Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 188| Boost December Donations After Giving Tuesday (5 Smart Tips)

Transcript

Ep 188| Boost December Donations After Giving Tuesday (5 Smart Tips) · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: There is so much information in a quiet giving Tuesday that is actually helpful once the worry leaves the room and you start thinking and looking at your data.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_02: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Jenna Lynch, Education and Community Engagement Manager here at DonerBox.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: Each week we bring you practical information, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more, reach further, and take your nonprofit to the next level.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: Today we are talking about a topic that comes up every single year around this time, even if people whisper it quietly.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe Giving Tuesday didn't go exactly how you hoped.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe the numbers were softer than last year.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe engagement felt a little different.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you still don't quite know what the numbers mean.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: So let's take a deep breath together because I want to say this clearly at the start.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: Giving Tuesday is not the final grade of your year-end campaign.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: It is barely the midterm, y'all.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: It is a moment.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: A useful moment, yes, but still a moment.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I cannot think of anyone better to talk through what to do next than our fundraising coach and strategist here at Donor Box, Britt Stockert.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, Britt.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_02: I know this is a topic you walk fundraisers through every single year.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm excited to have this conversation with you.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, Jenna.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Hey everyone.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, this is one of my favorite combos.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's because it's it's grounding, right?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: And Giving Tuesday, it's so important, but it's not the end all be all.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: It is information.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: And December, what it does is it gives you a dozen opportunities where you're gonna shift, you're gonna adjust, and really just move people closer to your mission.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_01: So if Giving Tuesday, if it felt quiet, if it felt confusing, or really just anticlimatic, hey, you are not alone and you're not off track.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: I love that energy already.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I think where people get caught is in the feeling that Giving Tuesday is some kind of referendum on their work.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_02: Like if it was quiet, then the whole year-end campaign is already drifting.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: And that is such an overwhelming story to tell yourself.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: And the funny thing is, Jenna, when you pull up the actual data for most of these organizations, that story that you're talking about, it rarely reflects what is actually happening.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I know this year, especially, I saw so many organizations they had, you know, they had perfectly healthy engagement leading into the week, but the gifts, they came later.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Or something else is they came in different forms, or they came from different donors, or they came in the first week of December.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so think about this Giving Tuesday, it is just one square on a very big calendar.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes it just reflects donor timing, not even like donor interest.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and once you take that pressure off, you can actually get curious.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: And that's the shift.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: I think that being curious opens up options and panic shuts everything down.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: So instead of spiraling, you get to ask, you get to be curious about what is this telling me?
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: What am I noticing?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: Is there a pattern?
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: Is this just a blip?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: Did we see the same thing last year?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: Did folks open up the email and not give?
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Did they give somewhere else first and then plan to come back?
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: There is so much information in a quiet giving Tuesday that is actually helpful once the worry leaves the room and you start thinking and looking at your data.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: You can look at your donation page and your form analytics, email engagement, returning donor behavior, even which donation options people prefer.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes what you learn is that nothing is wrong at all.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's like your donors just give later, or your storytelling just sparks a fire in mid-December.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: Or your annual donors, they arrive every December 30th, like clockwork.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think for the listeners out there, one message here is when you stop assuming the worst, you can start seeing the real story.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: Let's talk about the pivot, because this is the moment where people want the most clarity.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: What do I actually do next?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: Where do I put my energy so I don't chase my tail or burnout?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: What is the move that will actually make a difference when you're looking at your giving Tuesday results and you're not happy with them?
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: How do you pivot in a way that is beneficial?
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think the thing is, is the pivot doesn't need to be dramatic.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh what it really should feel like is that it's well, it what let's talk about what it should not feel like.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: It shouldn't feel like it's ripping up your campaign.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: The pivot usually needs to be just one really simple shift.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: And that ship is emotional reconnection.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, quiet giving Tuesdays, they almost always reflect a disconnection, not a failure.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: A little distance, maybe a little fatigue, a little distraction in your donor's world.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: The move is not to sell harder, it's not to send more.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's really is all about reconnecting people to the heart of your mission.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: And and reconnection can take many forms.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_02: I think it can be a small, simple update, something quick like here's what we worked on this week, or here's what our donors made possible this week, and this is what it meant for your community.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_02: It can be a photo from inside your program.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: It can be a voice note.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_02: I love getting things like that, a short video filmed on your iPhone while you're literally doing the work, anything that feels like an invitation back into the story.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, what I'll say here is if you're looking at your results and you feel like you haven't hit your goal, you're panicking.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_02: Donors do not respond to panic, right?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: They respond to meaning, they respond to being a part of something real.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: And that's where that reconnection is really, really important.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's really powerful, Jenna.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I would say, especially in December, when people are actively reflecting, we're reflecting on our values and where we want to invest.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like we're trying to force behavior.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you are trying to spark recognition and that recognition of, oh yes, this, you know, this really matters to me.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, one donor said something to me once, and uh at a nonprofit that I serve on an advisory board of, something that I'll never forget.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: And she said, Brit, I don't give because I'm I'm asked.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: I give because I am reminded.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that is the heart of the pivot that we're talking about, right?
