6 Tips for Holiday Social Good Campaigns
The holidays are just around the corner, and for many non-profits, that means big opportunities. More people give money to charities toward the end of the calendar than any other time of year.
A questionnaire from Philanthropy.com found that more than 60% of non-profits surveyed saw a boost in donations in November and December compared to the previous year. Another 20% of those surveyed said donations increased by more than 20%.Anecdotal evidence also supports the late-blooming boom. Some attribute the burst of wintery generosity to the spirit of giving fostered by year-end holidays. Others, like the folks over at Freakonomics, suggest all that giving is to capitalize on last-minute tax breaks.
Whatever the reason, ’tis the season. Here are some basic tips for any organization looking to run a social good campaign around the holidays.
1. It’s the Holiday Season
It’s the holiday season, so do something festive. Granted, this one is sort of a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember that people are more likely to donate to something that is topical and of-the-moment. This isn’t necessarily a good human trait, but it can make the difference for funding an important cause.
If you’re going to make a campaign specific to the holidays, it’s important to not just window-dress what you’re doing. People will be able to sniff out pretentiousness. Instead, try to think of ways to tie your issues and causes into the holidays. For example, if you’re supporting developing communities, why not start a campaign to provide off-grid lighting solutions as part of the “Festival of Lights”?
2. Not Everyone Likes the Holidays
It is enormously important to remember that just because you may celebrate a certain holiday doesn’t mean the entire planet does too. Be respectful of your core audience and the people you are helping.
For example, a non-profit supporting women’s rights in the Middle East probably shouldn’t deck out its website exclusively with Christmas lights. Instead, find smart ways to incorporate relevant holidays, or better still, find a way to include all relevant holidays and focus on the spirit of giving back rather than locking into a specific tradition.
3. Don’t Stop
It’s the holidays, and holiday dollars are important. But do not, under any circumstances, stop or pause the longer-term initiatives your organization is running. Less mainstream campaigns usually take a back seat whenever the holidays roll around so that non-profits can get the most of their fundraising. Pausing your organization’s core campaigns is a huge mistake, not only because it halts an important mission, but because it shows that you’re willing to drop something important to capitalize on a tangential trend.
4. Be Consistent
If you’ve already had success with a holiday campaign, for goodness’ sake don’t stop! Holding holiday social good campaigns year-over-year not only gives your audience something to look forward to, but provides some consistency to what can sometimes feel like a one-off event.
Of course, these campaigns don’t have to be identical every single year. Think about how you can expand what you did last year or follow up on the change you were able to enact. People want to know that you are still committed to your cause, even if you’re creating a campaign that only happens once a year.
5. Start Early
The “holidays” now seem to start during the summer. For better or for worse, the holiday season begins earlier and earlier every year. This means that you, Mr. or Ms. Non-Profit, can also start planning your campaigns earlier in the year. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to flesh out all aspects of the campaign, gather funds and raise awareness. Of course, pick a logical date: There is such a thing as “too soon.”
6. Everyone Loves Gift Cards
Gift cards tend to have a bad rap as the thing you buy someone when you don’t actually know what to get them. There is, however, a new trend of making a donation on someone else’s behalf. The gifter will, for example, support a girl’s education in a developing country for a year and provide the giftee with a card detailing the girl’s name and how the sponsorship will help her have a bright future.
Think: Is there a logical and relevant way of including a similar type of donation gift in your non-profit’s holiday plan? These presents may not be as much “fun” as unwrapping a toy car, but they will do an entire world of good.
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