April 27, 2020 | Categories #GivingTuesday, Coronavirus / COVID-19 Nonprofit Resources, Featured, Nonprofit News

5 Easy Fundraising Ideas for #GivingTuesdayNow

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GivingTuesday is launching #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving designed to unite communities in support of nonprofit organizations that are struggling due to the onset of social distancing guidelines and limited resources.

While your organization may be hesitant to participate due to current challenges, getting set to gain new donors and engage existing ones on May 5th may be easier than you think. Plus, #GivingTuesdayNow comes at a time when just about everyone is extra tuned-in to their social media channels and email inboxes, as our means of communication has shifted to becoming almost strictly digital. That means that you’re much more likely to capture the attention of your donor community as well as convert new supporters by standing up a fundraising campaign.

Before You Get Started

From an email and social media template kit to help you craft your campaigns to an unlimited amount of online forms that bolster your brand and save you time, there are a few things you’ll want to set up before choosing which ideas to pursue.

Lean on The COVID-19 Fundraising Template Kit for Nonprofits

From an email and social media template kit to help you craft your campaigns to an unlimited amount of online forms that bolster your brand and save you time, there are a few things you’ll want to set up before choosing which ideas to pursue.

We know that launching a campaign in the midst of COVID-19 is no easy task, so we created The COVID-19 Fundraising Template Kit for Nonprofits to help. This kit includes everything you need to stand up your nonprofit’s COVID-19 Relief Fund Campaign:

• Campaign Launch Templates
• Crowdfunding Templates
• Monthly Giving Templates
• Event Alternatives Templates
• Remote Volunteer Templates

Plus, you’ll also learn about online essentials that can help you and your nonprofit staff raise money, engage donors, and effectively communicate even while working remotely.

Get your free COVID-19 email and social media templates here.

First Thing’s First: Set Up Your #GivingTuesdayNow Form

You know that it’s important to your donors that they understand where their gift is going. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a specific campaign donation form that’s dedicated to your organization’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Be sure to add a few lines of text to your form that describe specifically what your fund will help. For example, it could be reserved for staff payroll, utilities, and supplies related to your mission.

Offer a Mix of Asks and Opportunities

If you’re concerned that some of your donors may have lost their jobs, that’s unfortunately very probable. Of course, you’ll want to ask for donations for #GivingTuesdayNow, but instead of only asking for donations, mix in other ways people who care about your cause can support your organization, like:

• Sharing your social media posts
• Raising money for you through crowdfunding
• Volunteering from home

You can also engage followers on social media and ask them how they’re celebrating #GivingTuesdayNow.

#GivingTuesdayNow Fundraising Idea 1: Create a D.I.Y. Campaign Video

According to Google, an incredible 57% of people who watch a fundraising video donate to the cause. And no, they don’t mean high-tech, slickly produced videos. As a matter of fact, you could create a revenue-generating video that resonates with your donors right from your living room. Check out these 7 quick tips to make it happen.

#GivingTuesdayNow Fundraising Idea 2: Recruit Supporters to Volunteer from Home

Your donors who are cooped up at home may have extra time to give. Invite them to help out from wherever they are with volunteer duties they can do remotely like:

• Create social media posts for your organization
• Help out with simple database duties
• List items for your online auction

Get creative! Whatever tasks can easily be shifted online can be done by volunteers. Just be sure to specify whether you’re looking for folks with experience for tasks like social media or do-gooders who wouldn’t mind doing some basic data entry while binge-watching their favorite Netflix series.

#GivingTuesdayNow Fundraising Idea 3: Ask for Small Monthly Donations

If you’re hesitant to ask donors for big donations, offer something manageable. Your monthly giving program provides those who care about your cause to support your organization now and beyond the pandemic – effortlessly.

Think about it this way: By gaining 50 new monthly donors on #GivingTuesdayNow for $10 a month, your organization will receive an additional $6,000 a year.

Best of all, 90% of donors who join an organization’s monthly giving program created by DonorPerfect users keep giving the following year.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program, download the Monthly Giving Starter Kit. It’ll walk you step-by-step through setting up your program just in time for #GivingTuesdayNow.

#GivingTuesdayNow Fundraising Idea 4: Launch a Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding offers a way for everyone to support you, no matter their financial situation. That’s because crowdfunding enables individuals to create fundraisers for your nonprofit without spending a cent. But don’t be fooled. Just because someone who may have lost their job isn’t donating, their fundraiser for your organization could raise quite a bit!

According to DonorPerfect’s crowdfunding data:

• The average amount a supporter raises through their own crowdfunding page is $568.
• The average donation to a crowdfunding campaign is $66.
• Over 50% of people who receive an email about a crowdfunding campaign donate.

Here are 3 ways you can leverage crowdfunding for #GivingTuesdayNow:

Reach Out to Donors + Board Members

Lots of your donors and board members will gladly populate their social media feeds with the news that they’re hosting a fundraiser for you. All you have to do is ask.

Contact Local Schools

Teachers love a feel-good student activity. Use the templates in the kit to promote your crowdfunding campaign to local schools so they can put their students’ social-media savvy to good use.

Frame It as a Family Activity

Encourage families to bond over doing something good. (Not to mention, keeping the kids occupied for a little while!) Let parents know they can easily set up a crowdfunding page and encourage their kids to take photos and write stories that share why they’re supporting your nonprofit.

#GivingTuesdayNow Fundraising Idea 5: Invite Supporters to Treat Themselves

Your donors are already online shopping, so why not give them an added benefit? Tell them to shop for good by checking out your online auction benefiting your COVID-19 relief fund.

Not sure how to set up an online auction?These simple tips can help you get started.

But how do you get the goods while maintaining social distancing?

Obtaining goods while businesses are closed and donors are asked to stay at home can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Here are just a few ideas on how you can stock your auction during the pandemic:

Let local businesses know about your auction just in case they’d like to participate.

Asking local restaurants and businesses for online gift certificates can feel insensitive at this time, but not if you approach your ask with empathy. Begin your communication by letting them know that you understand this may not be the best time to participate in your online auction, but you wanted them to know that there’s an opportunity available to get their name out to your donor base if they’re able to donate a gift certificate or goods that can be shipped.

Ask donors to sponsor items for your auction.

Consider asking donors to sponsor online gift certificates and shippable goods that you can place up for bid. To give them ideas, list gift certificates that will appeal to bidders and share an Amazon Wish List of auction items they can order for you in an instant.

Curate big-ticket auction items with no risk to you from Winspire.

Winspire offers nonprofit organizations a catalog of luxury vacations, hot tickets to sporting events, and coveted, exclusive experiences that will drive up bids – at no cost! Your organization pays nothing and you keep the money that exceeds the price of the item.

Tell donors how their spring cleaning routine can benefit your mission.

As many of us are staying inside, spring cleaning has become just another way to pass the time. Let your donors know that you’ll gladly accept donations of items in the toss pile from spring cleaning that will garner bids from your supporters. Provide donors with suggestions like:

• Gently used fine jewelry and designer handbags and accessories
• Collectible items like artwork and sought-after antiques
• Unused gift cards from the holidays

Let donors know where to ship the items or schedule a curbside drop-off day at staff members’ homes or your facility.

Pull It All Together with a Complete Online Fundraising Solution

DonorPerfect offers affordable, top-rated subscription packages that include everything you need to raise money and engage donors online – even when your staff and volunteers are working remotely.

From online forms and crowdfunding to auction management software and automatic monthly giving, see all that DonorPerfect has to offer by registering for a group demo today.