The Top 2 Reasons Your Nonprofit Shouldn't Overlook Giving Tuesday

Traditionally, the holiday season puts us all in a giving mood. That’s why it’s a no-brainer that Giving Tuesday has been a successful movement since 2012. Each year, it’s more successful than the last. That’s why it’s imperative that your nonprofit focuses on creating a Giving Tuesday campaign so that you can make the most out of this movement.

About Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday celebrates and supports philanthropy by encouraging people to give to nonprofits on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The Giving Tuesday website says that it “brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners— nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.”

Giving Tuesday can attribute its success to the power of social media. By using social media as a platform to encourage users to donate time, money, or resources, it helps to make a big change in communities. Users share the hashtag Giving Tuesday whether they’ve contributed or are an organization who is participating in the movement.

The Impact of Giving Tuesday

Here are a couple stats to show the impact that Giving Tuesday has made over the years:

• $10.1 million - dollars raised in its first year via Blackbaud, the largest nonprofit technology provider.
• 470% - estimated increase in online donations on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving since its inception in 2012

Here is an infographic from the Giving Tuesday website with stats from 2017:

How Giving Tuesday Is Reshaping Corporate Philanthropy

Since the movement began in 2012, many companies partner with and participate in Giving Tuesday. Some companies simply post on social media to create awareness, while others give a percentage of their sales to a specific nonprofit. Either way, it allows them to show their audience that they are involved in giving back to the community.

Additionally, some companies use Giving Tuesday as a way to engage with their employees. They may allow the employees to choose a nonprofit to donate to for this campaign or offer to match any donations that their employees make on Giving Tuesday.

It’s more than just a hashtag that people share on their personal accounts, companies are now taking the opportunity to get involved to show their philanthropic efforts.

What Giving Tuesday Means for Your Nonprofit

Now that you know the impact of this movement, it’s time to talk about what it means for your nonprofit.

First and foremost, it means that Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to remind your audience why giving to nonprofits is essential during a time when holiday giving is in its prime.

It also means that partnering with a company is mutually beneficial. Your nonprofit would get exposure to a new audience and receive donations, while the company becomes associated with being philanthropic which can benefit their image.

And finally, due to its past success, Giving Tuesday should continue to be a successful movement. So it’s important to participate, whether it’s reminding your social media followers about Giving Tuesday throughout the month of November or partnering with a company to further extend your reach.

You’d be missing out on a huge opportunity for your nonprofit if you let Giving Tuesday slide by. Take advantage of this movement that uses social media to bring out the generosity in people. There’s still time for your organization to create a game plan for how you want to get involved. Mark your calendar for November 27, 2018 and be sure to inform your social media followers why your nonprofit needs a donation this Giving Tuesday!