The Giving Tuesday Myth

Episode Overview

• The episode debunks common myths about Giving Tuesday, such as the fear of competition or the idea that multiple giving days dilute total donations.
• It analyzes fundraising data from 2019 and 2020, revealing that holding two "Giving Tuesday" events in one year actually led to a significant overall increase in giving.
• The speaker argues that nonprofits should not only participate in the official Giving Tuesday but also create their own specific, themed online giving days at other times of the year.
• The video provides actionable advice for nonprofits of all sizes on how to succeed with online giving days, emphasizing the importance of planning, specificity, and securing matching funds.

Key Concepts

• The Giving Tuesday Myth: The mistaken belief that participating in Giving Tuesday is too competitive or that having multiple giving days will cannibalize donations. The data shows the opposite is true.
• The "Once-a-Year" Donor: A significant segment of donors (63%) participate only on Giving Tuesday, making it a critical day for donor acquisition that organizations miss if they don't participate.
• "More is More" in Fundraising: The principle that creating more focused, time-bound opportunities for giving leads to an overall increase in total donations, rather than just reallocating the same funds.
• Creating Your Own Giving Day: Nonprofits can replicate the success of Giving Tuesday by creating their own specific online fundraising events during other parts of the year, such as the spring or summer.
• Keys to a Successful Giving Day: Success in a crowded fundraising landscape depends on strategic planning (3-4 weeks in advance), securing a donation match to create urgency, and building a specific, compelling narrative around the campaign.

Quotes

• At 0:39 - "63% of donors give on Giving Tuesday only, and that's the only time of year they give." - Highlighting the unique and crucial audience that is active and primed to donate specifically on Giving Tuesday.
• At 3:23 - "It's a concept I call 'more is more.' More online fundraisers results in more giving, more total donations online." - Summarizing the key lesson from 2020 data, where two major giving days led to a massive increase in total donations rather than splitting them.
• At 6:44 - "That is not true! I see over and over again small nonprofits... raise 10, 50k, 100k on Giving Tuesday." - Debunking the myth that only large organizations can succeed on Giving Tuesday and emphasizing that success is about strategy, not size.

Takeaways

• Actively participate in the official Giving Tuesday to capture the large segment of donors who exclusively give on that day.
• Create your own unique, themed online giving day during a different time of year (like spring or summer) to generate additional revenue and engagement outside of the crowded end-of-year season.
• For any online giving day, ensure success by planning at least a month in advance, securing a matching gift to incentivize donors, and tying the campaign to a specific, compelling story or program.