GivingTuesday is coming up this Tuesday, November 30th! GivingTuesday started in 2012 as a global generosity movement. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday encourages companies, organizations, families and individuals to help support charities by offering promotion and donating time, resources or talents. Anyone can participate in the day and every action, however small, makes a difference. Check out the video below by GivingTuesday Canada.

Online Giving

CanadaHelps reported that in 2020 online giving went up by 86%. Learning how to use online donation platforms and leveraging your website and social media channels is key to modern successful fundraising. CharityVillage offered four strategies for online fundraising this year:

1. Your supporters want to hear from you. If you haven’t reached out in a while, now is the time to do so. Let them know how their support has helped the organization. Be sure to thank them for their support, preferably before the next ask. Share a success story that happened because of donations. Donors appreciate this communication before being asked to donate again.
2. Website. Make sure your website makes it easy for donors to learn about contributing and donating. Your mission should be clearly laid out. Communicate how the funds are spent. Try a 60 second review of your site with someone who hasn’t looked at it before. Can they tell what your organization does? What would happen if it didn’t exist? How would their money be used if they donated today?
3. Donation form. One report stated that 80% of website visitors will go to the donation page but not donate. To try and avoid this, make sure your donate button is clear and easy to find. Share impact statements that communicate what the donation will accomplish. Make the form easy to complete and only ask for necessary information. Ideally, a donor should be able to complete the form in 30 seconds.
4. Email asks. Keep emails short and to the point, ideally less than 125 words. Use bold and underlined text for emphasis and bullet points for readability. Send a follow up email 3-5 days later with a different subject line. Every email should have a unique story or image from the organization. Include a direct donate link included at least two times. Emails should be sent from a person at the organization rather than the general email account.

Using the tips above should help you with your digital fundraising campaign this year. For further guidance and support for GivingTuesday and other fundraising, we’ve gathered resources below to help you on your fundraising journey.

If you would like to help support Decoda’s Fostering Literacy program this GivingTuesday, read about the project and how you can help.

Resources

• 5 fundraising ideas for adult literacy organizations
• GivingTuesday Canada website for charities
• GivingTuesday Canada webinar: GivingTuesday 2021 Media and PR Strategies with Boulevard Public Relations
• GivingTuesday Canada webinar playlist
• Mobile for good : a how-to fundraising guide for nonprofits
• Three (3) Questions Every Charity Should Ask Themselves Before Getting Serious About Fundraising
• Tips for a Good Presentation