Does your parish participate in #GivingTuesday? If not, you’re missing a HUGE opportunity to reach more people locally and globally. The goal of #GivingTuesday (aka National Day of Giving) is to create a wave of generosity that touches people across the world. Since its inception in 2012, it’s been an enormous success for faith-based organizations.
Last year, over 14.2 billion social media impressions were made on #GivingTuesday. The average online gift was $105, and over $400 million was raised. This year, experts predict a record-breaking 26% increase in giving compared to 2018—surpassing $500 million in gifts.
Whether you’re new to the generosity movement, or you want to break your donation record from last year, here are 7 techniques to maximize your campaign.
1. Utilize text giving
Offering the option to donate via smartphone, tablet, or computer is a great way to increase online giving. But, don’t ignore text giving! Roughly 99% of text messages are read and responded to within 5 minutes of being received. With text giving, people can give in two simple steps, and it only takes seconds.
2. Get active on social media and your website
#GivingTuesday is powered by social media and happens beyond the brick and mortar walls of your parish. Being active on social media and directing people to the giving page on your parish’s website is key to kicking off the season of generosity.
3. Share engaging stories that emphasize how giving matters
Even if there are only a few days left before #GivingTuesday, engage parishioners by providing fresh content and stories. Make sure the stories have a clear purpose, are personal to your parish, and that they’re engaging. People often give more when they understand the cause and feel an emotional connection with it.
4. Focus on one cause
Focus on one purpose that’s important to your community. If you can, make it unique from other funds you run throughout the year. One way to choose a cause that people want to get involved in (and raise awareness that your parish is participating in #GivingTuesday) is to ask your community what’s most important to them. Then, you can create a special donation form for your #GivingTuesday fund.
If you’re looking for ideas, these are the top 5 issues discussed and donated to last year:
- Public and societal benefits
- Human services
- Education
- Health
- Environment and animals
5. Look at past year results
Past year results provide the necessary information to set new goals for this year, and they give you a better idea of which techniques work (and which don’t). Not only can this help you with your #GivingTuesday campaign, but it can help with ALL giving campaigns that you promote online in the future.
6. Don’t forget to use hashtags
Even if you aren’t big into using hashtags, this is one time you shouldn’t skip it. Use #GivingTuesday in all your posts to ensure that your parish pops up when people search for that hashtag. This is one more way you can reach potential givers that may not have known about your parish or the message behind it. For a special touch, create hashtags that are specific to your mission.
7. Give everyone a big thank you!
Year-end can get hectic, so have a plan to send out thank you messages to those who donated quickly. Also, thank volunteers and staff members that helped organize the #GivingTuesday campaign. People will notice that you appreciate their contribution when you express heartfelt gratitude. And they’ll continue to remember that well into the future. Additionally, a follow-up thank you is one more opportunity to reach out and highlight the most meaningful aspects of your ministry.
Learn more about how ParishSOFT Giving can help you have a successful #GivingTuesday by contacting us at 866-930-4774 x6 or by filling out our online form.
