When Should I Start Planning My Giving Day?

“Planning a Giving Day event is similar to planning a wedding – although it’s only one day, you want months to prepare so everything goes smoothly.”

– Michelle Mullins, Assistant Director of Integrated Marketing Strategy at College of Charleston

• Coordinate with sponsors or partners for prize and/ or media sponsorships. Communication outreach is often a lengthy process when done right! It involves developing a strategy, crafting and sending personalized asks, following up, and meeting to outline an agreement, among other pieces. This process takes time, but is the driving factor in the engagement and success of your campaign, not to mention it’s essential in finalizing your Giving Day’s prizes and challenges!

• Consult with other GiveGab Giving Day partners to learn valuable tips & effective strategies. – The Giving Day landscape is ever-changing, with much still to learn in regards to what strategies and features are most effective. As the #1 solution for Giving Days, we work with a variety of experienced partners across the country. We’re happy to connect you so you can benefit from their knowledge and expertise. The earlier you start planning, the more beneficial and easier it will be to implement their tips!

• Choose a date and communicate it in advance to organizations. Nonprofits and student organizations often plan their fundraising schedules up to a year ahead. Sharing the date early will allow your Giving Day participants to allocate the needed resources, time, and effort their Giving Day campaign will entail, as well as ensuring their other campaigns will not interfere! Also, this will help you create milestones to ensure you are on track for success!

• Customize & stand up your Giving Day site. When you work with GiveGab, you have a dedicated Project Manager who works with you to customize your Giving Day site according to your organization or school’s unique needs. The more time you have to be creative and develop content, the more tailored your site can be!

• Build a strategic marketing campaign & coordinate with local media. Many factors are overlooked when planning a robust Giving Day marketing campaign. The biggest factor – time. Strategizing, drafting copy, preparing social media posts, and coordinating with media sponsors takes a substantial amount of time and coordination between the many people involved in this process. By developing your marketing campaign 6-9 months before your Giving Day, you are ensuring that communications to participants are thoughtful, intentional, and effective. Trust us, your Giving Day will be much less stressful if you take the time to develop a game plan!

• Train participants on how to run a successful Giving Day campaign. Like any new skill, learning how to run an effective campaign takes preparation, practice, and time. Whether you’re providing training to nonprofits, school departments, or student organizations, you will need time to plan and run the training sessions. Your GiveGab team has strong experience providing trainings and will help you along the way!