Giving Tuesday Campaign
The Gist of It
Start your Giving Tuesday campaign before Giving Tuesday to raise awareness and more funds.
Use different types of emails during a Giving Tuesday campaign. Try a story, a match, or a traditional appeal.
Will your subject line stand out in a crowded inbox on Giving Tuesday? Make it unique, curious, or urgent.
Don’t forget to send a thank you email. Send one to donors and another to all supporters, even if they didn’t donate. They may have supported you in other ways.
Transcript
A total of 9.4 billion dollars was made on Cyber Monday last year. The rise of online shopping has some people worried.
In 2011, an article urged people to donate to charity after they finished shopping. They proposed the name, Cyber Giving Monday. The next year, a global movement started. A movement we now call Giving Tuesday.
Supporters can unleash their generosity during Giving Tuesday. And email is part of any great Giving Tuesday campaign. Let’s take a look at a few good ones now.
No discount or coupon code is needed to go Behind the Campaign.
Introduction
A showcase of the best nonprofit campaigns. Here you will get ideas, tips, and strategies to create successful campaigns for your organization.
Giving Tuesday has become so big it spans more than one day. Today, we will look at 3 different types of Giving Tuesday emails, sent on different days from 3 different organizations.
We will start in the inbox.
Email Inbox
Two of the organizations use informational-type subject lines. “What your gift means for homeless pets” and “Two words for you this Giving Tuesday. Thank You.”
Thank You subject lines get more supporters to open. I’ve seen subject lines saying thank you have about a 10% higher open rate.
While these are both good subject lines they differ from the next one which sparks curiosity and is a quote. “‘I am sleeping well now.’”
Based on an informal study I did of 400+ Giving Tuesday emails, 64% used informational subject lines. Two percent had a quote.
If you were to receive these subject lines which ones would prompt you to open?
We will start with a story email from Invisible Children. They used the quote subject line.
Story Email
The story email allows supporters to see your organization in action. It also helps them connect with the mission. This email works well because it follows some good email and story guidelines.
With a story email, remember, the person going through the hardship is the hero. In this case, Divin is the hero. He went through fear and stress and overcame it. The organization provided the support.
The donor acts as a guide or partner to help people in similar situations.
After the story, Invisible Children explains the value proposition. They provide counseling to individuals who have experienced violence.
They have two call-to-action buttons, one above the fold and one after the copy. Having a button at the top allows supporters to donate without reading the rest of the email. Though the rest of the copy is very well written.
This email was sent the day before Giving Tuesday. More and more organizations use this tactic. Send one the day before and another on Giving Tuesday.
With the right emails, you will raise more money this way.
The next email we will look at was sent on Giving Tuesday and is a traditional appeal.
Fundraiser Email
Don’t discount traditional appeal emails, with the right text they are very effective.
Here we have one from Best Friends Animal Society.
From the first to the last sentence, the copy of this email is conversational and empathetic.
Before the button, they discuss the need. Then they explain what the organization is doing to meet the need.
They describe how specific donation amounts get used to benefit the dogs. Adding the gift amounts makes it easier for supporters to decide how much to give.
The link at the bottom is a great addition. It allows supporters to mute the campaign so they don’t get overwhelmed with too many emails but also so they don’t unsubscribe.
A great Giving Tuesday campaign needs one more email, the thank you.
Thank You Email
A thank you email seems obvious, but it is often overlooked.
Mental Health America provides a great example. The thank you is personalized. They were specific in how much money was raised and how it will get used to help others. This shows supporters the impact they made.
You should send a thank you to those who donated during your Giving Tuesday campaign. It is also okay to send a thank you to those who didn’t, like this one.
They may have supported you in other ways. Even if a supporter didn’t take action, you can still thank them. Showing them your gratitude now may encourage them to donate in the future.
Conclusion
If you want to get the most out of a Giving Tuesday email campaign, send at least three emails. One email the day before, one on Giving Tuesday, and a thank you a few days later when you can share results.
Of course, email isn’t the only way to get supporters involved during Giving Tuesday. Post it on social media and put it on your website.
Time to get out from Behind the Campaign and create a Giving Tuesday email campaign for your organization. Success starts with you.
