A lot of things have changed since 2014. It might seem incredible now, but in those far back halcyon times nobody had heard of TikTok, One Direction were still together and Liverpool hadn’t won the league in more than 20 years.
Perhaps even more remarkably, it was also a time when outside the USA very few people in the world of fundraising had even heard of Giving Tuesday. Those that had heard of it probably viewed as a bit of an odd American thing, linked too heavily to American culture to really be relevant on the other side of the Atlantic.
All of which makes the success of the campaign even more impressive – since arriving in the UK in 2014, Giving Tuesday has grown year-on-year to become a tentpole event in the charitable giving calendar. Incredibly, we’ve seen an increased level of donations every year since it began, reaching more than £20 million on-the-day donations in 2020, as per Visa UK.
With over 4000 UK partners, ranging from major multinational companies to your local corner shop and from household name charities to individual volunteers, Giving Tuesday is a fantastic opportunity for fundraisers to engage with their audience and get their messaging out there.
As the UK’s lead Giving Tuesday partner, the Charities Aid Foundation is there to help make sure that charities are able to make the most of the day and to make sure that the campaign is accessible as possible to all organisations.
With that in mind, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we receive from charities, featuring some top tips for making sure that your campaign is as good as it can be.
To join our mailing list, feature on our website and get access to exclusive content you can sign up as a partner (for free) here. Otherwise, you can drop us a line at givingtuesday@cafonline.org if you have any questions!
Giving Tuesday is a single day dedicated to charitable giving. It really is that simple.
When so many people, businesses and charities come together on one day, it creates momentum and helps boost the profile of the causes and communities we care about. Last year Giving Tuesday was the #1 trend worldwide and had over 360 million impressions on Twitter alone, meaning that a well done Giving Tuesday campaign can have a reach far beyond your usual audience.
When people think of “Giving” a lot of people’s minds jump to cash donations but that’s just one way for someone to contribute. We’ve seen people giving up their time as volunteers, people donating goods and products they own, and people just helping get the message out there by amplifying messaging via social media.
Giving Tuesday is designed to be as flexible as possible – we actively encourage partners to take it in their own direction and put their own spin on things. Whilst this means we’ve seen some amazingly creative campaigns over the years it also means there is no fixed “right way” to do Giving Tuesday.
That said all the most successful campaigns share a few key themes that should act as a helpful guide:
- Work out what it is you want to achieve. Take a moment to think about what a successful Giving Tuesday looks like for you and put together a plan focused on achieving that goal.
- If you’re putting together a large-scale campaign, plan it on a stage-by-stage basis. We know it can feel really daunting to look at a blank page and make the first step, but cutting it up into chunks can help make it feel more manageable. Try creating a campaign timeline and ticking off each task as you go – it really helps.
- Use your existing stakeholder networks. If you have staff, corporate partners or influencers in your space that you engage with regularly, don’t be shy about reaching out to them for support. The key is to make sure your campaign works for them and what they would like to achieve. If you have a good relationship with a local business, think about how to link their work with Giving Tuesday in a natural way and take the idea to them – the worst they can do is say no.
- Amplify your messaging online. Giving Tuesday takes place all around the world, and social media is vital in bringing those stories together under one banner. It’ll be trending online in countries all around the world and posting on social media is a fantastic way to get involved in that momentum.
- Link your campaign to real life. Catchy slogans and fancy branding can really useful tools in any campaign, but nothing engages an audience quite like personal stories and tangible results. If you can, link your Giving Tuesday campaign to some successful case studies you’ve been involved in in the past.
- Don’t let your campaign stop on the Wednesday! After all the excitement on Giving Tuesday itself it can be tempting to put your feet up and crack open a can of your favourite drink (Beer? Fruit juice? Irn-Bru? It's not for us to say). Before you take your well-earned break, however, drop a line of thanks to your supporters to acknowledge their contribution to your campaign. Maybe let them know your eventual total levels of fundraising, or the positive effects their giving will have via a mass email or social media post.
It’s never too late! One of the best things about Giving Tuesday is that it is designed to be flexible – you can run your own campaign in a way that works for you. If you’re pushed for time or resources, then just adjust the campaign to a level that works for you – even just a couple of well written social media posts can help you get involved on the day and can make a big difference to your audience engagement.
The Giving Tuesday website is a good initial port of call for anyone looking for support. Our most popular feature are our social media toolkits, available here, which have logos, language and tips and tricks that will help your campaign.
If you would like to hear first-hand examples of successful Giving Tuesday campaigns then long term supporters Salesforce have hosted a webinar on the topic, as have our friends at Alaya who have talked about how to link Giving Tuesday to the wider Giving Season towards Christmas time.
Visit www.givingtuesday.org.uk to find out more, sign up as a partner or access free resources to help you get involved in #GivingTuesday on November 30 2021.