Giving Tuesday 2022: Planning Guide for Nonprofit Boards

Traditionally taking place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. In 2022, Giving Tuesday lands on November 29th. Early planning will enable your board to maximize the potential for receiving funds so your nonprofit can continue giving to your community all year round.

New donors and larger donations should get your board’s attention, and Giving Tuesday is a peak time to leverage giving.

Giving Tuesday: A Global Movement of Giving

“A world built on a foundation of shared humanity and radical generosity” — that was and continues to be the vision for Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is an annual event that kicks off the holiday season in the spirit of giving for the holidays.

Giving Tuesday started in 2012. The idea behind it was simple — to encourage people to do good. Everyone is capable of contributing something. They can do it in the manner they choose, and at the level they choose.

The Giving Tuesday program offers toolkits for individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and brands that wish to participate in the program.

The Giving Tuesday program inspired the Giving Every Tuesday program. This program offers ideas for giving activities every week of the year. Whether the activity is giving of your voice, giving of your skills, or giving of your love, the idea is for participants to give part of themselves each week all year long and to make giving a part of everyday life.

Why Make Giving Tuesday the Fundraising Event of the Year

The question about whether to participate in Giving Tuesday should really be, “Why not?” The participation cost ranges from nothing to minimal, depending on how elaborate an event you plan to hold.

Giving Tuesday is a brand that is recognized around the world, which gives you excellent marketing potential. People believe in campaigns they feel they can trust, which motivates them to donate to your nonprofit. Your board has the opportunity to use the Giving Tuesday logo and branding without restrictions, as long as you don’t modify it or create your version of it.

Giving Tuesday opens up opportunities to attract new donors while people feel festive and have the giving spirit. This event allows you to collect donor data to use for future communications.

Lastly, Giving Tuesday is a community event that may improve or solidify your nonprofit’s reputation.

How Your Nonprofit Board Can Prepare for Giving Tuesday

A successful Giving Tuesday campaign requires early planning. Several months before the event is not too soon to put it on your board’s agenda. With the right plan and goals, your nonprofit will benefit from Giving Tuesday activities all year.

A step-by-step approach will ensure a successful campaign and allow everyone involved to have a lot of fun. 

Step #1 Planning Your Campaign

Good planning starts with setting goals and a strategy. Set clear, measurable goals for donations. Also, set qualitative goals for how many people you will reach by promoting your brand.

Step #2 Announcing Your Campaign

Determine how and when to get the word out about your campaign. Plan for new releases, media pitches, website announcements, and social media postings. Set up a schedule for which announcements go out, when they go out and who will be accountable for messaging. 

Step #3 Recruiting Volunteers and Participants

Do a callout for volunteers and participants. Search for participants at local businesses, other nonprofits, and among family and friends. Get groups involved to achieve greater reach. 

Step #4 Establish a Marketing Plan

Allot some of your budget for marketing and outreach. Purchase ads and order flyers. Establish a plan for where to place advertising and when it will appear online. Get creative with banner ads and keep your options open for potential advertising opportunities. 

Step #5 Plan the Giving Tuesday Events

Set a start time for the event day and plan what happens for the rest of the day. It helps to designate one person to be in charge in case anyone has questions. Make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to do and when. Consider using gamification software to grow donations and promote healthy competition. Peer-to-peer fundraising strategies will help to spread the word across social media. As part of peer-to-peer fundraising, participants can create personal web pages and drive donations to the main campaign page. You may also consider using text-to-give software so donors can easily donate via a text message. 

Step #6 Track the Outcomes

Tracking your outcomes should be easy if you set measurable goals from the beginning. Report on your outcomes and share them with the public. This can be your benchmark for success for your next annual campaign. 

Unique Challenges for Giving Tuesday 2022

For many years, Giving Tuesday campaigns could build on the successes of previous years. After the pandemic started in 2020, many donors restructured their rules so nonprofits had greater flexibility to use funds where they would do the most good. 

The problems caused by COVID have decreased to some degree, and some of your lapsed donors may be ready to donate again. A well-planned Giving Tuesday event may inspire previous donors to resume giving to your nonprofit. 

Another thing nonprofits must consider is the impact on the economy. Citizens are feeling the financial pressure of increased gas prices and rising inflation. These issues may impact how far participants are willing to travel to attend events and how much of their own money they can contribute to the cause.

The Role of a Board Management Solution in Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday can be a major fundraising event for your nonprofit in 2022. A successful event will require your board to plan early and be well-organized. BoardEffect has all the tools to assist your board in the planning stages. BoardEffect has an intuitive interface, and you can set user-based permissions to ensure security. For added convenience, the platform is compatible with mobile devices.

BoardEffect also accommodates documents in different formats, making it a snap for board members to collaborate and share documents.

Lastly, BoardEffect’s platform leverages data encryption and authentication methods to ensure your board’s work remains secure and confidential.

Giving Tuesday is a program that makes a huge difference worldwide. If it’s something your nonprofit feels is worthwhile, you need the tools to carry out a successful event. BoardEffect is the platform of choice for a convenient, user-friendly, and efficient board management solution.