Giving Tuesday is Almost Here: Is Your Non-Profit Ready?
Giving Tuesday lands on December 3 this year. That’s right around the corner. If you’re not already familiar with Giving Tuesday, it’s a relatively recent tradition (in the vein of Black Friday and Cyber Monday) where folks donate to their favorite causes on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Why not take advantage of the trend and encourage your own supporters to give to_your_ very worthy cause?
I know, some of you are thinking: But that’s only a week away. I couldn’t possibly reach out to everyone in time. And besides, our supporters can donate any day of the year, so why should I take this on now?
But can they easily donate any day of the year? If you already have a direct giving site set up for your organization, maybe they can. (If they know about it – hmm, when was the last time you mentioned it to your supporters?) But if not, well, there’s no time like the present. You can easily set up a direct giving site as part of your SchoolAuction.net or Tofino Auctions annual plan.
Don’t think you have the time? The entire process – from start to finish – might take you thirty minutes, and very likely will take less time than that.
All you have to do is create a new event at my.schoolauction.net. Migrate your supporters and credit card settings to your new site. Turn off your catalog and ticket sales, but keep your Give button on. Then either use the existing Cash Donation item pre-programmed into your site, or set up your own targeted cash donation items. You can see brief, easy-to-follow instructions here.
Your Giving Tuesday fundraiser can be kept general, or you can raise money for specific goals. Teacher wishlists, playground improvements, science lab equipment, library resources, scholarship funds – whatever your school or organization needs. It’s entirely up to you, and it’s easy. And remember, in the unlikely event that you get stuck, just use the Help widget on the right-hand edge of any page of your site to contact support. We’d love to help you raise more money for your organization!
Plus and Premium subscribers can set up Recurring Donations on their sites. Recurring donations allow your supporters to donate fixed amounts in scheduled increments. These steady, repeated donations can add up to big dollars for your organization.
Once you’ve set up your giving site, you can use the software to send your supporters an invitation to give. They’ll receive an email with a personalized link that takes them right to your site and logs them in. They’ve already demonstrated that they value your organization. Why not make it easy for them to show it this Giving Tuesday?
Whether you set up a giving site this fall or not, remember: you can always include a Paddle Raise at your gala event. (And Plus and Premium subscribers can offer them as part of online auctions, too.) Paddle raises generate lots of fun and excitement at galas and lots of income too. Those parents who just missed out on winning the live auction item they wanted? They’ll probably happily donate the amount they wanted to spend as part of your paddle raise. If you don’t already include one in your live auction, give it a try this year. What have you got to lose?
