How to cut through the noise on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a ‘global generosity movement’. It encourages donations of time and money, or simply asks people to raise awareness for a good cause. In the UK in 2021, Giving Tuesday set the world record for fundraising, with £20.2 million (£14,000 a minute) raised for charities in just 24 hours. 

In 2022, Giving Tuesday will take place on 29 November, the day after Cyber Monday. The day provides charities with a huge opportunity to expand their supporter base, raise vital funds, boost momentum, facilitate long-lasting partnerships with corporate organisations, and so much more. 

But there are some considerations charites should think about, namely around the prevalence of one-time donors and the fact that so many charities are involved. Below we offer some essential advice on converting donors and cutting through the noise. 

Converting one-time donors 

Donor retention is difficult at the best of times. But on Giving Tuesday – a day that is often seen as an exception – it can be even more challenging. But charities need to work hard to convert donors and can take some simple steps to ensure that occurs.  

The first step is including recurring donation options during the donation process. Too many charities still ask for the one-off donation, neglecting the opportunity to forge a long-term relationship. Make it easy to give weekly, monthly, and annually on the first engagement.  

Another way to retain donors is through giving thanks. According to GuideStar, for example, 20% of first-time donors do not repeat their gifts, but donors who receive a thank you message within 48 hours are four times more likely to repeat. Charities should look to automate the process, sending donors a targeted thank-you note through an advanced CRM system. 

Charities could show donors the impact of their donation. One way is using email, often sent with a thank you note, but other forms of comms may prove effective. Charities could livestream the work they do, which would help them reach previous donors on socials. Or they could send a ‘Goal bar’ out to donors to show how much you’ve raised towards a certain objective. 

These are just a few options, but there are many others that might prove effective for your charity. For more tips on converting donors, sign up below for Salesforce.org’s four-week Giving Tuesday Tips Series where they share content and success stories that will show your charity how to convert donors.   

Cutting through the noise 

So many charities engage with Giving Tuesday, some of whom have huge marketing drives, teams dedicated to promotion, and a significant advertising budget. Simply put, for many charities, Giving Tuesday can feel like a crowded marketplace with lots of charities competing for attention. 

It can prove quite difficult to cut through the noise, to stand out amid the crowd. But charities can take simple steps to highlight their cause. They can, among other things, place service users at the heart of storytelling, target the right demographics on social media, and showcasing their impact. 

Salesforce.org’s Giving Tuesday email series will uncover the above the tips shared in more detail, showing charities how to cut through the noise. The email will go out every Tuesday, during November, direct to your inbox.