It turns out that people love “Giving Days”. Despite the skepticism of many of us fundraisers (including me), online events like #GivingTuesday, Colorado Gives Day, Minnesota Give to the Max Day, and the Florida Giving Challenge have raised millions and millions of dollars.
My worry has been that smaller nonprofits would opt to depend solely on the Giving Day strategy instead of building their own brand and strategy online. I still am fretting about this. But this year, I am serving as a board member of an organization that was a participant of Colorado Gives Day and I have to tell you, I see an upside besides the money.
Yes, Colorado Gives Day was even more successful than last year with $15 million raised on December 4th. But it seems to me that the reason why Giving Days are so successful is that they actually hold the lessons of best practice fundraising. Love them or hate them, Giving Days effectively engage donors and volunteers on their own terms. Here’s how:
It’s fun: In our neck of the woods, Colorado Gives Day is truly an event. Along with the onslaught of online activity, some nonprofits also had breakfasts and cocktails to celebrate the day. And there was the thrill of the deadline. People were talking about it, waiting for the day, and scanning the headlines the next morning for the grand total. It was fun and we need more fun (and less chicken dinners) to attract donors to our causes.
It galvanizes volunteers: It’s often hard work mobilizing a board and other volunteers to do fundraising. But, as a board member I can tell you that it I am so much more likely to do something if the request is small and specific. Sending out e-mails and posting on Facebook was easy for me to do on Colorado Gives Day. It was a specific ask for a limited matching gift opportunity and I wanted my friends to know about it.
It’s accessible: While there isn’t aggregated reporting on just how many new donors come through Giving Days, it is clear from reports around the country that some do. And I’m also hearing that lapsed donors are coming back through Colorado Gives Day. Why? Because it’s an easy way for a donor to find (or rediscover) an organization, learn more about its work, and add it to their list without ever getting up from their computer.
It gives the donor the steering wheel: I was noticing as I was getting the word out about Colorado Gives Day that friends of mine were “saving up” their year-end donations to make them all on that day. I think they liked the concept of taking control of their giving. Whether it was because they could get it all done at once or because they could access information about the nonprofits in one place (as is the case with Colorado Gives Day), they liked being the driver.
It’s about them: So many nonprofits think that if they just make a more urgent plea, if they could just let people know about the great work they do, if people would just listen, the money would come rolling in. But it doesn’t work that way. Donors want to know what’s in it for them. And what’s in it for them on Colorado Gives Day is a match for their donation (small though it may be), the ease of finding all their nonprofits online, and the satisfaction of participation in the event.
So, really, Giving Days are so popular because they tap into the best of fundraising.
Our fundraising has to be fun and accessible….
It has to give the donor control and focus on what they want…
It has to easy for Board members and other volunteers to take part.
Right?
