In this blog, we will cover the following steps:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Create a campaign idea<\/a><\/li>\n
- Create a plan of action and divide responsibilities<\/a><\/li>\n
- Give specific fundraising goals<\/a><\/li>\n
- Create your social media posts<\/a><\/li>\n
- Promoted the campaign through webinars or with the help of community partners<\/a><\/li>\n
- Create a drive-thru or socially distanced element to the campaign<\/a><\/li>\n
- Include your co-workers<\/a><\/li>\n
- Thank donors<\/a><\/li>\n
- Tie up loose ends<\/a><\/li>\n
- Share and updated regarding the status of your campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/a>Step 1: Create a campaign idea<\/h2>\n
The brainstorming process is often the most challenging aspect of creating any campaign. With the zoom fatigue, lack of socialization, and disruption of family traditions, focusing on work is all the more difficult. So, try to get out of your element.<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Change up your workspace.<\/strong> If you are working from home, work from a different room the day you are creating your campaign. If the weather allows, work outside!<\/li>\n
- Play some fun, holiday-related games <\/strong>via zoom with your team before diving into the gritty details of your campaign. Allow yourself time to breathe and relax.<\/li>\n
- Once you have loosened up, check on on each other<\/strong>\u00a0and make sure everyone is in a positive headspace to chat about your holiday giving campaign<\/li>\n
- Then, dive into planning!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When planning, there are some important questions to ask yourself, such as what is the demographic\u00a0your nonprofit serves, who are the donors\u00a0who have consistently given even during COVID and how can you get them involved, and where are your followers easiest to reach?<\/p>\n
Put in the necessary research on the front end of your campaign to make sure it is successful.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Other questions to ask include:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- When are my followers most active on social media?<\/li>\n
- What platforms do they use the most?<\/li>\n
- What are some ways donors or followers have expressed frustration with engagement?<\/li>\n
- How can I avoid contributing to frustrations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Lastly in the planning process, ask yourself what the theme of your campaign is\u00a0and what the specific deliverables are? What dollar amount are you hoping to raise through this campaign?<\/p>\n
Weave holiday language into the theme of your campaign<\/strong>, and keep it cheery. For example, you could name your campaign \u201cThe 12 Days of Holiday Giving,\u201d or, \u201cDing Dong Charitably on High,\u201d or \u201c\u2018Tis the Season to Give.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are 20 Creative Christmas fundraising ideas<\/a>\u00a0to get you started, and don\u2019t forget to make alterations for COVID-19 friendliness based on the CDC guidelines in your state.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Step 2: Create a plan of action and divide responsibilities<\/h2>\n
Once you have a plan of action, spend some time with your team dividing up work so the burden of responsibility doesn\u2019t weigh too heavily on one individual.<\/p>\n
Perhaps one individual on your team could create and schedule all social media content. Another person on your team could take on all contact with donors throughout the campaign. If your team is larger, assign another person the task of being the main point of contact for any event elements you include in the campaign.<\/p>\n
Use your volunteers for this campaign<\/strong>. Volunteers are passionate about your work, otherwise, they would not serve your organization. Also, they are particularly helpful around the holidays.<\/a><\/p>\n
If your team is small and if your campaign has tight deadlines and big deliverables, ask your most consistent volunteers to help you out, and give them specific tasks and deadlines, checking in with them at least once a week.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let volunteers\u2019 actions go unnoticed<\/h3>\n
Make sure you are thanking your volunteers.<\/a>\u00a0Bake them cookies and do a COVID-19 friendly drop off to their door, write thank you notes, or use some internal funds to get them a small gift or gift card.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/blurred-living-room-with-colorful-lights-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Step 3: Give specific fundraising goals so your donors are in the loop<\/h2>\n
If you give donors and supporters achievable, actionable goals, they are\u00a0more likely to give to the work you are doing<\/a>! That goes for this Holiday giving campaign.<\/p>\n
