In its fifth year, #GivingTuesday falls on Tuesday, November 29.  In stark contrast to the uber consumer-centric “black Friday” and “cyber Monday” that immediately follow Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that encourages everyone to donate time, talents, and treasures to organizations in an effort to have an impact on communities around the world.

This is a great opportunity for nonprofits and charities to engage supporters – new and old – with their missions, and to encourage philanthropy and service.

Are you ready for #GivingTuesday?

Whether you’re new to this viral global giving campaign or a seasoned planner, it’s important to take stock of the best practices and have a plan in place to make the most of #GivingTuesday.

Last year, participating organizations in 70 countries raised $116 million in donations through #GivingTuesday.  Talk about the power of a hashtag.

There are webinars, articles, and tips galore across the web to help create an effective giving campaign. And below we also share some ideas that will jumpstart your planning.

  • Get the toolkit – The official #GivingTuesday website provides a wealth of resources – social media, logos, email templates and more – to help organizations in promoting the giving day amongst their supporters.
  • Peer-to-peer promotion – Create some sample posts of your own, and ask supporters to share them on their social media.
  • Email – Include a reminder about #GivingTuesday in your e-newsletters.
  • Create a list and timeline of posts – Brainstorm and create a list of social media posts now that include the hashtag #GivingTuesday so that come November 29, you’re not scrambling to come up with messages.  You don’t have to wait until November 29th to starting posting – Get the word out now to your community that you’ll be participating in #GivingTuesday.
  • Thank You – Don’t forget to include “thank you” posts for the following day.  Show your donors some love!
  • Include specific needs in your posts – If you have multiple programs that need support, create a unique post for them. Ex. “We’re almost there! Support our goal to raise $2k for a new community rescue center! #GivingTuesday”
  • Ask for volunteers – While monetary donations are important, many organizations also rely on volunteers for operational support. Use #GivingTuesday as an opportunity to recruit volunteers. Ex. “Looking for a fun way to give back on #GivingTuesday? Volunteers needed for our 5k charity race next month.”
  • #GivingTuesday ambassador – Don’t have a designated social media guru who does nothing but post all day for your organization? Not many organizations do.  Assign a staff member (or even a volunteer!) with the task of posting, sharing, and responding to social media throughout the day.

Be sure to search #GivingTuesday now to find more ideas and suggestions for creating a successful campaign!