December 4, 2024 • 9 mins
Are you a nonprofit or mission-driven business struggling to maximize your Giving Tuesday impact? In this episode of Solve It With Tech, we uncover why so many mission-driven organizations leave money on the table and, more importantly, how to stop it. Learn practical strategies, tech tools like Donately and Mailchimp, and proven processes to help you prepare for a successful Giving Tuesday campaign. Whether you're overwhelmed or just looking for ways to optimize, this episode is packed with insights to amplify your fundraising results. Ready to transform your Giving Tuesday? Tune in now!
Get a head start on 2025 with the ultimate resource designed to help you leave inefficiencies behind in 2024. The 2025 Quick Win Toolkit is packed with actionable solutions designed to help social enterprises and nonprofits simplify their operations and maximize their impact. Inside, you'll find simple strategies, tools, and templates to start optimizing your workflows as you prepare for a successful new year. Download your copy now and set the stage for success and greater impact in 2025!
Ready to simplify your operations and amplify your impact? Book a free 15-minute consultation to explore how we can simplify your operations, save you time, and set you up for sustainable growth. Let's tackle your challenges together--your next breakthrough starts here! www.sioconsultinggroup.com
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/solve-it-with-tech--6427811/support
Get a head start on 2025 with the ultimate resource designed to help you leave inefficiencies behind in 2024. The 2025 Quick Win Toolkit is packed with actionable solutions designed to help social enterprises and nonprofits simplify their operations and maximize their impact. Inside, you'll find simple strategies, tools, and templates to start optimizing your workflows as you prepare for a successful new year. Download your copy now and set the stage for success and greater impact in 2025!
Ready to simplify your operations and amplify your impact? Book a free 15-minute consultation to explore how we can simplify your operations, save you time, and set you up for sustainable growth. Let's tackle your challenges together--your next breakthrough starts here! www.sioconsultinggroup.com
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/solve-it-with-tech--6427811/support
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, y'all, welcome to Solve It with Tech, where we
simplify tech and amplify your impact. I'm Lakeisha, your go
to tech operations consultant, and today we're diving into Giving
Tuesday because let's be real, too many nonprofits, social enterprises,
and mission driven businesses are out here leaving money on
the table every single year and we just can't be
having that. If you're part of an organization with a
(00:23):
big mission but feel like you're scrambling every year to
pull Giving Tuesday together, then this episode is for you.
We're going to talk about how you can better prepare,
leverage tech tools like donately and Mailchimp, and create systems
that actually work so you're not caught in a last
minute frenzy. Now this isn't a sponsor post. Donately and
milchip are tools that I actually and personally recommend actually use,
(00:47):
and I personally recommend based on my experience using them
over the years with my clients and within my own nonprofit.
Now let's start with some numbers. In twenty twenty three,
Giving Tuesday raised over three points in the US alone
three point one billion dollars. That's a fifteen percent increase
(01:07):
from the year before. But here's the thing. A lot
of that money went to the organizations that were ready.
They had their campaigns locked, their donors primed, and their
systems in place. On the flip side, some organizations saw
little to no returns because they waited too late to
start or didn't have the right tools to maximize their efforts.
(01:28):
According to neon one, nonprofits with organized systems in place
raised two to three times more on Giving Tuesday compared
to those winging it. Let me know if this sounds familiar.
You're passionate about your mission, but you don't know where
to start when it comes to planning a Giving Tuesday campaign.
(01:48):
Your donor list is scattered across spreadsheets, sticky notes, and
random emails. You're so busy running your programs that marketing
just gets pushed to the last minute, and when you
due to an email, you're crossing your fingers and hoping
someone anyone donates. I get it. Running a nonprofit or
any mission driven business is hard work, but leaving money
(02:11):
on the table doesn't help your calls, your team, or
your beneficiaries. That's where tech solutions and systems come in.
Before we dive into strategies, let's talk about what Giving
Tuesday is and why it's such a big deal. Giving
Tuesday started in twenty twelve as a global movement to
inspire generosity. It falls right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday,
(02:34):
which is a perfect time because people are already in
the giving spirit. Organizations across the globe use this day
to rally support for their missions and donors, and in
return get the chance to make a real impact. The
beauty of Giving Tuesday is its inclusivity. Whether you're a small,
grassroots nonprofit or a large social enterprise, this is your
(02:55):
moment to shine. For nonprofits, this isn't just about rais
money though. It's also a chance to build relationships with donors,
engage your community, and shine a spotlight on the work
you do year round. Now, why is Giving Tuesday more
than just one big day? It raises awareness. Many organizations
(03:18):
get their highest visibility of the year on Given Tuesday.
