#GivingTuesday for Churches
#GivingTuesday is a movement that started a few years ago as a global day for people to be motivated to give back. It always falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, after Black Friday weekend, and Cyber Monday, when Americans typically spend millions on Christmas gifts. This year #GivingTuesday falls on November 28th.
$3.1 billion was raised in 2022 in 24 hours. That was a 15% increase over last year’s record.1.
I helped and advised scores of churches about how to utilize #GivingTuesday for their missions and ministry. Here are some of my observations about the effectiveness of #GivingTuesday for churches.
First, just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean you should too. I’m always careful about creating so many “asks” for money that we inadvertently bolster the claim that all the church ever talks about is money. If you won’t commit the time and effort to make this special offering effective, saving your “ask” for something you are willing to invest time in is better. Wise churches learn to say no to even the most effective programs if that program doesn’t fit their plans. You may decide after reading this that #GivingTuesday wouldn’t work for you. However, the principles I give can be used for any special offering. #GivingTuesday isn’t for everyone.
But if everyone is doing it, it might be worth looking into. Raising $3.1 billion in 24 hours shows it is working for NPOs. And you can be assured that your members and donors will be getting heart-wrenching, compelling appeals to give to some non-profit. Since they are fishing in your pond, you should throw a lure into it.
Let me return to my statement that #GivingTuesday must be done right. In my experience, most churches that do attempt to utilize #GivingTuesday fail. One reason why is they don’t do it with excellence. As a result, our message gets lost. You are up against NPOs that will invest millions of dollars into this day. You must do it right. How?
- Start by setting a realistic goal. My goal for churches is to attract new donors by showing them the joys of generosity and the value of a local church.
- Don’t make it about you. This isn’t a special offering to catch up on the budget. Make your “ask” for something outside the church’s walls, such as drilling wells for impoverished people or some pressing need in your community.
- Decide now what the “ask” will be. What are you asking people to give to? The more compelling the cause or “ask,” the more effective the results.
- Build a message around that “ask” via social media in the week leading up to #GivingTuesday.
- Make the “ask” on #GivingTuesday through social media, a direct email blast, and text messaging.
- Track who gives, especially any gifts from first-time donors. This tells you what type of “ask” resonates with people so that you can include them in another similar “ask.”
- Send thank you notes to every donor who gave.
The above points lead me to my final point. Make sure you have the tools and resources in place. #GivingTuesday is almost exclusively an online event. At OnlineGiving.org, our platform is perfect for special giving initiatives like #GivingTuesday. We would love to set up a free demonstration to show you how our platform can save money and help you better communicate and engage with your members. Contact us at (615) 206-4000.
Your compelling message of life change and our platform will help you make #GivingTuesday a huge success.
You can find the original post and other online giving topics at https://www.onlinegiving.org/blog
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