“Every single non-profit is essential. There is not a soul on this planet who has not been touched by this pandemic.” – Kathleen Murphy Toms, Director of Digital Strategy, GivingTuesday

In response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19, GivingTuesday announced #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020.

Created in 2012, GivingTuesday has grown into a giving movement in more than 60 countries. The day is designed to drive generosity, kindness, engagement, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world. The last GivingTuesday on December 3, 2019 generated $2 billion, in just the United States alone.

Here are a few ideas as you plan for #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5:

Get creative. #GivingTuesdayNow encompasses much more than just fundraising. View the day as an opportunity to deepen relationships and thank your donors. Share stories of kindness, hope, and resilience. Host virtual events. Surprise your supporters with a TikTok video. #GivingTuesdayNow falls on Cinco de Mayo, just five days before Mother’s Day. Send flowers to a mother in your life. Organize a virtual fiesta. Have fun with it!

Start spreading the word. Start announcing your participation today. By priming your supporters now, they will be ready to support your cause on May 5. At a time when everyone is relying on social media for connectivity, find ways to break through the noise.

Stay focused. Remember, you can’t post on every social media platform all the time. Pick a few channels where your organization has had past success. Craft messages that appeal to your audiences. Use templates to create graphics that are optimal for your social media outlets.

Find generosity every day. For fun daily ideas on how to give back, sign up for GivingTuesday’s Daily Generosity alerts. Text “GivingTuesday” to 33777 or click here to subscribe via email.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. There are a plenty of free resources online for #GivingTuesdayNow. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Complete Toolkit for Nonprofits
• 10 Ways to Participate in #GivingTuesdayNow Without Asking for Money
• Social Media Graphics
• Inspiration and Ideas

– By Jamie Sargent