People who may not have ever heard of you before
are introduced to your mission through campaigns and social media.
It energizes your base. It's the perfect opportunity to reconnect
with past donors and engage new ones, especially if you've
been quieter inactive for a while, and let's be honest,
(03:40):
that's a fundraising accelerator. Whether you're trying to fund a
specific program, meet an annual goal, or just keep the
lights on. Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to rally
support and make significant progress. But here's the thing, it
only works if you're prepared. You can't wait until the
last minute to jump on the bandwagon. So let's break
(04:01):
down a few key processes you can implement to make
your next Giving Tuesday campaign not just successful, but transformational
for your organization. First, start planning early. A successful Giving
Tuesday campaign doesn't start on Monday night. It starts weeks
and sometimes even months in advance. Set clear goals. Decide
(04:22):
what you are trying to achieve. Is it a dollar amount,
is it a certain number of new donors? Increase social
media engagement. For example, if you are a small nonprofit,
your goal might be to raise ten thousand dollars to
fund a summer program for fifty students next year. Create
a campaign theme, what's your story? People give to people,
not causes. Think about the impact your organization has and
(04:45):
highlight specific stories, images, or testimonials that connect emotionally with
your audience. Number two, engage your donor base. Your donor
list is one of your most valuable assets. Semect segment
them into Our insists to segment your audience into groups.
So for example, longtime supporters, first time donors, and volunteers
(05:08):
who haven't donated yet. Then you're going to send Taylor
messages to each of these groups. For example, your longtime
supporters could get an email thanking them for their past
contributions and inviting them to continue the legacy. Right, your
first time donors might get a simple introduction to your
mission with a clear call to action. Number three leverage
(05:29):
social media. Social media is your friend when it comes
to Giving Tuesday, but only if you have a plan.
Schedule your post leading up to the day with countdowns
and updates. Use visuals like photos or videos that showcase
your impact and make it easy for people to share
your campaign with their networks by creating hashtags, templates, or
shareable graphics. Now, as promised, let's dive deeper into donate
(05:54):
Lee and Mailchimp, two tools that can transform your Giving
Tuesday results. So look at donately as your fundraising powerhouse. Right,
it isn't just for collecting donations, it's for optimizing the
donor experience. And here's why I recommend it. It's easy
to set up. You can create a custom Giving Tuesday
page and under a couple of hours then to Grace
(06:16):
with other tools so your donor data stays organized, and
most importantly, it makes giving simple for your donors with
mobile friendly options and that recurring gift feature that they have.
Last year, I worked with a nonprofit summer camp program
for middle school students. One of the plans we launched
was their twenty twenty three Giving Tuesday campaign. We set
up a donately page with the clear Giving Tuesday goal
(06:39):
of ten thousand dollars. We personalized their page with student
success stories and embedded a short video of their program
in action. By the end of Giving Tuesday, they had
raised eleven thousand, two hundred and ten dollars, surpassing their goal,
all because they made donately Donating easy and compelling. Here's
(07:00):
a couple pro tips. Embed your donation form on your website.
Don't make donors click through multiple pages, as simple embedded
form can make all the difference and enable the recurring
donations feature. Sorry, Giving Tuesday is a great time to
ask donors to commit to monthly gifts. Right highlight how
(07:20):
a small recurring donation like ten dollars a month can
really have a lasting impact on your program. Now, if
donate Lee is your engine, then Mailchimp is the fuel.
Right And here's how it works again, going back to
segmenting your donor list, you don't need to send this
same email to everyone. Tailor your message for past donors,
new donors, and even people who've never donated but are
(07:42):
subscribed to your newsletter. Schedule your emails. Giving Tuesday is
one day, but the lead up is the key. With
this client, we sent three emails leading up to Giving Tuesday,
one introducing the campaign, one sharing a student success story,
and one with a countdown and a clear call to action.
And guess what. With mailchimps analytics, we could see who
(08:04):
opened their emails and clicked on the donation link. That
helped us follow up with personalized thank you emails afterwards.
Because donor appreciation is just as important as donor acquisition.
And here's a pro tip, automate your follow ups. So
create a thank you email that automatically goes out after
someone donates. Include a heartfelt message, a receipt, and a
link to share the campaign with their friends. So here's
(08:28):
the thing. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity, not a guarantee,
and tools like donately and mailchip make it easier to plan, execute,
and measure your campaigns. But these tools only work if
you have systems in place before the big day. So
think about your own organization. Are you sending out emails
the night before or the day of Giving Tuesday? Or
(08:50):
do you have a plan in place weeks in advance.
