Gearing Up for #GivingTuesday and Year-End Fundraising in a Unique Year

And just like that, we’re nearly at the end of 2020. It’s been an eventful year to say the least, but I really feel that it’s been an eye-opening one, too. It’s shown how adaptable and nimble many nonprofits can be.

During the onset of COVID-19, there was the initial shock, which caused concern that nonprofits would stop communication all together with their constituents because they didn’t know how to respond to the pandemic.

And I’m sure that was the case for some nonprofits, and, no doubt, those organizations felt the consequences of that for the remainder of the year; some had to even close their doors. But in my conversations with people throughout the sector, I was elated to find that many organizations stayed the course and went full steam ahead — and those are the organizations that were able to survive through the hardest months. Now that we’ve made it through the stickiest point of COVID-19 (I’m hoping), it’s time to show how resilient nonprofits really are.

We are officially in the busy year-end season. #GivingTuesday is just a week away! And for organizations participating in this popular giving day, it’s going to be much different from years past.

So if you’re a nonprofit that is participating in the upcoming #GivingTuesday and also participated in #GivingTuesdayNow, how are you framing the messaging so that supporters will give again?

Don’t make it all about the ask. The months leading up to year-end are critical for getting your donors excited about giving to your organization. Take this time to share more about your mission and why it’s so important. It’s also a great time to share the real-life stories of the people (or animals) who have benefited from your supporters’ contributions.

And don’t forget to share your impact numbers! Donors want to know the tremendous impact that your nonprofit has made on its community; but it’s also important to share that the need is still prevalent and what else your organization is trying to achieve.

And my last piece of advice is to use this time to strengthen your relationships with donors. This honestly should be something that your organization is doing year-round. By taking the time to steward your existing donors, you are working toward improving donor retention. This will, in turn, get your donors excited about being a part of your community and even empower them to begin advocating and fundraising on your donor’s behalf — hello, peer-to-peer fundraising!

The September/October 2020 print edition of NonProfit PRO highlights important peer-to-peer information to know when crafting your fundraising strategy. The pandemic has surely stirred things up for traditional peer-to-peer fundraising, but remember, peer-to-peer is built on relationships, not fundraising events. The print issue explored reimagining traditional peer-to-peer walks, creative communication tactics, livestream fundraising and so much more.

If you have any creative ideas of what you’re doing this year-end giving season, drop me a line! I’d love to hear from you.

Editor's Note: This "Editor's Note" was originally published in the September/October print edition of NonProfit PRO. Click here to subscribe.