![\"giving-day-campaign\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/alp-studio-426760-unsplash-819x1024.jpg\")
It might be more than you think<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you want to jump on the #GivingTuesday wagon, join a cause-related giving day, or start your own, giving days can be very effective for nonprofit fundraising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At their best, they rally communities, transform supporters into advocates, and raise money for causes. Sounds good, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, at their worst, giving days don\u2019t really go anywhere, making you feel discouraged and resentful of the whole thing. If you\u2019ve shied away from giving days in the past (\u201cNot one more thing on our fundraising calendar!\u201d) or you\u2019ve had one of those no-go campaigns (\u201cNot worth the trouble!\u201d), embarking on a giving day may seem intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that if you can focus on donors, tell a compelling story, and rally supporters, you already have most of the skills you need to run a successful giving day. Claiming those potential giving day benefits–funds raised, supporters energized, new donors and advocates for your cause– is truly doable. You just need a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let\u2019s make one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While #GivingTuesday comes to mind first, there’s a lot of advantages to having your own Giving Day on your own timeline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, you have more opportunities to raise more when you capture attention on your own giving day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more information in our opinion post on Why #GivingTuesday Was A Failure.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Three things drive the success of giving days. You\u2019ll recognize these; they\u2019re driving forces in all fundraising, but are particularly crucial for 24-hour campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot going on at the Henry Vilas Zoo<\/a>. But on #GivingTuesday, they focus on one thing. They raise money to add a specific animal to the zoo family. Each year, they choose a different animal and center their campaign solely on that. Donors get excited about helping to bring that particular animal to the zoo, in a way they wouldn\u2019t if the goal was more general.<\/p>\n\n\n Like everything else in fundraising, the success of your giving day campaign is directly related to how well you plan. Deciding on schedules, roles, and messaging well in advance will help your day run smoothly, and maximize your fundraising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing we consistently notice about successful #GivingTuesday campaigns on CauseVox <\/a>is that they start planning early. In fact, it\u2019s pretty common after #GivingTuesday for people to resolve to start planning even earlier next year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth it to be ahead of the game, especially when you consider how much is already going on at your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do choose to participate in #GivingTuesday, it is not outlandish to start planning for #GivingTuesday in August, for example. Starting early is a gift to your future self, and ensures that your campaign won\u2019t get short shrift when other priorities arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you jump into nitty-gritty logistics, you\u2019ll need to set goals. First, determine what you\u2019re trying to do with your campaign. What kind of impact are you hoping to make? How much money do you need to make that happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u201cSMART goal\u201d<\/a> is your first defense against a lackluster campaign. A specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based goal is so much easier to organize around than something vague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specificity is the first point of a SMART goal, and it\u2019s especially important for giving days. Donors have lots of choices about where to give, so it\u2019s important to focus on change and impact. Take a cue from the Henry Vilas Zoo, and find your organization\u2019s tiger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you know what your impact goal is, and the dollars you\u2019ll need to reach it, you can begin to identify stories and messaging<\/a> for your campaign. To power up your community-driven approach and transform supporters into advocates<\/a>, you\u2019ll need three kinds of messages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like any campaign, a giving day has specific roles that need to be covered. If more than one person is working on the campaign, deciding who does what will streamline your efforts and help you avoid confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To run a giving day, you\u2019ll need to choose:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy You Should Do Your Own Giving Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What Makes A Giving Day Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s a bit of a paradox that fundraising campaigns often work better when they\u2019re shorter. A giving day provides an opportunity to rally people around your cause, and takes away the potential for one major fundraising stumbling block: \u201cI\u2019ll do that later.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Your organization probably does a lot of good things, but for an effective 24-hour campaign, it\u2019s best to focus on one. Set your sights on one big story, one goal, one kind of impact, or one clear call to action. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n![\"giving-day-impact\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Tiger-Announcement-FB.png\")
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Online campaigns are easy to share and are a natural fit for social media even if you don\u2019t have a robust list of followers. The short timeline doesn\u2019t require a big commitment from peer-to-peer fundraisers<\/a>, and making a gift online is a convenient and quick way for their friends and families to show their support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nYour Master Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Start Early<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Set Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Campaign Communications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Storytelling is the key to engaging attention, touching hearts, and connecting people to your cause. You can inspire with client stories, videos, infographics, interviews, and pictures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Once people are inspired, they are ready to act by making a donation. Activation messages include \u201chard\u201d and \u201csoft\u201d asks, reminders, and updates on how close you are to your goal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Communicating with your peer-to-peer fundraisers and other advocates is an important part of your campaign which requires its own messaging. Updates, encouragement, and celebrating progress are all part of communicating with this important group.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n![\"giving-day-updates\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Emmaus-House-Freedom-School.png\")
Roles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tech and Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Timeline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n