Pre #GivingTuesday Planning and Preparation

Use this to planning for #GivingTuesday.

• Start planning now! The greater the planning, the greater the results. So, start now thinking and planning how to make #GivingTuesday impactful.
• Decide where the money will go. I think this should be outside the church to support some ministry or cause your members would willingly support. New donors will be attracted to giving to support a cause they feel is worthy. As with every offering, the more compelling the “ask,” the more likely new donors will give to support it.
• Use multiple platforms to get the message across.

*  Set up a page off your website that explains the cause your #GivingTuesday offering will support. At least one week before #GivingTuesday, make that page public. That URL will be used in multiple places.
*  Set up your giving portal to allow for a designated gift to #GivingTuesday.
*  One week before #GivingTuesday, use your Social Media platforms to tell the story of what causes your #GivingTuesday offering will support. Use your #GivingTuesday URL page on all posts.
*  Send an email one week before #GivingTuesday explaining your church’s drive. Use the URL to link them back for more information. I call this my Save the Date email.
*  The Sunday before #GivingTuesday, announce it from the platform, use screen announcements, bulletin inserts, and other means to get the message out.
*  Use the offering time to preview #GivingTuesday.

#GivingTuesday Actions:

• Use social media throughout the day to highlight your campaign.
• Send the email asking for support for the cause you are championing. Your email should be short and to the point, containing multiple links to your giving portal.
• Send a text to give appeal later in the day.
• Rejoice and Follow Up! Remember, the goal is to gain new donors. You want to thank them immediately for their gift and keep their information for putting another cause in front of them in a few months. A short email thanking them for their generosity will help pave the way for the next “ask.” Consider an email blast out within 24 to 48 hours, sharing the success of your #GivingTuesday offering results to the entire congregation.

For more ideas and tools, check out # GivingTuesday’s website at: https://www.givingtuesday.org