For those of us in the Greater Yellowstone area, we know that #GivingTuesday is a big deal. This global day of giving is becoming increasingly important for the nonprofit sector. Most nonprofits receive 30% of their annual donation funding in the last month of the calendar year so this worldwide campaign is especially effective. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on December 4, 2019 that charities raised more than a $120 million online over the Giving Tuesday 2018 for a total of $511 million online. The total online and offline giving number is $1.97 billion for 2019's #GivingTuesday campaign.
More and more nonprofits are using email and social media to tell the story of their impact and need. Donors are using mobile phones and tablets at a higher rate to give, which has required optimization strategies for nonprofits to ensure timely, simple processing for donations and acknowledgment. The article points that the Humane Society, which raised 48% more on GivingTuesday this year compared to last, and other large nonprofits are using text-based applications to allow for more 1:1 contact with donors on GivingTuesday. One such app is called Hustle, which allows for peer-to-peer fundraising through text. This is another big technological development in creating a buzz about GivingTuesday and the impacts of the nonprofit community. The Chronicle of Philanthropy details these trends in this article by Nicole Wallace.
For more on #GivingTuesday 2019, check out this report by Emily Haynes and Eden Stiffman of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Heather White is a conservation policy and green living expert. She is the former President & CEO of Yellowstone Forever and former Executive Director of EWG. She lives in Bozeman, Montana.