Digital fundraising

5 tips to help charities to make the most of #GivingTuesdayNow

The UK public has shown incredible spirit, creativity & determination in supporting the NHS amidst one of the biggest crises of our time. Now, that same support needs to be shown for charities as we unite on the 5th of May 2020 for #GivingTuesdayNow.

By Reason Digital · April 28, 2020

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global social media event and one-off opportunity for charities to say thank you to those who support them during the global pandemic. But how can we make the most of this 24 hour virtual event to show gratitude and communicate the essential need for further support? We’ve put together five tips to help charities make the most of #GivingTuesdayNow during these uncertain times.

1. Recycle and reuse the work you’ve done before

With all that is going on, now is not the time to pressure yourself or your team to create a fancy, complex campaign involving a ton of stakeholders. Instead, as teams are reduced and workload increases we all need to be realistic about availability and capacity. As with a lot of activities right now – from charities delivering services digitally for the first time to TV shows broadcasting via video from presenters’ homes – we’re seeing more experimentation and authenticity in the way organisations are communicating. And we’re all more than willing to accept it. Maybe we’re even finding it more charming and relatable? I sure am.

recycling sign

With that in mind I’d recommend reusing and recycling blogs, videos, photos or stories that you’ve put out to the public before, as a part of your #GivingTuesdayNow campaign. Concentrate on bringing together the content that really resonates with your audience and highlights the key messages around your cause.

Maybe it’s a collection of the images and stories that have received the most engagement from the last few GivingTuesday campaigns your charity has run? Or maybe it’s a couple of videos that you’ve had success with in the past? Pair this content with some fresh and relevant tweets or posts and you’re set.

You can even just add the #GivingTuesdayNow templates to your own content, since #GivingTuesday has provided a bunch of lovely, useful graphics that you can download and apply to your content for free.

Some other helpful resources from the GivingTuesday team can be found here:

2. Collaborate with your service users

#GivingTuesdayNow is a great opportunity for charities to show gratitude and say thanks to businesses, individuals and volunteers that have supported them before and throughout COVID-19. How your charity says thank you can determine how engaged people are in your posts and it may influence whether they decide to donate to your cause again, on the day itself. Donations may not be your main priority this #GivingTuesdayNow but if a supporter is inspired and happy to donate – that’s a win.

Therefore, I’d recommend telling a story of the tangible impact donors have on lives when they support your charity. Bring together the stories of your service users and show how your charity changes lives for the better. After all, your beneficiaries are why people choose to donate. Help them understand the importance of that donation.

During 2019’s #GivingTuesday campaign, we worked with some of our charity partners to make some fairly simple but hugely emotive videos which told the stories of service users, from their own perspectives. The engagement and attention that this campaign gathered was more than any campaign we’d delivered before, showing the true impact of human stories.

photo of ethan - a service user of charity TogetherTrust
emma - a service user of Wellchild
Mavis a service user of charity RAFA

3. Give your campaign a leg-up with social media advertising

If you want to harness the power of a global campaign like #GivingTuesdayNow but you’re currently lacking the social media following of Kylie Jenner, have no fear. Some charities are more prone to have a large in-person community following, or maybe an email mailing list is where most of your contacts live. If this is your situation, social media advertising can help boost your reach on a day when so many other charities will be fighting for attention and engagement. Not only could this get you in front of more eyes, advertising will undoubtedly help increase your following on social media for future events too.

If you do want to try this tactic, we’d recommend checking out 12 tips on social media advertising for charities during COVID-19 as there are some super simple ways to get started and ramp up your social media presence.

4. Be specific with your asks

Choice paralysis is a thing. Leaving your ask too wide open for your audience to make a decision on can prevent a decision being made. For example, if you decide to promote a new fundraising challenge for #GivingTuesdayNow, I’d recommend making sure you’re giving those potentially taking part, some ideas of activities to complete and clear guidelines.

With such a rush of challenges out there right now, there is the temptation for charities to try and keep it simple by saying, “Choose how much exercise you want to do, for a donation amount chosen by you for an amount of time that suits you.”

Whilst this method aims to make a challenge easy and inclusive, this can actually be more difficult for someone to grasp than a clear ask like, “Run 5k, Donate £5 and Nominate 5 people.” With thousands of charities requesting support from the British public on one day, make sure your charity is communicating clearly and simply.

Run 5k, Donate £5, Nominate 5 people screenshot of social media share

5. Stand out with streaming

With everyone stuck at home with their PCs, phones, iPads and Playstations; streaming has become the talk of the town. Although the majority of charities don’t take advantage of the streaming services that Twitch, Facebook Live, Instagram Live and YouTube provide – these are unprecedented times (sorry). Put yourself out there this #GivingTuesdayNow and try something new. Read up on how to take advantage of Twitch as a charity and keep it simple if you’re just starting off.

I would always encourage authenticity when trying something new like streaming a fundraising event or campaign message through the likes of Twitch. If you’re new to the service, let people know. Ask for patience and empower your team to embrace the makeshift circumstances we’re all currently living in! Be vulnerable and brave all at once.

Maybe it’s not you who has to do the work if it’s not your area of expertise. You could put a call out to your supporters, ambassadors or charity influencers asking each of them to share a five minute stream on the day in support of your charity’s campaign message. Five of these across the day could equal a pretty powerful campaign plus you’ve got the added bonus of automatically reaching new audiences along the way! You never know, it could end up being your medium of choice…

Enjoy the day!

Final request from me – enjoy the day.

These five tips should help you prepare and deliver your thank you’s and fundraising asks as easily and efficiently as possible for #GivingTuesdayNow. Remember to not stretch yourself, make the most of the amazing work you’ve already done and tell the stories of the people that matter. Maybe try something new but be authentic and honest as you do, because now is the time that audiences will be more understanding than ever.

If there is anything you think the team at Reason Digital could help with, please get in touch! Good luck and we’ll see you on the 5th of May. Want to learn more about #GivingTuesdayNow? Everything you need to know can be found here.