Giving Tuesday is a powerful opportunity for private K-12 and independent schools to rally their communities and raise funds for essential programs and initiatives. By harnessing the power of social media, storytelling, and community engagement, schools can make a significant impact on their fundraising efforts.
Here are seven strategies to elevate your school’s Giving Tuesday campaign:
Write an Interesting Story: Spotlight a powerful student story that shows how your school makes a difference in the lives of your students. Pay attention to specific programs, projects, or student success stories that your donors will find interesting. You can share these stories through movies, blog posts, and social media to make people feel good and encourage them to give.
Use Social Media: To get the word out about your Giving Tuesday effort, use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. Make graphics that stand out, share interesting information, and ask your community to share your posts. Run contests or tasks on social media to get people excited and to get them to join in.
Get parents and alumni involved: Send your parents and grads a personalized message that highlights their ties to the school and stresses how important it is to give back. Talk about how their donations will help present students and people in the future. To encourage giving, you could offer special perks to graduates or hold events to thank parents.
Partner with Local Companies: On Giving Tuesday, work with local companies to offer special deals or discounts to people who donate. This can bring people together, get them to give, and help local businesses at the same time. You could also look into forming partnerships with businesses that will sponsor certain programs or initiatives. This will help your fundraising efforts have a bigger effect.
Give Donors a Sense of Urgency: To get donors to give, give them a sense of urgency. You could start a matching gift program or a limited-time donation dare to get people to give early and make the most of their donations. Make it clear what your school needs and how donations will help kids.
Offer Several Ways to Donate: Make it easy for people to donate by giving them a number of ways to do so, such as online donations, text-to-donate, and standard mail-in donations. You could make it easier for people to give by adding a Giving Tuesday payment page to your school’s website.
Measure Your Success and Celebrate It: Keep an eye on how your Giving Tuesday effort is going and celebrate your wins. Look at your data to find places where you can improve, and then change your plan for future campaigns. Tell your community about your accomplishments to get them to keep supporting you and to get people excited about future fundraising efforts.
An additional strategy that schools have seen success with is to pick a specific focus for your entire Giving Tuesday campaign. Do you need a new computer lab, a new set of textbooks, a new music lab? These are all things you can create a powerful Giving Tuesday campaign from.
Don’t miss this excellent resource from the Giving Tuesday team, providing more ideas and inspiration for your efforts!
Private K-12 schools can get the most out of Giving Tuesday and raise a lot of money to support their goal and vision by using these tips. Remember that the best way to have a good Giving Tuesday campaign is to get people involved, tell them interesting stories, and make it easy for them to give.
Remember, following up with donors after Giving Tuesday can help continue long-term giving relationships and foster continued support. Here are three follow-up strategies for private schools:
1. Personalized Thank-You Notes:
Send heartfelt thank-you notes to each donor, expressing sincere gratitude for their contribution. Personalize the notes by mentioning specific details about their donation or how their gift will impact students. Consider including a handwritten note or a small token of appreciation, such as a school-branded item.
2. Provide Updates on the Impact of Donations:
Keep donors informed about how their contributions are making a difference. Share stories of student success, photos of completed projects, or updates on specific programs that were funded by Giving Tuesday donations. This will reinforce the positive impact of their generosity and encourage future support.
3. Invite Donors to Special Events:
Organize exclusive events for donors, such as donor receptions, behind-the-scenes tours, or special performances. These events provide an opportunity to connect with donors on a personal level, share the school’s vision, and express gratitude for their ongoing support. Invite donors to bring their families to create a sense of community and shared purpose.
By implementing these strategies, private schools can strengthen relationships with donors, cultivate a culture of philanthropy, and ensure continued support for years to come.
See how TADS supports schools with powerful communication tools and branding for their outreach initiatives.