This is\u00a0a good time to win back some former donors. Everyone needs a little hope this year, everyone needs to feel like they are a part of creating positivity when the world is faced daily with negativity.<\/p>\n
Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Do research on the donor you are trying to regain and weave this research into your ask.<\/p>\n
One way to reach out is via phone or email, but perhaps the most poignant method is to ask the donor for a socially distanced coffee or lunch to touch base with them in person. This would make the donor feel special and feel as if their time is valued.<\/p>\n
Donors who were active during the holiday season last year who have not given since that time are people you should reach out to again to ask if they would like to contribute.<\/p>\n
Just pick up the phone and call the donors <\/a>you have lost. Be authentic with them and give them all the reasons they should start giving.<\/p>\n
Spend time informing them about your current campaign, what your needs are.<\/p>\n
Here is where your research comes in:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- List specific skills they have that you need for this campaign<\/li>\n
- Give them some ideas of specific ways they can get involved<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a>Step 4: Create your social media posts<\/h2>\n
If you haven\u2019t already dived into the world of planning platforms, COVID-19 is certainly the time.<\/p>\n
According to McKinsey Digital,<\/a> within the first two months of stay at home orders related to COVID-19, \u201cWe. . .vaulted five years forward in consumer and business digital adoption in a matter of around eight weeks.\u201d Thus, making sure your nonprofit is well equipped with resources to keep you up to date digitally<\/a>\u00a0during this time is vital!<\/p>\n
You can\u2019t sit in your co-workers’ office and brainstorm for hours, you can\u2019t walk across the hall if you see a mistake in a social media post and ask your colleague to change it.<\/p>\n
P<\/strong>lanning platforms make collaboration and content editing easy<\/strong>! Planoly<\/a>, Hootsuite<\/a>, and Loomly<\/a>\u00a0are popular options, but they don\u2019t even scratch the surface of what is available.<\/p>\n
Schedule a time to zoom with your team <\/strong>with the specific purpose of going through these platforms and determining which one works best for you. Start a free trial\u00a0to get you through your holiday giving campaign or implement whatever free options\u00a0are available.<\/p>\n
You need time off, scheduling is your friend!<\/p>\n
Take time to recharge, take care of yourself, and celebrate. You deserve it!<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Step 5: Promote the campaign through webinars or with the help of community partners<\/h2>\n
Once you have all your content scheduled out and people are starting to donate, give your campaign an extra boost by\u00a0asking some key community partners to share your content.<\/strong><\/p>\n
You could even do an Instagram or Facebook takeover\u00a0with a community partner to help one another have a wider reach in the community!<\/p>\n
If you have time, schedule a webinar via Zoom or Microsoft Teams\u00a0and promote the campaign this way via social media!<\/p>\n
In your webinar, play some Zoom or Microsoft friendly ice breaker games\u00a0such as Zoom Bingo or a Holiday scavenger hunt with community members and donors. Host a Zoom ugly Christmas sweater party. Do something fun to draw people in<\/strong>, and then share about your holiday giving campaign and the help that you need.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Step 6: Create a drive-thru or socially distanced element to the campaign<\/h2>\n
Everyone needs a break from reality. Staying safe and healthy is important, but including a socially distanced or drive-thru element to your campaign could spark engagement and stir people to join you.<\/p>\n
Here are some creative ideas while social distancing:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Letters to Santa packets:<\/strong> people can drive through and get stationary, maybe a Christmas cookie or two, and a brochure or handout about your organization. You can talk to people who participate in your campaign. Host this outside of your nonprofit\u2019s office.<\/li>\n
- Drive-thru caroling:<\/strong>\u00a0is there a local church or organization you work with whose choir would come carol for you? Let people know when and where this is happening, and have them drive by! As they drive by, hand them brochures about your organization, and tell them about your campaign.<\/li>\n
- Get creative:<\/strong>\u00a0there are so many options. A socially distanced cookie exchange, a drive-thru nativity, etc.!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a>Step 7: Include your co-workers!<\/h2>\n
