Strategy

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Nonprofit Management

Newsletter 

Our clients often tell us that they need to grow their donor base and to expand their revenue sources.  In our last two newsletters, we provided you with strategies for enhancing your existing annual fundraising goals and ways to grow your relationships and donor base.  However, we did not push you to look beyond the "usual donor suspects."  While many will say that this is much easier said than done this late in the year, what if there was an easy way to ask for money and to meet new donors before the end of 2013?

That's exactly what #GivingTuesday™ set out to do and we encourage you to consider #GivingTuesday as an opportunity to build awareness about your organization's mission, recruit new volunteers, and even fundraise.

Now in its second year, #GivingTuesday was created by the 92nd Street Y, with the support of the United Nations Foundation, as a philanthropic movement that celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofits.

We are all aware of the consumerism that follows Thanksgiving -- first, Black Friday, and then Cyber Monday.  #GivingTuesday, which occurs on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (this year, December 3), keeps in the spirit of open wallets, by using the power of social media along with the generosity of people to bring about real change in communities.

#GivingTuesday is not a website through which people can donate. It is a movement that creates a reason to talk about philanthropy and a reason to give.  The hash tag in front of the #GivingTuesday campaign name is used to group messages on social media -- think of it like an indexing tool. It enables participants (nonprofits, donors, volunteers, celebrities, etc.) to quickly share their stories and appeals with others about what they are doing in their communities on #GivingTuesday.   

Last year, more than 2,500 partners -- both for-profit and nonprofit -- participated in #GivingTuesday. Blackbaud and DonorPerfect (donor management software companies) reported 53 percent and 46 percent increases in donations, and endorsements of #GivingTuesday came from the White House, the Gates Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, scores of celebrities, and FORTUNE 100 retailers.

Steps for Creating a #GivingTuesday Campaign

#GivingTuesday is off to a successful start this year.  Celebrity endorsers, philanthropic leaders such as Bill and Melinda Gates, and nonprofits like yours have already gotten involved.  With resources and organization, you can start your own #GivingTuesday campaign in time for December 3. Here's how:

1. Decide how you will use #GivingTuesday.  With less than two months to go before #GivingTuesday, you must decide how many resources (staff and board time, marketing, advertising, etc.) you can invest in your #GivingTuesday campaign.  Your resources will determine how much you can do this year.
2. Register for #GivingTuesday.  If you are a registered charity or a for-profit business wanting to participate, register at givingtuesday.org.  Registration is quick and free and enables your organization's logo, website, and #GivingTuesday ideas to be shared.
3. Set realistic goals for #GivingTuesday.  Whether you want to raise $10,000 from new donors, you want to get a $25,000 matching gift by raising needed funds, or you want to get 500 new Facebook followers for later cultivation, you need to define what #GivingTuesday success means for your organization.
4. Get creative.  #GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to test the limits of what you can do to generate buzz about your organization.  Use this as an excuse to develop new messages about your organization, try new fundraising approaches, or create a Twitter account.

#GivingTuesday Campaign Options

The sky's the limit when you participate in #GivingTuesday.  Your campaign can be as simple as "tweeting" about your organization's connection to your community and asking for a donation by linking to your donation page in the days leading up to #GivingTuesday.  Or, your campaign can be more elaborate with open houses, video testimonials, and story-based "asks" that enable donors to see firsthand the great work your organization is doing.  Many 2013 #GivingTuesday nonprofit, corporation, and individual participants have begun their campaigns.  What follows are examples of their approaches.

• Nonprofits asking those close to them to give. Matheny Medical and Education Center (@MathenyMedical) will be using the power of social media and creative email messaging to engage new and existing supporters to donate on #GivingTuesday.
• Nonprofit staff giving back to their communities. The artists and staff at the Flea Theater (@TheFleaTheater) will be volunteering their time and manpower at other nonprofits in their TriBeCa neighborhood on #GivingTuesday.
• Companies using their brand, client base, and market footprint to give back. To encourage cardholders and employees to give, Discover (@Discover) is offering a 2 percent match on direct donations paid via Discover card to the national chapters of their Cashback Bonus charitable partners during the time leading up to #GivingTuesday and a 2 percent match on any donations paid via Cashback Bonus Discover card on #GivingTuesday.
• Individuals using personal networks to raise money for their favorite charities. Elizabeth Pugliese (@eplawyer), a lawyer in Maryland, has invited readers of her blog to join her in a quilting bee. To participate in the bee, you must donate at least $10 to one of her five favorite charities on #GivingTuesday.

#GivingTuesday requires resources and relationships. It is not too late to make #GivingTuesday part of your 2013 fundraising and relationship expansion strategy. We want to hear from you about your #GivingTuesday plans. Please share them with us on Twitter @Orr_Associates.

Learn more about #GivingTuesday and find resources for setting up your campaign at givingtuesday.org.

* * *

Lauren Newman, Senior Associate Director, New Business and Communications at Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) has spent her career working with professionals to expand their marketing capacity for the purposes of new business generation. In addition to her work at OAI, Lauren works for Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies' Corporate Communications and Public Relations masters program as an alumni advisor.

Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) invites you to a free seminar  

at the Foundation Center in New York:   

Friday, November 22, 2013 

10:00am - 12:00pm

The Foundation Center

79 Fifth Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets

Second Floor

New York, NY 10003

Have your galas fallen short of your fundraising expectations?  Are you considering planning a gala to improve your fundraising results?  Do you need some fresh ideas on how to reinvent your gala so it stands out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, join us as our event marketing and production expert explains how to develop a strategy for your gala -- existing or new -- that will ensure fundraising success.  

During this interactive session, our speaker will review each of the essential ingredients for a successful gala, including board involvement; connections to business leaders and other wealthy individuals; a great story that will resonate with prospective donors; and experienced gala managers who can provide direction, fundraising expertise, cost containment, and production capability. She will also work through the process of developing a strategy for a successful gala.  Topics to be discussed include:

• Defining an appropriate fundraising goal
• Creating a leadership strategy
• Finding a "draw"
• Preparing your organization for the spotlight a gala brings
• Tactics for fundraising success  

Speaker:

• Juliana Sloper, Director, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)

Registration:

Space is limited. Register by clicking here.   

If you need further information, please call The Foundation Center at (212) 620-4230.

Please arrive on time or your seat may be given away to others who are waiting to attend. 

Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) invites you to a free webinar
presented by GuideStar:

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 

1:00 - 2:00 PM ET 

A study produced by CompassPoint and the Haas, Jr. Fund, UnderDeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising, has taught us the following:

• Half of the chief development officers interviewed are planning to leave their positions.
• For nonprofits with budgets of $1M-10M, it takes an average of 8-10 months to hire for those positions, as well as other executive functions.
• Only 25 percent of those hired for executive director and other executive functions will stay in their jobs more than five years.

In reaction to this culture shift of turnover and gaps in leadership, many nonprofits -- large and small -- are using consultants as short- and long-term solutions.

We invite you to join us for an interactive session as top thinkers in nonprofit management and philanthropy offer techniques and anecdotes for getting through these tumultuous times. Some of the topics that will be addressed include:

• Determining if outsourcing your leadership on a short- or long-term basis is a good fit.
• Assessing the current state of the outgoing leader's responsibilities and reallocating resources to keep moving toward fundraising goals and mission objectives.
• Managing relationships with your board and donors during transitions.  

Presenters: 

• Stephen K. Orr, Managing Partner, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)
• Emma Kieran, Vice President, Fundraising and Development, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) 
• Jenny Taylor, Development Coordinator, GuideStar USA (moderator)

Registration:

Register by clicking here.