9 Steps for a Great Giving Day
Go to Content
Introduction
Your Giving Day is much more than a 24-hour fundraising sprint; it’s a high-energy celebration of your institution’s mission and the incredible community that makes it possible. But how do you keep your Giving Day campaign fresh and eye-catching year after year? How can you reach and engage new donors in today’s fundraising landscape? And how can your institution do all this while streamlining things as much as possible for advancement staff?
Whether you’re looking to inspire your newest alumni or you need to ensure your back-office systems don’t skip a beat, the right strategy makes all the difference. We’ve put together this comprehensive Giving Day Action Plan to help you navigate the moving parts, eliminate the guesswork, and focus on what really matters: connecting your donors’ passions with the causes they love. Get ready to reboot and re-energize your Giving Day!
Chapter 1Begin by Getting the Necessary Support From Across the Organization
A successful Giving Day isn’t just a fundraising project, it’s an organization-wide event. When leadership and faculty are visible and invested, it signals to donors that the entire institution is aligned and energized. You’ll want to do the following well in advance of your Giving Day:
Giving Day
Campus / Organizational sTakeholders
Advancement Leaders
Volunteers & Ambassadors
Secure Executive Alignment
Meet with campus stakeholders and executives to align the event with the institution’s broader mission. Understand what the priorities are for your campus partners; whether it’s a new lab or a scholarship fund, ensure the Giving Day feels like a shared victory.
Mobilize Buy-In From the Advancement Team
Collaborate with gift officers and advancement leaders to secure the "fuel" for your campaign: match and challenge funds. Donors are 27% more likely to give when presented with a match, so these match and challenge funds are key to encouraging and increasing participation.
Recruit Volunteers
Your institution will need the support of volunteers to help spread the word. It’s absolutely essential to train, educate, and even incentivize your ambassadors. If you offer prizes and have competitions for your ambassadors, that is going to help increase engagement.
Read the Full Action Plan
To read the rest of our Giving Day strategies, please fill out the form below. We'll also email you a link do you can jump back in at any point.
