donate before launching the campaign to a larger audience. Here s the strategy: Take your original and reply on top of it. Revise the subject line to encourage people who didn t respond to open it this time. Subject Line: Did you get my from [day of week]? Dear [first name], Just checking in to make sure you received our message. We plan to take our campaign public on [date] and would love it if you would contribute by then. Our hope is to raise $[amount] before sharing with the masses so we can build momentum on a strong foundation. You can help us get there by donating here: [campaign URL]. [Insert a few personal sentences about your connection to this campaign, why you started it, why someone should donate and what the impact will be.] We wouldn t ask if it wasn t important. Thank you in advance for helping our campaign get a strong start. Please donate today: [campaign URL]. Best, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 27

28 RESOURCES Thank-you Your goal is to turn every contributor into an advocate and get to your contacts contacts. A personal ask will always get the best results, so send a personal to everyone who has contributed and enlist their help to share. This one-to-one approach can be very effective. Subject Line: Thank you for supporting [organization name]! Dear [first name], Thank you so much for your contribution to our [insert title of campaign with hyperlink to campaign URL] fundraiser. We appreciate it and the difference it will make for [mission or organization name]. We have another favor to ask: Will you help us spread the word? Here are some easy ways to do so: 1. Forward the link to 10 friends and invite them to contribute. 2. Post the link to your Facebook page or profile (tag your friends to encourage others to do the same and get some social traction). 3. Click Like on our campaign page. 4. Post to LinkedIn. 5. Tweet about your support for our campaign. We can t thank you enough for your support. With gratitude, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 28

29 RESOURCES Campaign Progress Mass Updates are the perfect way to send mass s and keep supporters engaged with your campaign. Rather than sticking your hand out immediately, you re providing them with a valuable behind-the-scenes update. People are more likely to give and share when they feel a part of things. Subject Line: Help us reach our goal. Donate to [campaign name]. Have you seen our crowdfunding campaign for [campaign purpose]? We re at [X%] of our goal. In order to finish, we need you to donate by [target date]. Please give today. [hyperlink give today to campaign URL] Your generous contributions will help us [what you re trying to do, like bring to life a new rehab care center ]. [one sentence about implications, like Our goal is to improve the quality of life for our residents. ] If you already donated, thank you so much! We deeply appreciate your support. Will you help us reach our goal by spreading the word about the campaign? Forward this link to 10 friends or post on your Facebook page: [campaign link]. Thank you for helping us keep up the momentum by giving and sharing today: [campaign link]. Sincerely, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 29

30 RESOURCES Mass Launch Announcement Subject Line: We re Live! Help us [insert cause; e.g., raise $10K in 10 days]. Dear friends of [organization name], This is our first official week kicking off our [campaign type; e.g., annual appeal or #GivingTuesday campaign], and we need your help so we can [what you re trying to do; e.g., serve another 35,000 people this year]. Help us get momentum and donate today. [hyperlink donate today to your campaign link.] We are asking you to give online so you can share online. The success of this campaign lies in our community s ability to not only donate, but also to spread the word. We ve created a unique crowdfunding campaign page and are hoping to leverage the power of your social networks to make this a success. Here is the direct link to donate and learn what your generosity can do: [campaign link]. Thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 30

31 RESOURCES Mass Launch Follow-up Subject Line: Did you get my from [day of week]? Dear [first name], I hope you saw our big announcement from [date or day of week] that we are taking our [campaign title] campaign online for the first time. We want to make it fun and easy for more of you to get involved, no matter where in the world you are. We re using a crowdfunding approach so it s simple to share the campaign. Whether you can give or not (though we hope you do), we would appreciate it if you would share this campaign link with friends via and social media. This is the link to share: [campaign link]. Thank you in advance for helping us spread the word about the incredible work that [organization name] does in [your mission]. You can donate at any level here: [campaign link]. With gratitude, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 31

32 RESOURCES to Send to Your Board or Online Street Team This will remind them of how they can help your campaign. Subject Line: Help support our campaign. Dear [first name], Hope you re doing well! [Personalize and make them feel like this is only for them]. I have some exciting news to share with you [organization name] will be [give a couple of sentences about the campaign and its purpose]. I am reaching out to see if you would honor us with your involvement. There are a few ways you can help: 1. Invite your friends to support our campaign and help spread the word. Forward this to your contacts. We welcome everyone to help us make this a success: [campaign link]. 2. Become a sponsor or make a general donation in honor of someone you love. You can help make our [campaign title] a financial success: [campaign link]. Donations of any amount are gratefully appreciated. 3. Ask local businesses for their support. They can use the link above to become a sponsor we will promote them heavily. We can t do this without you and hope you will join us in [reason for event]! Thank you for your support of [organization name]. Best, [your name] [your title] P.S. Are you on social media? Here are five easy ways to spread the word: 1. Forward the link to 10 friends and invite them to contribute. 2. Post the link to your Facebook page. 3. Click Like on our campaign page. 4. Post to LinkedIn. 5. Tweet about your support for our campaign. HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 32

33 RESOURCES Donor Matching s (series of 3) 1: THE ANNOUNCEMENT Subject Line: Double the impact of your support! This is our first official week kicking off our [campaign type; e.g., annual appeal or #GivingTuesday campaign], and we need your help so we can [what you re trying to do; e.g., serve another 35,000 people this year]. As a special bonus, our very own [sponsor name] has agreed to match the first 25 donations of $40 each starting now through [date]. Don t miss out on this opportunity to double your support. We are asking you to give online so you can share online. The success of this campaign lies in our community s ability to not only donate, but also to spread the word. Thank you in advance for your support and engagement. With gratitude, [your name] [your title] 2: THE REMINDER Subject Line: You still have time! Double the impact of your gift. Dear friends, Don t forget to contribute to our #GivingTuesday [sponsor name] Challenge! Today is the last day that [sponsor] will match the first 25 donations of $40. We just need 10 more to reach our goal. I hope you will contribute: [campaign link] [insert paragraph about mission and what their support will do for your organization.] Thank you for helping us keep momentum alive by giving and sharing today: [campaign link]. Sincerely, [your name] [your title] HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 33

34 RESOURCES 3: THE THANK-YOU Subject Line: Thank you for your donor match gift. Yes, we did it! I am overwhelmed by all your support for [organization name]. Through your contributions, we raised more than [$ amount} in just a few days. Thank you for participating, and a special thank-you to [sponsor name] for matching the gifts. We have one more favor to ask: Will you help us spread the word about our campaign? Here are some easy ways to do so: 1. Forward this link [include link to campaign page] to 10 friends and invite them to contribute. 2. Post the link to your Facebook page or profile (tag your friends to encourage others to do the same and get some social traction). 3. Click Like on our campaign page. 4. Post to LinkedIn. 5. Tweet about your support for our campaign. We can t thank you enough for your support! With gratitude, [your name] [your title} HOW TO KICK BUTT & TAKE NAMES ON #GIVINGTUESDAY 34

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