Posted by Jessica on Dec 10, 2014 Views: 5627

How Nonprofits Can Keep the Momentum Going After #GivingTuesday

This year “GivingTuesday” generated at least $45.7 million for nonprofit organizations. That’s up roughly 65 percent from 2013 according to givingtuesday.org. Here are five ways to keep that momentum going through December and beyond:

Cultivate Social Media

Interact with donors and viewers on social media by thanking them, re-tweeting, or replying to direct messages. For example Irwin Naturals, an alternative health company, posted a picture showing how their fundraising project helped a retirement home decorate for the holidays.

Also amplify your message with visuals and infographics. Utilize free tools like Picktochart, Visuall.y and InfoActive. You can find the top 12 websites at http://www.practicalecommerce.com/. Another option is to upload and edit videos with your iphone using videolicious and camtastic.

Tools like storify or tagboard.com can showcase mentions to donors. This tagboard from GreatNonprofits’ 2014 Top-Rated awards exemplifies how nonprofits are using videos, testimonials, and awards in their social media. The Cambodian Children’s Fund combined a visual of their clients with the award. Summit Adventure featured one of their participants talking for 30 minutes about the impact of their program. You can also use certificates like the one on the right.

Leverage Your Website

In addition to social media, it is important to blog about the impact of charitable giving on your website. A great way to do this is with a simple graphic or banner on your home page. Here is a sample from the Cure JM Foundation about the $130,000 they raised with the help of a Crowdrise Holiday Challenge. Notice how the donation option is clearly visible at the top of page.

It is also vital to develop powerful impact statements. The National Breast Cancer Foundation used their profile page on greatnonprofits to state concrete examples like “$100 can pay for one woman’s mammogram” or “3 hours of volunteering can spread the message of early detection”. Make sure your impact statements are clear, concise, and concrete.

Extend Giving

Use gift giving this holiday season to encourage new donations. Harvest Bridge, a 2014 Top-Rated nonprofit, created “Alternative Christmas” inviting users to give a gift in honor of a loved one. For example buy children’s shoes for a needy family on behalf of your parents or sibling. The Fistula Foundation has a similar program called #nopresentspledge, to encourage shoppers to give to a person in need instead of buying another repetitive gift.

A unique campaign on FNE International asked user’s to submit a picture of their favorite FNE volunteer experience, along with a six word caption. They featured one of the pictures each day on their website. This is an excellent way to engage users, show impact, and encourage future giving.

Now through January 6th Crowdrise is hosting a Giving Tower challenge to raise money for nonprofits. As previously mentioned, the JM Foundation took advantage of the Giving Tower challenge and successfully raised $130,000 You can find more information on their website https://www.crowdrise.com/.

Evangelize Your Base

It is important to publicly acknowledge donors, volunteers, and clients on social media. The “Carsons Scholars Fund” created a montage of employees holding up signs and post-its to raise awareness and fundraise. Upwardly Global, an organization that helps immigrants secure jobs, targeted their alumni base with messages featuring one of the clients they serve. The campaign resulted in $17,000 in funding. Finally Give Kids the World, a nonprofit providing joy to kids with life threatening diseases, thanks volunteers by featuring testimonials about them.

Newsletters offer another platform to acknowledge and inspire your base. International Rescue featured reviews, testimonials, or why donors gave in their newsletter.

Other Ideas

Another opportunity is GreatNonprofits’ Top-Rated awards. To qualify for the awards, nonprofits need to get ten or more reviews with an average rating of 3.5 stars or above. Winners get a top rated badge, certificate, marketing kit, and are placed in our #GivingTuesday guide as well as promoted on the HuffingtonPost and in other places. The time period for submittals is January through October. For more information visit http://greatnonprofits.org/. We also offer a free social media and marketing kit on how to claim your profile and use our service.