The Endangered Wildlife Trust raised 100% of their #GivingTuesday 2018 fundraising goal in 24 hours. What can their campaign teach other charities about running a successful #GivingTuesday charity campaign?Heather Altherr, EWT’s Digital Marketing Officer, says various factors helped to make EWT's campaign successful.“#GivingTuesdaySA is still new in South Africa, so we focused on raising awareness with stories thanking people for the different kinds of help we get. Social media is a highly visual medium, so we used high-quality images to show our supporters the milestones they helped us achieve. We also developed three videos to show different ways in which people have helped.”Charities can learn a number of lessons from this.
1. Say THANK YOU – ON VIDEO
Charities have successfully used videos to thank supporters since #GivingTuesday started in 2012.EWT'sfirstvideo profiles the work of staff member Oscar Mohale in its first video message thanking supporters. It was shared the day before #GivingTuesday.The secondvideo tells "Kim’s" story of becoming a fundraising supporter of EWT's Canine Conservation project. Kim used her birthday to raise funds from friends and family after reading about the successes of Annie, a dog used by the EWT Conservation Canine Project to sniff out poachers and contraband. EWT's thank-you video features photos from Kim’s fundraiser, with Kim telling her own story in a voice-over.The third video celebrates Artifact Advertising’s pro bono work for EWT.EWT's videos are all short and carry a simple, clear message. And while they were professionally produced, a fundraiser need not go to those lengths to contribute to the success of a #GivingTuesday charity campaign. A smartphone, a couple of takes and free video-editing software are all you need.
2. Use GREAT PHOTOS
Every charity should have a few good photographs showing the difference their work makes in specific areas. EWT chose five images that clearly show their impact in the areas of wildlife and the environment, as well as the contributions of supporters, partners and staff.The first photo, of two rhinos, was used no less than four times. To begin with, it graced the charity’s GivenGain campaign page. Secondly, it went out on its #GivingTuesday message. Thirdly, it was used in EWT's #GivingTuesday Facebook header, and the fourth time is appeared in its first video.Each photo had text telling the story of the photo and thanking supporters. The stories were short and very specific.The final photo, published late in the afternoon on #GivingTuesday, included the photo's story and a message of thanks to supporters for their overwhelming generosity throughout the day. It explained that the R20,000 raised in the 24 hours of #GivingTuesday would be used to train Jessie, a scent detection dog for the Critically Endangered Riverine Rabbit.
3. Share on E-MAIL and SOCIAL MEDIA
Share, share and share again. Showing the same message to e-mail subscribers and social media followers ensures your #GivingTuesday messages are seen by as many supporters as possible. Include an appeal for support!The EWT shared one message the day before #GivingTuesday, six on the day, and one the day after. Although this might seem like a lot, it is only for the 24-hour period, and only once a year!
4. Set achievable GOALS
A successful #GivingTuesday charity campaign makes it easy for supporters to make a difference. The Endangered Wildlife Trust did this by setting an achievable fundraising goal.This is always a very good idea because it makes every single donor feel like they contributed to the goal.
Acing #GivingTuesday
To sum up, it’s all about saying thank you. First, thank your supporters for their help throughout the year. The day after #GivingTuesday, follow up with a message of thanks for what was achieved on the day.Be specific – use stories, photos and videos to profile staff, supporters, partners and their impact on your charity’s work. Celebrate your successes by thanking your supporters throughout your 24-hour campaign.Thirdly, choose a small, achievable fundraising goal so every single supporter can get a feeling for the difference their contribution made to your #GivingTuesday campaign.Finally, share the same messages to supporters on e-mail and social media.And it doesn’t have to stop there. Keep #GivingTuesday in mind as you go into the new year – save your best photos and stories to use next November!
