#GivingTuesday: What It Is and How To Prepare
What is #GivingTuesday? It is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving Day. This year it will be November 28, 2017. It is an international day of giving to ring in the holiday and end of year giving season. #GivingTuesday started in 2012 and has now become an integral part of the events following Thanksgiving, i.e Black Friday, Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday. Its purpose is to encourage giving across the globe through social media, giving nonprofits an outlet to voice their mission and rally support. In 2015, 98 countries participated, $177 million was raised online, the mean online gift was over $100, and 1.64 million people gave.
#GivingTuesday is a time to ramp up your social media game. Don't forget to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to get more attention to your profile and mission. Have tweets prepared ahead of time. You do not want to be scrambling to come up with tweets.
Secondly, make sure you have a donor management system in place. You want to make sure that you are able to track your donors and store all their information in one place. Additionally, you want to make sure that you are able to follow up with them after #GivingTuesday to keep their support and also send them a thank you letter. Take a look at Bloomerang, Network for Good, or Funraise if you need a donor management system.
Lastly, make sure you are registered for charitable solicitation. You must be registered in each state you plan to solicit money from. With online donations, the rules can get tricky so it is best to be registered in all states. If you have not registered before or need help with renewals or have any questions regarding registering, please contact us so we can get you registered or answer your questions before #GivingTuesday.