Are you tracking donor data in a system that makes
follow ups easy, or are you scrambling to piece together information. Now,
if all of this sounds overwhelming, don't worry. You don't
have to figure it out alone. This is what I do.
I help mission driven organizations set up tech solutions and
(09:11):
systems that actually work for them. If you're ready to
stop leaving money on the table and start raising money
for your mission, book a consultation with me. We'll go
over your specific needs and create a plan that's tailored
to your organization. You can find the link to book
in the show notes or head to my website at
www dot Mislakisha Williams dot com. All right, thanks for
(09:33):
tuning in to solving with tech If you found this
episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.
It helps more people find the show. Until next time,
keep simplifying your tech and amplifying your impact.
Hey, y'all, welcome to Solve It with Tech, where we
simplify tech and amplify your impact. I'm Lakeisha, your go
to tech operations consultant, and today we're diving into Giving
Tuesday because let's be real, too many nonprofits, social enterprises,
and mission driven businesses are out here leaving money on
the table every single year and we just can't be
having that. If you're part of an organization with a
(00:23):
big mission but feel like you're scrambling every year to
pull Giving Tuesday together, then this episode is for you.
We're going to talk about how you can better prepare,
leverage tech tools like donately and Mailchimp, and create systems
that actually work so you're not caught in a last
minute frenzy. Now this isn't a sponsor post. Donately and
milchip are tools that I actually and personally recommend actually use,
(00:47):
and I personally recommend based on my experience using them
over the years with my clients and within my own nonprofit.
Now let's start with some numbers. In twenty twenty three,
Giving Tuesday raised over three points in the US alone
three point one billion dollars. That's a fifteen percent increase
(01:07):
from the year before. But here's the thing. A lot
of that money went to the organizations that were ready.
They had their campaigns locked, their donors primed, and their
systems in place. On the flip side, some organizations saw
little to no returns because they waited too late to
start or didn't have the right tools to maximize their efforts.
(01:28):
According to neon one, nonprofits with organized systems in place
raised two to three times more on Giving Tuesday compared
to those winging it. Let me know if this sounds familiar.
You're passionate about your mission, but you don't know where
to start when it comes to planning a Giving Tuesday campaign.
(01:48):
Your donor list is scattered across spreadsheets, sticky notes, and
random emails. You're so busy running your programs that marketing
just gets pushed to the last minute, and when you
due to an email, you're crossing your fingers and hoping
someone anyone donates. I get it. Running a nonprofit or
any mission driven business is hard work, but leaving money
(02:11):
on the table doesn't help your calls, your team, or
your beneficiaries. That's where tech solutions and systems come in.
Before we dive into strategies, let's talk about what Giving
Tuesday is and why it's such a big deal. Giving
Tuesday started in twenty twelve as a global movement to
inspire generosity. It falls right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday,
(02:34):
which is a perfect time because people are already in
the giving spirit. Organizations across the globe use this day
to rally support for their missions and donors, and in
return get the chance to make a real impact. The
beauty of Giving Tuesday is its inclusivity. Whether you're a small,
grassroots nonprofit or a large social enterprise, this is your
(02:55):
moment to shine. For nonprofits, this isn't just about rais
money though. It's also a chance to build relationships with donors,
engage your community, and shine a spotlight on the work
you do year round. Now, why is Giving Tuesday more
than just one big day? It raises awareness. Many organizations
(03:18):
get their highest visibility of the year on Given Tuesday.
People who may not have ever heard of you before
are introduced to your mission through campaigns and social media.
It energizes your base. It's the perfect opportunity to reconnect
with past donors and engage new ones, especially if you've
been quieter inactive for a while, and let's be honest,
(03:40):
that's a fundraising accelerator. Whether you're trying to fund a
specific program, meet an annual goal, or just keep the
lights on. Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to rally
support and make significant progress. But here's the thing, it
only works if you're prepared. You can't wait until the
last minute to jump on the bandwagon. So let's break
(04:01):
down a few key processes you can implement to make
your next Giving Tuesday campaign not just successful, but transformational
for your organization. First, start planning early. A successful Giving
Tuesday campaign doesn't start on Monday night. It starts weeks
and sometimes even months in advance. Set clear goals. Decide
(04:22):
what you are trying to achieve. Is it a dollar amount,
is it a certain number of new donors? Increase social
media engagement. For example, if you are a small nonprofit,
your goal might be to raise ten thousand dollars to
fund a summer program for fifty students next year. Create
a campaign theme, what's your story? People give to people,
not causes. Think about the impact your organization has and
(04:45):
highlight specific stories, images, or testimonials that connect emotionally with
your audience. Number two, engage your donor base. Your donor
list is one of your most valuable assets. Semect segment
them into Our insists to segment your audience into groups.