One of the biggest drawbacks of working virtually is not interacting with your co-workers on the level you are used to.<\/p>\n
You are especially tempted and more likely to silo yourselves during this time and only work with your team.<\/p>\n
Make sure to include people who work for your nonprofit who are not in Marketing and Development.<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Schedule a staff-wide zoom call <\/strong>to share with coworkers about the campaign so they can tell their friends and family about it.<\/li>\n
- Create a committee<\/strong>\u00a0for your Holiday giving campaign and ask people from different departments to join the committee and help accomplish tasks.<\/li>\n
- Send out weekly updates<\/strong>\u00a0on the campaign letting staff know how much more money you have until you hit your goal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a>Step 8: Thank donors by dropping off goodies!<\/h2>\n
Speaking of getting your fellow employees involved, perhaps you could ask your Holiday giving committee members to bake goodies\u00a0to drop off to your donors as a thank you.<\/p>\n
Thanking donors is an important piece of\u00a0donor retention.<\/a>\u00a0To make sure that your nonprofit is financially stable, you should thank donors frequently.<\/p>\n
Also, thanking donors provides an opportunity to let them know exactly where their dollars or other contributions are going. This will help them grow increasingly more invested in your organization and reassure them that their contributions are having an impact.<\/p>\n
Pro tip: <\/strong>Have one person on your team write thank you letters<\/a> for every in-kind donation received. Have another member on your team write to thank you notes for every money, check, or financial donation received. That way, you always know who is writing for what!<\/p>\n
Also, call donors\u00a0and express your thanks via phone. If you have a Christmas card with your nonprofit\u2019s logo, mail that to donors with a card signed by your whole team and even some volunteers. You could also thank donors publicly via social media.<\/p>\n
Obviously, not every individual who donated to your campaign will receive goodies. Maybe just those who donated $500 or more?\u00a0Or even those who donated $1,000 or more?<\/p>\n
For even bigger donors, drop off goodies with other items donated by community partners.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Step 9: Tie up loose ends<\/h2>\n
Although it is tedious, entering data, writing thank you notes and acknowledging in-kind donations are essential aspects of wrapping up your campaign.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget to track data from the webinars or<\/strong>\u00a0Zoom<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0calls <\/strong>you hosted.<\/p>\n
This sounds like a no brainer, but what are ways you can increase your reach in the future through entering data from this campaign?<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ask yourself who did you engage with who has not participated\u00a0in your nonprofit\u2019s work?<\/li>\n
- Make note of those individuals\u00a0and reach out to them, asking them if they would like to get involved further.<\/li>\n
- Thank your Holiday giving campaign committee\u00a0for their hard work. Make note of those who participated and seemed passionate about helping with the logistics of your campaign. Perhaps they could further assist you in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a>Step 10: Share an update regarding the status of your campaign<\/h2>\n
- Create a committee<\/strong>\u00a0for your Holiday giving campaign and ask people from different departments to join the committee and help accomplish tasks.<\/li>\n
- Drive-thru caroling:<\/strong>\u00a0is there a local church or organization you work with whose choir would come carol for you? Let people know when and where this is happening, and have them drive by! As they drive by, hand them brochures about your organization, and tell them about your campaign.<\/li>\n
- Letters to Santa packets:<\/strong> people can drive through and get stationary, maybe a Christmas cookie or two, and a brochure or handout about your organization. You can talk to people who participate in your campaign. Host this outside of your nonprofit\u2019s office.<\/li>\n
- Play some fun, holiday-related games <\/strong>via zoom with your team before diving into the gritty details of your campaign. Allow yourself time to breathe and relax.<\/li>\n
- Create a plan of action and divide responsibilities<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"Bottom](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/seemless-giving-tools.webp\")
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