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_02: That's so good.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think maybe in this context too, it's I I give because I am reminded of my own values, right?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm seeing that reflected on your organization.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: And you know who reinforces that beautifully is Appeal Maker.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: When Giving Tuesday feels flat, sometimes the best move is to step away from the email inbox entirely and send something tangible.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: I love something tangible, maybe a postcard, a short printed note, just a physical touch point that cuts through all of the noise.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: And Appealmaker makes that ridiculously easy.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: You can build a beautifully branded postcard in minutes, hit send, and they handle all the printing and mailing.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: And you can get started with a free account, no credit card required at appealmaker.com.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes that one physical reminder is the spark that wakes donors back up.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_02: And that can be exactly what you need.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, I love what you just said, Jenna, that little spark, because that's exactly what it is, right?
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like December donors, they're not cold.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: They're just waiting for the right light to move forward and something small as that handwritten little card.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's just a low pressure touch point, which is just enough to reset a relationship.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about the strategy part.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: Because what I hear from a lot of people is should I start over?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: Should I write a whole new appeal?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_02: Should I change my campaign theme?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_02: And I want to just scream, no, please no, don't do that.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, absolutely no, no, no, no.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: I, you know, I'd say 90% of the time the answer is no.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need a complete overhaul.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to realign.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: The campaign you thought through in October is still the right campaign for December.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: I just told a coaching client who was freaking out a little bit last night in the 11th hour.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: What it might need instead is a stronger focal point or a clearer opening sentence or a more present donation option or a slightly tightened story.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: Small tweaks, right?
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's like refocusing your camera lens.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: The image that's already there, you just need to zoom in a little a little bit because it just needs clarity.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's exactly how I think of it too.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes the smallest change is the one that shifts everything, like reordering two paragraphs, just flip-flopping them, or bringing a human story higher up in your email, or taking something out that was muddying your message because it can be so compelling to want to share it all.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: But sometimes that clear, concise, compelling is really what does your message good.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: Simpler really does move donors faster.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: And this is also a great moment to look at your donation page, right?
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: If traffic is coming in but conversions are low, that tells you exactly what you need to fix.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe your suggested amounts need adjusting out your donation form.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe your monthly giving option needs to be more prominent.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: Or maybe your call to action statement needs to be more clear, not something like give hope, but your gift of$25 feeds this many children, right?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe your page just needs a little more warmth, a little bit more human behind it.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: And those little tweaks can make a big difference.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_02: And this is exactly where donor box shines because you can update your page or your donation form in just minutes and see the difference right away.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: So, like you said, this is not a big overhaul.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: This is just a tiny little realignment.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Spot on, Jenna.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate the tone here because I am seeing a lot of prescriptive guidance on LinkedIn.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: And you're really just what it shows is just empathy, right?
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: For where our listeners are at with your end.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I always tell fundraisers the power, it isn't in rewriting the whole campaign.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: The power is in tightening the experience.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: So, hey, if Giving Tuesday is quiet, your next best move is to remove the friction and the confusion with a lot of those small tweaks that you just talked about, Jenna.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, let's give something concrete to our listeners.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: Something they can do today, not next week when folks are mentally moving deeper into holiday mode, because we're really getting close to that, but today, because that's what I would want.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, what would you do?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, here's what I would do today.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, let's talk about it.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: I would send one warm update to your audience.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: There isn't any ask.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that might look like here is what our donors made possible this week.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, we are so grateful you are part of this work.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: Again, you don't need a polished, perfect story.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: You just need authenticity, and people are looking for that sincerity out there.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then, Jenna, I would rewrite the opening of, you know, the next appeal, not the whole appeal, just the first four lines.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: Make it clear, make it more human, get right to the point.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: And most donors, they're gonna decide in the first few seconds if they're gonna stay with you or not.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh I would check your donation page, as I said, and also turn on recurring upsell if it's not already on and you're a donor box user, because uh, like we've said, a quiet giving Tuesday can still turn into your strongest December, even if a small handful of donors convert into monthly giving.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: And right now, every donor box organization has access to recurring upsell for free through January 15th.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: This is normally a premium feature or an add-on, and it works.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: 97% of donors who upgrade to a monthly uh giving end up giving more over the year than their original one-time gift.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: That is just one setting that could completely change your results this month and for year end and steward your donors into the new year, and all you have to do is toggle it on in your account.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll include a how-to blog link in the show notes for you.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: And it isn't about selling it, it really is just about giving donors a stable way to support the thing that they already care about.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, before we close, I do want to speak to the emotional part of this because again, a quiet giving Tuesday is not just logistical.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: It can hit your confidence, it can shake your sense of momentum, and that matters.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of our listeners are caring a lot.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: And you have worked on this campaign for months, and it is normal to feel a little tender right now.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: So if that is you, I want you to hear this.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: You did not do anything wrong, your donors did not disappear, your campaign is not broken.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: December has barely begun.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: Most campaigns find their rhythm mid-month and hit their strongest numbers in the final five days.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: That is the pattern almost every year for almost every organization.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: So hang in there.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: You're in the very early chapters of the story.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: All you have to do is pivot a little, reconnect, you simplify, you move forward, and that is work, and you can absolutely do that.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: Dang right, Jenna.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: This is, you know, this is one of the most important things I say to fundraisers every year.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: Giving Tuesday, it isn't the story, it is only the prologue and the heart of your year, and it is still in front of you.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: So we're Jenna and I and our whole team at DonorBox, we're cheering you on.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: And remember, donors are still incredibly generous all month long.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: You have more influence this week and next week and the week after than you realize.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: So uh keep on doing what you're doing and you'll get there.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: All right, thanks, Britt.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, my pleasure is always Jenna.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: And thank you for being a part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_02: Your work matters, and we are honored to support it.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed this episode, share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 14:52
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• 14:57
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• 15:00
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• 15:03
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• 15:06
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• 15:07
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