So for example, longtime supporters, first time donors, and volunteers
(05:08):
who haven't donated yet. Then you're going to send Taylor
messages to each of these groups. For example, your longtime
supporters could get an email thanking them for their past
contributions and inviting them to continue the legacy. Right, your
first time donors might get a simple introduction to your
mission with a clear call to action. Number three leverage
(05:29):
social media. Social media is your friend when it comes
to Giving Tuesday, but only if you have a plan.
Schedule your post leading up to the day with countdowns
and updates. Use visuals like photos or videos that showcase
your impact and make it easy for people to share
your campaign with their networks by creating hashtags, templates, or
shareable graphics. Now, as promised, let's dive deeper into donate
(05:54):
Lee and Mailchimp, two tools that can transform your Giving
Tuesday results. So look at donately as your fundraising powerhouse. Right,
it isn't just for collecting donations, it's for optimizing the
donor experience. And here's why I recommend it. It's easy
to set up. You can create a custom Giving Tuesday
page and under a couple of hours then to Grace
(06:16):
with other tools so your donor data stays organized, and
most importantly, it makes giving simple for your donors with
mobile friendly options and that recurring gift feature that they have.
Last year, I worked with a nonprofit summer camp program
for middle school students. One of the plans we launched
was their twenty twenty three Giving Tuesday campaign. We set
up a donately page with the clear Giving Tuesday goal
(06:39):
of ten thousand dollars. We personalized their page with student
success stories and embedded a short video of their program
in action. By the end of Giving Tuesday, they had
raised eleven thousand, two hundred and ten dollars, surpassing their goal,
all because they made donately Donating easy and compelling. Here's
(07:00):
a couple pro tips. Embed your donation form on your website.
Don't make donors click through multiple pages, as simple embedded
form can make all the difference and enable the recurring
donations feature. Sorry, Giving Tuesday is a great time to
ask donors to commit to monthly gifts. Right highlight how
(07:20):
a small recurring donation like ten dollars a month can
really have a lasting impact on your program. Now, if
donate Lee is your engine, then Mailchimp is the fuel.
Right And here's how it works again, going back to
segmenting your donor list, you don't need to send this
same email to everyone. Tailor your message for past donors,
new donors, and even people who've never donated but are
(07:42):
subscribed to your newsletter. Schedule your emails. Giving Tuesday is
one day, but the lead up is the key. With
this client, we sent three emails leading up to Giving Tuesday,
one introducing the campaign, one sharing a student success story,
and one with a countdown and a clear call to action.
And guess what. With mailchimps analytics, we could see who
(08:04):
opened their emails and clicked on the donation link. That
helped us follow up with personalized thank you emails afterwards.
Because donor appreciation is just as important as donor acquisition.
And here's a pro tip, automate your follow ups. So
create a thank you email that automatically goes out after
someone donates. Include a heartfelt message, a receipt, and a
link to share the campaign with their friends. So here's
(08:28):
the thing. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity, not a guarantee,
and tools like donately and mailchip make it easier to plan, execute,
and measure your campaigns. But these tools only work if
you have systems in place before the big day. So
think about your own organization. Are you sending out emails
the night before or the day of Giving Tuesday? Or
(08:50):
do you have a plan in place weeks in advance.
Are you tracking donor data in a system that makes
follow ups easy, or are you scrambling to piece together information. Now,
if all of this sounds overwhelming, don't worry. You don't
have to figure it out alone. This is what I do.
I help mission driven organizations set up tech solutions and
(09:11):
systems that actually work for them. If you're ready to
stop leaving money on the table and start raising money
for your mission, book a consultation with me. We'll go
over your specific needs and create a plan that's tailored
to your organization. You can find the link to book
in the show notes or head to my website at
www dot Mislakisha Williams dot com. All right, thanks for
(09:33):
tuning in to solving with tech If you found this
episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.
It helps more people find the show. Until next time,
keep simplifying your tech and amplifying your impact.
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