Tips for Planning a Successful 'Giving Tuesday' Fundraiser
Make the most of this annual day of giving
Since Giving Tuesday's inception in 2012, fundraising groups have used Terri Lynn products to join the celebration and leverage this annual day of generosity and support.
Post Date: Oct 5 2022
Giving Tuesday is the single biggest fundraising day of the entire year, generating billions of dollars for nonprofits and fundraising groups around the globe. Since its inception in 2012, fundraisers have used Terri Lynn products to join the celebration and leverage this annual day of generosity and support.
So how can you make sure you’re ready for November 29th this year? As usual, the answer is to prepare early — and there’s still time for that! Our team of fundraising experts has tips on how to use these next few weeks to get ready for the big day, and build on worldwide momentum leading up to Giving Tuesday.
Choose where and how you’ll raise money
Some fundraising groups use Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to try something new, or to supplement their other tried-and-true methods for generating buzz on this special day. If you’ve only ever sold fundraising products in-person at a table in front of a store or at church, consider expanding your offerings with an online Terri Lynn Webstore this year. Likewise, if you host a Webstore year-round, you can choose to supplement those sales with a one-day in-person selling event out in the community - say, on Giving Tuesday.
Decide which fundraising methods you’ll use now, so that you can start preparing for them in advance — like lining up volunteers for in-person sales, recruiting organizers for catalog fundraiser shipments, assigning someone to track online fundraiser sales, and more.
Pro tip: Giving Tuesday is largely an online movement (hence the popular #GivingTuesday hashtag). If you haven’t already, set up your Terri Lynn Webstore now — it’s free! This way, you can easily make fundraising sales online and share your unique Webstore link on social media, in emails and in texts.
Create a theme
Lots of groups use Giving Tuesday to try something new. This can be a great time to enlist the help of your members and get creative with ways to stand out from the crowd. Maybe it’s a seasonal theme, or contest, or special cause for Giving Tuesday only. Here are some ideas from other fundraising groups in the past:
Host a contest and award a prize to the person or team who sells the most Terri Lynn products on Giving Tuesday.
Highlight an anniversary, and connect it with your fundraising goal. For example, you can aim to raise $10,000 for your organization’s 10 year anniversary.
Use costumes or props to communicate the cause you’re fundraising for. If it’s a food bank, dress up as vegetables! If you’re raising money for a sports team’s equipment, show up in uniform!
Set up a free gift wrapping station for people buying Terri Lynn premium nuts and snacks as presents for the holidays.
Talk about your cause leading up to Giving Tuesday
Before asking for support on Giving Tuesday, it’s important to share your big WHY. This should be what you do, who you support, the impact of your fundraiser, and even heartwarming success stories if you have them. If possible, share concrete examples of what someone’s purchase can do (for example, “Every 10 bags of Terri Lynn nuts sold provides funding for one family’s holiday meal.”).
The more excitement you can generate about your cause, the more likely your supporters will be to seek you out in-person or online on Giving Tuesday.
Pro tip: Share information about your cause all November long on your social media channels, in email newsletters, print newsletters, or fliers at local businesses. Read more about How to Effectively Promote Your Fundraising for Free
Use the resources at GivingTuesday.org
The Giving Tuesday website has a wealth of information for everyone planning to host a special fundraiser on November 29th. From logos to design templates to stock images, you’ll find plenty of tools that your promotions team can customize and use. Here are some quick and helpful links on the official Giving Tuesday website:
We’ve created a special Terri Lynn Giving Tuesday graphic for you to use, too! Simply click the link above to download it and reuse it on social media, in your emails, or for posting on community bulletin boards.
Give updates throughout the day
Don’t fall off the radar on the big day itself. In all the excitement of Giving Tuesday, remember to keep your supporters in the loop about where you are (especially if you’re hosting an Order Taking or Quick Start fundraiser with Terri Lynn), how they can purchase from you to support your cause, the progress you’re making on your goal, and more.
Make it fun with group photos, thank you videos, or announcements about exciting sales (“We just sold 10 Gourmet Deluxe Gift Tins for a holiday office party!”). We recommend placing someone in charge of social media updates throughout the day, and the whole team can send them photos and captions to post online or send via email.
Plan a record-breaking Giving Tuesday
When it comes to Giving Tuesday planning, earlier is always better. Contact us now to speak with one of our fundraising experts and get answers to your questions about holiday ordering timelines, fundraising products, promotional resources and more.
We want to help you exceed your 2022 goals and set the bar high for a successful Giving Tuesday fundraiser with Terri Lynn year after year!