What’s your opinion of #GIvingTuesday?  Do you think it’s a great way to raise more revenue and find new donors, or is it a complete waste of time? Maybe it’s a little of both.

In case you don’t know, #Giving Tuesday is on December 2.   It’s a global day to give back and is a nice contrast to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. WHAT IS #GIVINGTUESDAY?

I like the idea of a giving day, but it may not be worth the time and resources for smaller organizations.  You don’t want to spend too much time focusing on one day. Fundraising and donor relations are a year-round effort. An Honest Look at the Pros & Cons of #GivingTuesday

Plan carefully

You may have tried #GivingTuesday campaigns in the past and been successful, which is great.  Maybe you’re planning a campaign for the first time.

If you do launch a #Giving Tuesday campaign, be sure to give equal weight to thanking your donors, including sending welcome packets to new donors.  You don’t want this to be a one-time thing. How to Convert, Retain and Upgrade Your New #GivingTuesday Donors

You also want to measure your results to make sure it’s worth doing again.

Honestly, if you haven’t started planning anything, it’s a little late to start.  But if you really want to participate in #GivingTuesday, it’s possible to make it work for you without focusing too much energy on it.  Here’s how.

Follow up with your donors

I think #Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to follow up with people who haven’t donated to your year-end appeal.  You should be doing regular reminders, anyway. Send an email or postcard and social media messages right before #Giving Tuesday and encourage people to donate.  You can use the #Giving Tuesday logos, etc.

How did you do?  Did this bring in more donations than your usual follow up?  Obviously, you’ll want to keep following up with anyone who didn’t donate on #GivingTuesday.

Give back to your donors

We ask a lot of our donors, especially at year-end.  Why not take the time to give back to them? Fundraising Consultant Claire Axelrad has a great idea of using #Giving Tuesday as a day to thank your donors. #GivingTuesday – Your Win or Lose Day? You’re in Control

Make your personal year-end donations on #Giving Tuesday

As I said, I like the concept of #GivingTuesday, and over the past few years I’ve starting doing all my year-end giving on that day.  It’s easier to set aside one time to do your personal year-end giving. Why not choose #Giving Tuesday?

However you decide to participate in #GivingTuesday, make sure it’s something that works for your organization.