The Ask
Historically, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity had never devoted a lot of energy to GivingTuesday, meaning they’d never had many results from it either. This missed opportunity was mostly due to a lack of bandwidth and buy-in. No one had the time to create a solid social media strategy surrounding GivingTuesday, and no one thought the payoff would be worth finding the time.
When I joined the team as a communications specialist, I was ready to change how our team saw GivingTuesday. My goal? Increase donations (of course) but also strengthen donor relationships and set the stage for future fundraising success.
I sat down to brainstorm ideas and realized I needed three things right off the bat:
- Organizational buy-in from the development team, executives, and marketing
- A clear fundraising goal tied to something tangible — doors, shingles, nails, or something similar
- A multichannel strategy that extended beyond a single social media post
The Result
I shifted from a passive social media effort to a full-fledged marketing campaign. We saw record-breaking donations and set the new standard for GivingTuesday at Knoxville Habitat.
- Raised a total of $17,500, exceeding our goal
- Recruited 23 first-time donors
Why It Worked
Telling a Story
“Donate to help us build affordable housing.”
- Vague
- Not interesting
- Centers Knoxville Habitat
- Doesn’t set up any specific imagery
“Donate today to help nine homeowners purchase the front door for their future home.”
- Tangible
- Engaging
- Centers homeowners and donors
- Opens the door (see what I did there?) for engaging copy and visuals
The first thing I did after getting the green light was sit down with our development team. They helped me set a fundraising goal and brainstorm tangible things that the goal would cover. We landed on doors — because what signifies the joy of homeownership more than opening the door to your new affordable home?
The development team exceeded my expectations by securing a match, adding another layer to the GivingTuesday messaging: “Give now and double your impact.”
Multichannel Approach
GivingTuesday may be a social media initiative, but that doesn’t mean you are restricted to only using social media. I developed an integrated campaign where each piece complimented and supported the others.
Social Media
Of course, social media had to be a big part of my GivingTuesday campaign. Starting more than a month ahead of time, I scheduled a flurry of posts. I created campaign-specific profile and cover photos. I shared save-the-date posts and created Facebook events that would remind followers on the big day. Additionally, I boosted content to expand our reach. And so much more. The goal was to drum up as much interest as possible ahead of the big day.
Email Marketing
The second largest part of this fundraiser was an email marketing campaign. I was lucky enough to inherit a robust email list of volunteers, donors, and partners that built the foundation. From here, I was able to include a direct link to donate, in addition to videography, photography, and copy that supported the overall message.
Short Message Service (SMS)
Text messaging was a big unknown for us at the time. We could text our volunteers but had previously only used it for build-day cancellations. Why? Partly because it was expensive and partly because volunteers donated time, not money. I convinced (read: begged) my team to let me try one text message. If it didn’t work, we knew not to try in the future. The result? Overwhelming support. It turned out our volunteers weren’t donating because they weren’t being asked. We transformed multiple long-time volunteers into first-time donors.
Digital Ads and Media Coverage
We partnered with a local news station to purchase ad space leading up to GivingTuesday. That, coupled with our strong relationships with local news stations, helped us get some free press coverage that extended our reach beyond our regular audience.
Lessons Learned
GivingTuesday IS Worth It
Yes, it may be a social media holiday. But you get out of it what you put into it. If you post once, your donations will reflect that. If you put the time, effort, and investment into GivingTuesday, it can become a high-impact fundraising opportunity.
Branding Is Important
GivingTuesday provides a wealth of information and resources to help you get started. However, combining that branding with your existing branding can be difficult. Starting early allows you to explore options and discover what works best.
Storytelling Is Everything
It’s not enough to say, “You should donate to us because it’s GivingTuesday.” You need to show your donors exactly how their money impacts the community they are supporting. The following year, we narrowed the messaging to focus on one family. This approach helped us exceed our previous GivingTuesday record to raise $23,000.