Crowdfunding on GivingTuesday

With donors around the world primed to give, we’ll help you decide if launching a crowdfunding campaign on Giving Tuesday is right for you and give you tips to run a successful crowdfunding campaign.

GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, is an important fundraising day for many nonprofit organizations. After a series of shopping days dedicated to getting the best deal in stores and online, GivingTuesday asks individuals to reflect on what matters most and give back, “unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day encouraging people to do good. Over the past 10 years, this idea has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. The annual celebration of generosity will happen this year on November 29, 2022.

With a record-breaking $2.7 billion raised in the U.S. on GivingTuesday 2021, you may be considering a GivingTuesday campaign of your own! With donors around the world primed to give, we’ll help you decide if launching a crowdfunding campaign on Giving Tuesday is right for you and give you tips to run a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Plan Ahead

As with all crowdfunding campaigns, the key is to plan ahead! We recommend beginning your campaign page and planning at least one-month in advance of your launch date. This will give you plenty of time to plan, consult your Patronicity Project Coach, and begin to spread the word before you officially launch.

Do your research!

With end-of-year giving in full swing, see what opportunities may be available to leverage funding for your project. Any matching grant or opportunity can incentivize donors to give and help you create a unique campaign that stands apart from all other organizations fundraising on this day. A matching opportunity can show your patrons that their dollars can go further if they give during a certain time period or help you reach your goal.

Patronicity offers several crowdgranting programs, providing matching dollars to qualifying projects that reach their crowdfunding goals. Each program has special requirements, like location, match amount, and number of patrons. We can help you identify if your organization qualifies for one of these programs. Contact us at info@patronicity.com.

See if local foundations or other giving organizations are offering special pledges or matches on GivingTuesday. If so, be sure you meet all of their requirements and communicate with their teams to see how you might be able to work together on marketing your campaign.

Individual donors with deep pockets may also be able to provide matching dollars to help you entice additional donors to give. Donor engagement is key to cultivating relationships that can support your organization at a high level like this.

Some social media networks also offer matching campaigns on GivingTuesday. In 2021, Meta matched $8 million of qualifying donations made on Facebook during GivingTuesday.

Craft a Unique Message

Now that you have a plan and have identified additional funding sources, it’s time to craft a unique message. Tell the story of your project or organization in a compelling, eye-catching way. Speak from the heart and share the importance of your work.

Consider how you will reach donors across mediums and platforms, from social media, to crowdfunding pages, email newsletter, and personalized messages. Video can be a great way to tell the story of your crowdfunding campaign. In fact, a study found that crowdfunding campaigns with videos earn 105% more than those without videos. And lucky for you, we’ve created a guide on how to create a campaign video that stands out.

Social media can be a powerful tool to spread the word about your campaign. Help donors share that they donated to your campaign by creating an easy-to-remember short URL, a unique social media graphic, or short copy that donors can use to spread the word.

Access GivingTuesday’s resources! They have put together tools such as Canva templates, stock images, and even a “Complete Guide to GivingTuesday for Nonprofits, Community Organizations, NGOs, CSOs, and Causes.”

Prime Your Patrons

On GivingTuesday, patrons are primed to give! By communicating with your donor base prior to GivingTuesday, you can make sure they know the project or cause you are seeking funding for and what day and time to give. Let your donors know what to expect and allow them to set funds aside for you. This way, when other organizations are flooding your donors inboxes on GivingTuesday, they will have already earmarked funding for you.

Know the Challenges

GivingTuesday can pose a great challenge. With hundreds of nonprofits fundraising on this day, it can be difficult to stand apart from the rest. It may be difficult to dominate the headlines on this date, so it’s important to prepare in advance by communicating with patrons and crafting unique, stand-out messaging.

You may not reach your goal on GivingTuesday, but that’s okay! You’re in it for the long haul, so be prepared for how your campaign will pivot after GivingTuesday. Be sure to prepare messages and graphics that are not GivingTuesday specific or branded.

If GivingTuesday isn’t for you, consider creating your own giving day! Set a goal and take the lessons learned from this day-long marathon of fundraising, and be the star! By creating your own giving day, you can be in charge of the narrative and stand totally apart from the rest.

Once you’re ready to launch, we’ll be here to provide support every step of the way. Start your campaign today at patronicity.com.