Giving Tuesday is May 5: How Can You Prepare?

Giving Tuesday recently announced that Tuesday, May 5 will be a global day of giving as an emergency response to the impact of Coronavirus.

As a nonprofit or a school, you may also be wondering how you can prepare. Many organizations, understandably, have been in response mode over the past month. Many have been left scrambling to plan what’s next, with entire pre-existing communications and fundraising strategies from pre-Coronavirus now left by the wayside.

How can your organization plan for Giving Tuesday in the midst of such uncertainty? Here are a few ideas.

Pre-Coronavirus Audience Data is Still Relevant

It’s no secret that this pandemic is drastically impacting the world’s economy and social systems. As we’ve written about before, it’s also likely to impact how audiences will give. Individuals who are able to contribute are likely to do so with smaller dollar giving, seeking to give to causes they deem critical during this challenging time.

Coronavirus may change how your audiences will give on May 5, but it doesn’t change who they are or what’s important to them. Look at your fundraising and communications data from previous end-of-year appeals or large-scale events. Trust your previous insights. What type of messaging and communications tactics resonated with your audiences in previous campaigns? What didn’t? These insights are as important now as they were pre-pandemic.

There’s also an opportunity to take May 5 as a way to try new online giving strategies. Have you tried tactics such as peer-to-peer fundraising, Facebook fundraising, or crowdfunding? Now is the perfect time to engage your supporters and try these tactics so that you have data to pull from to influence future campaigns later in the year.

Coronavirus Does Not Change Your Brand

Although your organization is likely making changes to your strategic priorities for the year, it’s important to realize that this pandemic does not change who you are as an organization, or your brand. In fact, you can lean into your brand by using your values as a guidepost for creating these priorities and communications amid such uncertain times, ensuring that they are authentic to who you are and the mission you serve. Think about your audience – what do they want to hear from you in this challenging time period? In a time where normalcy is hard to find, hearing the familiar voice of your brand can help them feel supported, engaged, and inspired.

Use Content Atomization to Build Your Content Inventory

An approach we’ve coached many clients in is content atomization: a jargony word for working with what you have. This means strategically repurposing content from larger, existing content pieces to make new ones. This isn’t just repurposing for the sake of having more content; it’s about how big stories can often lead to other stories, and how existing resources can be re-used to share those, reinforcing your brand. This is especially useful for organizations with small marketing teams and limited resources, where every content piece counts.

Do you have a cornerstone piece of content, such as an annual video or key blog post that clearly communicates your mission and/or impact? Consider how you can re-purpose bits of this content to live on as their own pieces of content. Can the video be cut into small segments for usage on digital platforms, such as Instagram stories? Can that longform blog post lead to a few other small blog posts? By taking this content and re-framing it with the urgency of how Coronavirus is affecting the communities you serve, and pairing it with the upcoming Giving Tuesday call-to-action, you now have a new, timely content piece that’s ready to go.

Have questions about how your organization can prepare for Giving Tuesday? Reach out to us – we’re here to help. Are you taking a new approach to online giving that could help others? Share it in the comments below!