What you Need to Do After Giving Tuesday

It is the morning after the tenth anniversary of the giving movement that exploded on the screen in 2012 and captured every nonprofit leader's attention whether we wanted it to or not. 

Leading up to #givingtuesday2022, we heard a lot of dread and skepticism about the day. 

"It adds more work unto an already busy time of year."

"The day is too saturated and nobody makes much money anyways."

"Giving Tuesday is the greatest philanthropic trainwreck of all time. Make it stop."

We hear your frustrations. However, ignoring the outpouring of goodness shared with the world on the day was hard. Organizations highlighted volunteers and clients, took over Facebook and LinkedIn live streams to share about their causes, engaged new prospects, and increased awareness for their work. 

If you placed all your hopes on #givingtuesday for your year-end campaign, you probably felt disappointed by the results. However, if you see the day as part of a larger year-end approach, it is easier to appreciate the event.

Regardless, here are a few tips to pay attention to today! 

Take a deep breath

It goes without saying. You worked hard yesterday and during the lead-up to the event, so wear a comfy sweater today, get a warm cup of coffee and listen to some good music. You deserve it! Good job, team!

Gather your first impressions

There is never a better time to talk through how the day went than today! Bring your team together and review what went well, what you want to improve upon for next year, what new innovative approaches you witnessed from other organizations, and what needs to stop to make your campaign more successful. Remember to discuss the environmental factors. Each year with #givingtuesday is different. What was happening in your external environment that would be good to note? For example, were people nervous about a pending recession? Did donors respond more via email this year than social media?

Pro tip: Don't have the energy to be this strategic today? Have an informal conversation and make an audio recording so you can return to it later. 

Outline your engagement strategies

If you still need to do this, then now is the time! #givingtuesday2022 might be over, but your campaign isn't! So take some time to think through how you will reach out to those donors in the coming months. They need to hear from you before #givingtuesday2023!

Send an email next week sharing the impacts of your campaign. Invite donors to attend a virtual panel or event. Set up a meet and greet. Whatever feels suitable for your donors and organization, go with it! But make sure you have a plan for engaging those donors moving forward. 

You did it! You got through the day, which is a significant achievement! Now, take some time to rest, dust yourself off, and get ready to finish out your year-end campaign strong!

If you want help launching a fundraising campaign, contact us at Spark Group today! 

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