Creative Giving Day Engagement Ideas

Promoting your organization’s participation in a Giving Day to your community is no small task.

Often it can feel like there isn’t enough time or resources to successfully market the day. But if you think outside the box, there are lots of great ways to get your community excited about your Giving Day that can play a big role in your organization’s overall success.

Host a Giving Day Event

One great way to build excitement around giving to your organization is to host an in-person event on the day of your Day of Giving.

Whether it’s a happy hour meet-up or an ice cream social at your office, having a place where your supporters can get together and see your mission in action can have a profound impact on your success.

Establish Partnerships with Local Businesses

Creating partnerships with local businesses can be a fantastic low-cost way to expand your reach and promote your Day of Giving throughout your community.  Here are a few ways to do this:  

• Engage with local bars and restaurants to establish a Giving Day Deal for donors who show their donation receipt
• Reach out to local businesses asking if they would share a Giving Day post on their own social media accounts to help you reach those new donors who otherwise wouldn’t have heard about the day
• If you know of any businesses with great sign real estate, see if you can get them to promote the day like this business did for NH Gives:  

Not sure which businesses to ask? Reach out to your board members, donors, and best supporters – you never know whose connection will help you make a difference!

Create a Social Media Challenge

Social Media Challenges are a great way to engage with your current supporters and use their own social networks to expand the reach of your organization. You can have your supporters participate in an #Unselfie challenge and share photos after they’ve made a donation on the day of, or you can create a challenge more personalized to your organization.

Ask your supporters to share their stories using a customized #hashtag to enter them in a prize pool for the day. If a social media challenge is something you are interested in, it will be worth it to set aside some resources to reward prizes. That prize could be anything from a free subscription, premium access to an event, or even a donation made in that person’s name. Be creative and you’ll soon see the impact grow!

Mobilize Your Volunteers

A Day of Giving is the perfect time to utilize your volunteers – old and new! Invite them to be a part of your Giving Day team and champion for your cause.

Whether they are helping to fundraise on behalf of your organization or assist with the planning, utilizing your volunteers is a fantastic way to spread the word and get your community excited about the Giving Day. For more ideas on how to engage your volunteers during for a Giving Day, check out Meaningful Assignments for Giving Day Volunteers. 

Share Your Stories

Sharing the stories of your donors, volunteers, board members, and the people you serve can be one of the most powerful promotional tools for your Day of Giving. When you share the stories of how your mission has made an impact on the people of your community, you increase the chances of others rallying behind your cause to help make a difference.

Before a Giving Day, collect several of these stories from your supporters to use in your social media posts, emails, direct mail, and other promotional materials. You’ll be surprised at how powerful a story can be to your overall success!