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Last year, Giving Tuesday fundraisers raised $2.7 billion on November 30 in the U.S. alone. $120 MILLION raised across Instagram and Facebook alone - I'm sure your jaw dropped as much as mine did.
With 3.2 billion predicted to be raised this year, we want to give you the tools to raise as much as possible throughout the rest of 2022.
While we know the stress "staying relevant on social media" may bring to fundraisers who are drained, pulled in 100 different directions and feel like standing out on instagram is nearly impossible (and let's not even open the can of worms that are algorithms) - I'm here to tell you social media is important, and is not going away anytime soon. Sorry.
Hopefully what I have to share will relieve some of that stress and show you ways you and your organization can get more reach that won't break the bank. Even better news, your videos don't have to be overproduced to do well either!
Here are a few types of Instagram posts that have an incredibly large reach, humanizes your organization, and are completely doable:
- Speak directly into the camera
- Turn your photos into a slideshow (reels = more views)
- Be relatable, we're all just people
- Behind-the-scenes (Show the work you're doing)
- Partner with major donor supporters
- Sell swag in exchange for donations
- Tug at emotions to remind your donors why you're passionate about the work you're doing.
Pro-tip: Just because Giving Tuesday has passed DOES NOT mean it's too late. Instead, use the examples listed below as inspiration for your year-round campaigns.
Lets dive into some of our favorite 2022 Insta Giving Tuesday campaign examples using the list we mentioned above:
Speak directly to the camera
This allows your followers/ donors/ page visitors to see that it's not a robot on the other end. In fact, people don't give money to brands anymore, they give money to people. That stays true in the consumer world as well.
So don't be afraid to speak to your audience like it's your Aunt Susie asking you about work over Thanksgiving dinner.
Three great examples to share here
@cesarmillanfoundation & @cesarsway
What worked: Fun, friendly, & transparent, which builds trust from viewers. Sure, it's simple, but they also added a quick little slideshow of the work they are doing. Speaking directly to your audience, and sharing what their contributions would help their organization accomplish goes a long way - and ALWAYS include a call-to-action (a link in your bio helps too!).
What worked: I immediately felt the authenticity in this message. The speaker shared the cause they are supporting and why it's important to get involved, contribute, help anyway the viewer can.
The message was clear and concise, and it didn't hurt they had cute little floofs throughout the video. (echo the #cutenessoverload) In this video the ask is made, the impact contributions will make and even a Venmo account is shared in the caption reducing barriers to donate even more.
What worked: Clarity in their message, simple camera angle with little movement so viewers can focus on the message at hand.
Turn your photos into a slideshow (reels = more views)
via @jrue_holiday11
What worked: This video/ slideshow is clear and to the point. If you're not prepared to speak to the camera directly, a post like this does the trick. In this post they share what the contributions go to (impact).
While this is a more produced video, this is something you and your team can easily put together in a FREE tool like Canva!
Be relatable
What worked: From the moment Maggie starts speaking, she taps into a "vibe" we have all felt for the past few years. Regardless of where your tension comes from (politics, climate, violence in the news), we all feel it so it's a great opener.
Personally, as a marketer myself I feel that having her organization logo front and my eyes focused on that while listening to how her and her team are making the world more sustainable. 🌱🌎
Behind-the-scenes
Show your followers the work you're doing. You're already doing it, so really you're not adding more work, just a person to follow you around for an hour or so to get enough usable footage.
@officialprojectiam, via @sirdariusbrown
What worked: This one is a little different than the previous examples. There were no words, yet well selected audio. This gave me impact goosebumps. In this video you see how tedious the work is for every pup bow-tie, and towards the end you see how many are made. Shows how hard this organization is working for their donations.
This shows your followers and audience the hard work your organization is doing and where their contributions are going towards.
Partner with major donor supporters
There are many ways to do this, but 3 main ones I want to focus on here: Paid Partnership, Collaborator, Organic
3 examples, yet all very effective!
1. Paid Partnership Example
Paid partnership means the payment took place with the influencer rather than an ad with targeting. This is the paid version of an influencer. Meaning you made an agreement with an influencer who supports your cause to speak on the importance of what you are promoting.
Sometimes this could be scripted, but I promise you it's more authentic if you allow influencers to speak freely.
This is then created by the influencer, the influencer will choose Paid Partnership and manually choose your organization in their settings so that both your followers and their followers will see the post.
@thepsychdoctormd - Paid partnership with @understoodorg
2. Collaborator Example
When you choose to do a collaborator post, both you (the organization page) and the other page should know that it's ONE post that shows on TWO pages. This has to be set prior to publishing, cannot be modified after the post has been published.
@thecheechcenter & @riversideartmuseum
3. Organic and posted by the organization
This is a traditional Instagram post published by the organization on their company page with an image or video with a public figure with the hopes that a recognizable face will draw more attention.
"I'm a big fan of ___enter public figure here____. If they support this cause, it make me interested in supporting this cause too because I like this person!"
Sell/ promote things people want in exchange for donations
Pretty self explanatory so scroll and enjoy!
Tug at emotions, and don't hold back
Pull at those heartstrings! This is your moment to remind donors why you're passionate about the work you're doing and why you want them to be passionate too.
What worked: The caption stood out to me immediatly. They list out the many ways donors can contribute to their cause - and not only asking for money. In the video, the message shares transparency and impact: how many pups they've been able to help, and how much they have spent on preventative care.
It's very clear why donors would contribute to an organisation like wagsandwalks.
What worked: If we had a checklist for a perfect Giving Tuesday post, this would be it. The caption shares how many people in America (our own neighborhood) are facing hunger - it's a lot! They share how EVERY DOLLAR makes a difference. And most importantly, they have their call-to-action - "Donate using the link in our bio"
Here's an extra "treat" for getting this far:
This final one I'm sharing because I loved everything about it.
Social media is all about connecting with others and collaborating on things we have in common. This video translates that in the most beautiful way.
Caption reads:
We couldn’t think of two better organizations to support than @strayrescuestl & @stlouisballet . These two non-profit companies bring so much to the St. Louis community, and the world!
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St. Louis Ballet brings the art of dance to the St. Louis community, through amazing performances and community outreach programs. 🩰
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Stray Rescue of St. Louis saves the lives of some of the most mistreated animals in St. Louis and beyond. They believe in giving all animals a chance at their best life. 🐾
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Please donate today, or share this post to get the word out.
Now, if you've read until the end, you should know that it's not too late!
Just because Giving Tuesday has passed does not mean you shouldn't reference some of your favorite listed above and use them as inspiration for your campaigns year round!