Every year, it’s the same thing: Let’s make a plan for Giving Tuesday that will really wow our fans.
What actually happens? EVERYONE in the organization gets involved and the ideas get so diluted that they wouldn’t be all that effective to begin with. That would be enough for me to throw my hands up. But the fact is that Giving Tuesday is so much worse than that.
So let’s take a look at a few reasons why I’m giving up on Giving Tuesday.
EVERYONE asks for money on Giving Tuesday
My feed on Giving Tuesday is absolutely flooded with asks for money. These organizations could do so much if I just gave them a little bit. And hey, if I give right now, my donation will be matched. The same asks again and again with very little variation. It’s such a mass of asks that I don’t know what to do. And that’s the problem.
With everyone doing the same thing on the same day, I don’t even know where to turn. It’s too much at once, so I’m more likely to do absolutely nothing. And that’s how most humans are. If you give them loads of choices at once, they won’t pick any of them. Giving Tuesday is just one day with way too many choices of where to give.
On top of that, social media is all about standing out. If you are doing the same thing as everyone else that day, it’s going to be really hard to do that. And with this sea of asks, standing out is more important than ever. With the increased competition for a place in fans’ feeds, there’s a very good chance your content won’t be seen anyway.
It doesn’t take the place of great relationships
This is something I’ve seen every year. I haven’t heard from an organization since the last Giving Tuesday. They haven’t shown much interest in me or my money. But then Giving Tuesday happens and I’m suddenly their best friend.
Imagine the organization is a real person. You only hear from them when you can do them a favor and then they disappear until the next favor is needed. They’re mysteriously absent when you need something. You only see their face when they need something. You’re eventually going to stop giving that friend what they’re asking for. And that will be what happens if you put all of your efforts into Giving Tuesday and only show up in your relationship with donors then. They’ll get sick of it and ignore your needs.
Giving Tuesday isn’t as effective anymore
Why is Giving Tuesday not effective anymore? For the reasons above and some others as well. It’s just not bringing in the money it once was.
Do you know what is disheartening? Throwing so much effort at one day and seeing diminishing returns every year. But you still have to do it because your organization thinks you need to. So you give more and more and get less and less. That seems like a recipe for insanity, not a smart plan to get donations.
What will I do instead?
Absolutely getting rid of a Giving Tuesday plan is not going to go over well with the board and higher ups of your organization. So instead, re-imagine what it looks like.
- Choose to do a whole campaign throughout the month of November. You can spread out the messages throughout the month when people are not doing those same asks and therefore make each ask more effective than if you did them all on Giving Tuesday.
- Create relationships year round that are reciprocal, rather than just about the organization’s needs. You then build the November campaign on the strong shoulders of these relationships.
- Concentrate on showing not telling. Great storytelling can make a huge difference here and making sure you concentrate on an emotion as you tell your story. If you are making your fans feel something real, they’re more likely to act in a way that helps you.
- Use Giving Tuesday as more of a celebration rather than an ask. What did you accomplish over the month of November? Tell your fans that this is the last chance to be a part of how incredible the last month was.
Obviously this is just a basic guide to get you started thinking about what Giving Tuesday should look for your organization in the future. When it’s not an option to fully get rid of it, it’s time to think about how to get it to work again.
How are you reimagining Giving Tuesday?