Every year Q4 tends to be one of the busiest times of the year. As businesses prepare for the next year, the true to-dos originate from the holiday season. Thanksgiving kicks everything off with a giving mindset. From here, consumers move towards Black Friday shopping and Cyber Monday sales, to eventually be rounded out with Giving Tuesday.
The end of the year season is exceptionally time consuming, but Thanksgiving Thursday through Giving Tuesday is even busier.
This is especially true for Michelle Boggs, the Executive Nonprofit Industry Advisor at Classy.
Tosha and Michelle’s conversation will certainly provide some keen insights into strategies and tactics businesses can use around the giving season.
Stay Classy
Classy, a giving platform that enables nonprofits to connect supporters with the causes they care about, releases two reports annually to help educate nonprofit leaders:
- Why America Gives:
- Intentions to give
- Donor expectations
- Donor sentiments
- State of Modern Philanthropy:
- Trend reports
- Sector specifics
- Strategy outlook
These resources can help tremendously with nonprofit fundraising campaigns.
Michelle shares that one of the best practices is proactivity. Businesses that begin preparing for Giving Tuesday in the summer, if not before then see measurable success.
With the preparation for Giving Tuesday, teams must also be on the same page. The alignment between development goals and marketing goals is essential for the business’ success in this area.
The synergy between departments is only one piece of the overall planning process. Segmented messaging is important as well. Each donor is different and should be recognized as such.
Maybe every donor doesn’t necessarily need a hand-written letter about an individual experience, but be sure to segment based on sector and niches. Meeting donors can dramatically help to diversify the fundraising portfolio.
Finally, when it comes to proactively planning for Giving Tuesday, numbers matter. Michelle gives some data points about raising money.
Groups that started planning early saw 60% more raised YTD on the Monday prior to Giving Tuesday than those that did not plan as early.
Essentially, the sooner the opportunity for donations is available and businesses begin asking the more businesses can meet (if not exceed) their targets.
Aside from the planning aspect of fundraising, Michelle covers two additional points to help increase donations around Giving Tuesday.
- Utilizing technology for a seamless and modernized experience for donors is important for attracting, maintaining, and closing donations.
- Involving key stakeholders and board members can help with collecting donations as well. Not only does the educational opportunity exist to share with them why Giving Tuesday is significant, but also the ability to leverage networks can act as one of the most powerful tools.
Attracting one donor is powerful, but maintaining one donor is exponential.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. “
A very similar principle is here with donors. If a donor has bought into the organization, they can become an annual source of support. It’s fair to say that providing exceptional experiences for donors can keep them invested in the organization for the long haul.
Not all nonprofit organizations are created equal either. Every organization is in a different and unique starting position. Thankfully, Michelle and Tosha have been able to talk through some key points that are applicable in every scenario.
When the script is flipped and one begins to think in the shoes of a donor, the true problem-solving method kicks in.
- What is it like to give to our organization?
- Is it painful?
- Is it enjoyable?
- What roadblocks am I experiencing?
- Is the storytelling powerful and effective?
- Is it captivating my interest?
With anything, effort goes a long way. Even though not all businesses may have the budget to put on an extravagant Giving Tuesday campaign, there is still plenty that can be done ahead of time to work towards getting 1% better every year.
Don’t be shy. Another tip is to use Giving Tuesday as the opportunity to share the company mission and why you do what you do. The organization exists for a reason, be sure to share this, especially on a day that is all about giving!
If you’re asking yourself, ‘Sure all of this is great information, but where do I begin?’ As mentioned, Michelle is part of Classy’s team. The organization provides an abundance of resources to help nonprofits learn and connect with their supporters.
For a more in-depth look at what Classy and Michelle can do for your business make sure to check out their Nonprofit Resource Center or find Michelle on LinkedIn.
To hear the full episode, you can find Tosha and the Charity CFO team on Spotify, YouTube, or our website, thecharitycfo.com!
Do You Struggle to Make Sense of Your Financial Statements?
Get our FREE GUIDE to nonprofit financial reports, featuring illustrations, annotations, and insights to help you better understand your organization's finances.
Get the free guide!
0 Comments