It’s All About Giving Tuesday

The best in all of us is usually brought out by the circle of giving. Our moral drive to pay something forward when we feel grateful represented it. The benefits are usually immense when we give. People who like giving are more fulfilled, happier, more empathic, and even more professionally successful according to research. 

To capitalize on the generous spirit of the holiday season with email campaigns and social media, giving Tuesday is an effective tool for non-profits and NGOs. Remember to: 

• For your marketing campaign to stand out, you should find the best way to do so. 
• Your marketing should be descriptive and you should write it for one person. 
• For the rest of the year, you should plan an automated nurturing strategy. 

You can boost your donations during the year-end holiday season and all year long by maximizing your email marketing efforts and integrating them with social media and your landing pages. Nonprofits can also build loyal relationships with donors through data just like brands. 

Originating from a center for culture and community in New York City: 92nd Street Y, #GivingTuesday started as a simple idea to bring the idea of giving to the forefront in the days following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Now, four years later, people who were never invited to be part of what we like to call “the giving chain”, people who didn’t realize they had so much to give, and people who never considered themselves philanthropists are engaged more in this idea. 

To join the giving chain, you don’t have to be a millionaire. To someone in need, the amount you would pay for a fancy cup of coffee (or two) can make a difference. Championing a cause you believe in on social media, volunteering time at a local charitable organization, check with your employer for matching donation program or inviting friends to match your donations are some of the ways you can do to give that don’t cost a dime. In your philanthropic effort, you should not forget your kids to take part in it. For getting families involved in giving, #GivingTuesday has lots of great ideas.

Below are just a few:

• To donate to a charity to give children in need, you can ask your children to select a toy or gift. 
• In your local community, you can volunteer with your teens.
• You can donate the proceeds you can get to an organization of your choice by holding a neighborhood yard or bake sale.
• Once per week, you can help your kids donate part of their allowance or collect change to donate to a charity fund. At the end of the month. They can donate the funds to a nonprofit and you should help those researching causes and charities where they can donate it. 
• You should encourage your family to say thank you by doing something kinds to others and you can also ask them what they are thankful for. 
• For each family member to at least act one kind of kindness per day, you can make a family challenge. Such as, opening the door for a neighbor or helping with their siblings’ chores. There is a big difference if they will perform one small act a day. 
• For children to embrace a greater good and understand the importance of “community”, it is very important to encourage children early on. One of the greatest things we can do to engender a sense of global responsibility is by paying it forward by fostering a generosity of spirit in the next generation. 

With local campaigns, communities around the country have responded to #GivingTuesday. You can check out the Giving Tuesday interactive map to see the movement as it builds. The Giving Tuesday interactive map is an up-to-the-minute guide to campaigns around the country. 

What causes move people to give, who is likely to give, what motivates them, are some of the things we are learning from #GivingTuesday. It is also our great hope that through the things we learned, nonprofits will be more effective and can do more good work. 

But, organizations are not the only ones that stand to learn and to have a benefit. For individuals like you, it is a day to make a difference and it’s more than just a day to give.  This day is also an opportunity to cross political, geographic and demographic boundaries, and to forget the craziness of everyday life to reach out to one another. 

#GivingTuesday is here to urge you to become a philanthropist and let it change you for good whether you’ve been a regular donor or volunteer or have yet to discover your own giving sweet spot.