‘Tis the Season
The importance of building trusting relationships with supporters
As Thanksgiving fades in the rearview and the December holidays take center stage, it’s a good idea for nonprofits to spare a thought for last Tuesday—that is, GivingTuesday. Now 12 years old, the post-Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday event was conceived as a way to channel the gratitude of the holiday season and inspire what the day’s founders have called “radical generosity” during a spend-heavy time of year. In 2024, in the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that more than 18.5 million people donated over $3.6 billion (yes, with a B) to nonprofits on GivingTuesday.
From a distance, if you squint, it might look like raising funds a week after Thanksgiving is easy because there’s a global day of giving to make it so. But anyone who’s taken so much as a passing glance at their email inbox recently knows the competition for attention is intense, as potential supporters are inundated with appeals from powerhouse national nonprofits and local community-based organizations, alongside end-of-season sales and deals from their favorite retailers. It’s the same jostling for attention and dollars that defines the day-in-day-out reality of development officers everywhere concentrated into a single 24-hour period.
While GivingTuesday is an excellent tool for focusing donors’ hearts and minds, fundraising efforts only work if nonprofits do the work to build a relationship of trust ahead of time.
Doing that work has become infinitely more complicated as the American public and news cycles remain laser-focused on the upheaval promised by the 2024 election results. As some pound their chests and declare precisely how they intend to further marginalize whole communities, many millions remain stunned and afraid of what comes next. They’re looking for a productive path forward over the next four years, one that will lead to strengthened communities and a better, brighter future—and they also have to go to work, get the kids to band practice, and wash a lot of dishes. They depend on the nonprofits that inspire them to blaze the trail and make it navigable, to advise and guide them, and, not least, to use their donations wisely. Perhaps now more than ever, it’s vital that nonprofits and community-based organizations clearly communicate how that’s done.
A second traditional giving season is fast approaching: the end of the tax year. As nonprofits reach out to supporters ahead of midnight on December 31, they need to make sure that their messages start with a clear vision of what their mission is and how—come what may—they intend to get there; are both clear and nimble without straying into mission creep; and convey a solid understanding of who their real audiences are, and what those audiences need and want to hear.
Both GivingTuesday and the rush of year-end donations are testament to a wellspring of generosity in the hearts of millions of Americans; the latter, however, also serves to underscore that, generous impulses aside, those millions of Americans are also tactical with their donation decisions. It’s not enough to show up in their inbox with a familiar ask or hashtag; you have to ensure your supporters are familiar with your organization, your work, and your impact—and that familiarity starts with a solid communications plan.
