Giving Tuesday was started with a simple mission to encourage and celebrate the giving spirit. It has grown into a global day of giving that last year alone raised more than 300 million dollars in donations—a 69 percent increase from the previous year!

This year we want to help you take your Giving Tuesday campaign to the next level with these tips:

1. Share on social

• Create your own hashtag and get creative! This is a branding opportunity for your organization that helps you stand out to donors. Some examples from GivingTuesday.org include, #GivingZooDay, #GivingTreesDay, #GivingShoesDay, #iGiveCatholic.
• Set a specific fundraising goal for your #GivingTuesday Campaign and share on social media. Don’t forget to update your progress regularly. Studies show that when supporters see that others have already contributed to a particular cause, they’ll be far more likely to donate themselves.
• Create a GivingTuesday video with the community and your staff to reiterate your mission. Read more about our top tips for video storytelling!
• Analyzing social media data from last year may help you plan which social media outlets make the most sense for your organization. Click here to see our data analysis from last year’s GivingTuesday results.

2. Email your donors

• Email is still the top way to reach donors, but it is important to keep in mind best practices for email communications. For example, personalized messages tailored to individual needs and interests will help you create a more hyper-relevant email appeal.
• Read, 10 Tips to maintain good email relationships, for best practices like not overwhelming your donors by sending out too many emails, too often.
• Make your emails stand out! Check out our webinar with Email experts Constant Contact on how to write fundraising emails that pop and inspire your nonprofit audience to act through email marketing.

3. Mobilize your corporate partners & sponsors:

• Did you know 66% of companies select cause partners throughout the year based on the opportunity versus the timing? (2018 For Momentum Corporate Decision Makers Study) That makes #GivingTuesday the best time to mobilize your existing and potential corporate partners and sponsors.
• Having the right software, like Panorama, lets you easily set up giving campaigns, simplifying this process for you and your partners.
• Check out this episode of our Asking for More Podcast to learn more about building and mobilizing corporate partnerships

4. Remember to thank your donors!

• Be genuine: 80% of donors say a simple “thank you” would convince them to make a second donation. But to be successful, that thank you must sincerely show your organization’s appreciation.
• Share impact: One of the best ways to increase support for your nonprofit and foster regular giving is by sharing compelling human-centered success stories that are a result of your work. Show your supporters they are making a direct impact in their community!
• Send a handwritten note: Sure, sending an email is efficient. But sitting down with pen and paper and writing a thoughtful note shows extra effort, diligence, and care and can go a long way to endearing donors to your cause.
• Check out our blog article, 20 Engaging Ideas for Donation Thank you Letters, for more tips on how to thank your donors.

5. Leverage your #GivingTuesday campaign to turn one-time donors into monthly supporters:

• Start with your #GivingTuesday donation form: Make sure the option to give monthly is clearly marked and easily denoted on your form. Also, write the option in a way that focuses more on impact and less on the process. For example, rather than saying “Yes, I’d like to repeat this gift every month” try “Yes, I’d like to make 12Xs more impact in my community by making this a monthly gift.”
• First-time online donors are more likely to turn into monthly donors within three days of their original online gift. Follow-up with one-time #GivingTuesday donors immediately with a thank you letter that shows their impact and how they can make an even bigger impact through their monthly support.
• Check out our blog article, How to solve monthly giving program challenges, for more tips on turning one-time donors into monthly supporters!

Whether it’s your organization’s first year participating or you’re a seasoned veteran, Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to create additional revenue, recognition, and supporters for your cause. And following a few of these simple tips may even help you make a greater impact.