#GivingTuesday: How To Use Technology to Improve Success

Social Solutions Blog

#GivingTuesday: How To Use Technology to Improve Success

#GivingTuesday has become a global movement and a cornerstone of the holiday season. Fueled by the power of technology, social media, and community collaboration, the international day of giving has grown over the past seven years. In 2017, nonprofits brought in approximately $274 million in donations, a 500 percent spike in online giving since #GivingTuesday’s inception in 2012! Not bad for a one-day event that started as a hashtag.

#GivingTuesday creates invaluable opportunities for nonprofits – technology can help unlock those opportunities. With November 27th around the corner, we’ve put together a few tips for nonprofits looking to expand their reach this year.


#GivingTuesday shouldn’t be the first time potential donors hear about your organization. You should be sending them a stream of communication. That way, by the time the day arrives they’re familiar with your mission and excited to make a contribution. The most effective way to do this is by using technology.

Spending more time on planning can have a profound impact on the success of your #GivingTuesday. Your campaigns don’t need to be over-the-top, but you should craft them with thought. Setting up an email drip campaign in advance or brainstorming social media campaigns can amplify giving beyond the community level. It can also pique the interest of prospective new donors. If you’ve missed out this year, that’s okay. Put this email campaign on your 2019 calendar right now – you’ll thank yourself later!


There are a few things you can do to make your #GivingTuesday drive successful. Namely, making sure your appeals are personalized and your target is realistic. But a successful #GivingTuesday is a lot less about what happens on the actual day and more about what happens after. Ensuring your internal infrastructure is set up to handle post-event outreach is crucial. It also ensures you can steward ongoing donor communication and excitement.

Donations are great, but capital raised is not the only way to measure the success of #GivingTuesday. Your organization may secure 100 donations, but if you don’t follow up with those who contributed, the likelihood of donors continuing to give is slim.

#GivingTuesday is not a one-person job. There are only so many hours in the day. Technology isn’t a comprehensive solution to limited resources and jam-packed schedules, but it helps nonprofits reach more people and get more out of each day and donor relationship.

With the right technology and long-term donor relations strategy, a $5 contribution can evolve into a lifetime of donations.


Not only do data-driven insights secure more funding from donors on a regular basis, but they also have the power to take your #GivingTuesday to the next level. Donors are more likely to invest when they can see how the organization delivers on its mission. Software like Social Solutions tracks program progress and allows organizations to pull reports that show how donations contribute to outcomes.

Data has the power to show audiences that your nonprofit focuses on outcomes rather than just money. When setting up a campaign, think of how your nonprofit will prove its success. For instance, creating a landing page that says, “Help us raise $5,000 for #GivingTuesday” doesn’t let potential donors know why you’re trying to raise money. Instead, you could try saying something like, “Help us raise $5,000 this #GivingTuesday so we can help ten at-risk kids get the grades they need for college!”

This resonates more with the community. It evokes an emotional connection and answers why your nonprofit is raising money. Most importantly, it is a specific and measurable goal that can be tracked using data. As Simon Sinek said in his famous TEDTalk, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Start with why. Finish with data.


As people continue to shift towards a digital-only donation model, incorporating technology into #GivingTuesday is becoming critical. Nonprofits face the same problems – too few people with too much work and too little resources. Technology can give you more hours in the day by streamlining tasks and reducing inefficiencies so you can get more done.

Looking for more resources? Head over to www.nonprofitready.org to learn everything you need to make your tech-driven #GivingTuesday a success.


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