3 tips to run a successful #GivingTuesday campaign, per this Philly tech nonprofit

Today is Giving Tuesday, the internet’s philanthropic response to all that buying happening on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and a reminder that the holiday season can be about generosity and community.

We’ve seen #GivingTuesday campaigns across the world as well as close to home, as Philadelphia-area tech nonprofits are urging folks to consider donating today.

But how do you cut through all the noise to get people to support your organization?

TechGirlz, a nonprofit that empowers young girls to consider careers in tech, is running a campaign today to continue to keep its programing free. There are three things Gloria Bell, the org’s events and marketing manager said make a successful #GivingTuesday campaign.

It’s important to focus on your impact, Bell wrote in an email, by showing people how your nonprofit is making a difference and why their donations are important.

“Use specific examples, stats, and stories that people can relate to and that tell your story,” she said.

In the same vein, use images to convey the importance of your campaign. Pictures that are too similar to each other can create the “scroll past effect,” where folks assume they’re seeing the same things over and over.

And lastly, Bell said, timing is extremely important. Crafting a campaign around an event like Giving Tuesday is smart, but don’t let it be your only focus, she said.

“Continuing your regular social posting plan is important because then the giving messages can stand out, as well as the other posts helping showcase your nonprofit and the work it is doing,” Bell said.

Happy Giving Tuesday! Thanks to the generosity of @MiriamPeskowitz everyone who makes a donation to @TechGirlzorg today will be entered into a drawing for a copy of her book Code Like a Girl! https://t.co/SKL7l2vL5F #girlsintech pic.twitter.com/UHzli7AbtV

— techgirlzorg (@TechGirlzorg) December 3, 2019

One of Technical.y’s favorite Twitter accounts to follow, Morris Animal Refuge, which is campaigning for Giving Tuesday by sharing some stellar photos of adorable adoptables, gave us some advice, too:

“We’ve found that using really engaging stories from our past year really helps encourage people to donate,” wrote Emmy Homan, the org’s development manager, in an email. “Having a matching gift and promoting our Giving Tuesday campaign early and often has also helped us be successful on Giving Tuesday.”

What @twitter said! We’re grateful for all our friends & supporters, & for all of you who are donating to help our homeless pets today on #GivingTuesday! Our $20,000 goal seems very far away, but our pets know you can make it happen. Donate: https://t.co/FxEYdiQTKn for the pets! https://t.co/EClYIltaQu pic.twitter.com/2FAtlQ3WAp

— Morris Animal Refuge (@MorrisAnimal) December 3, 2019

(Find more advice here and here.)

We’ve seen a handful of tech nonprofits campaigning for the philanthropic holiday today:

Coded by Kids, which preps underrepresented young people to succeed in the tech space, is raising $5,000 to continue teaching students coding and entrepreneurship.

Show us you care a latte. Americans spend about $5 a day on coffee. Today, consider giving up your cup to fund the fight against inequality through tech education instead. #givingtuesdayhttps://t.co/SO1Q0cIRT0 pic.twitter.com/1mp3yb9mOj

— Coded by Kids (@codedbykids) December 3, 2019

Tech Impact’s two workforce development programs, CXWorks and ITWorks, are looking for some support this season. Donations will go toward transportation funds for students to attend the free programs that teach tech training, IT certificates and other training to get folks into entry-level tech jobs.

Black Girl Ventures, the education, advisory and funding organization for Black and Brown founders, is looking to raise $100,000 this year across the country. The org announced a few months ago that it was setting up a Philly chapter.

Hopeworks Camden, which supports youth in the New Jersey city via tech training programs, is asking folks today to give to its Aaron R. Thomas Entrepreneurship Fund, which will go toward the org’s second iteration of its annual pitch competition.

“Replenishing this fund makes it possible to provide small business loans for young entrepreneurs,” the organization said.

A gift today will provide micro loans to young entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams of building a business of their own! https://t.co/SXlMqfMYfC

— Hopeworks Camden (@hopeworkscamden) December 3, 2019

Looking to support local not-just-tech orgs? Check out sister site Generocity’s impressive roundup.