Happy October! We’re only a month away from one of the greatest days of the year for Non-Profits. Giving Tuesday! If you do not know what Giving Tuesday is, it is a social media campaign that brings together individuals, businesses, and nonprofits in countries across the world to engage in small acts of kindness.

More than likely, you clicked on this blog post because you procrastinated planning for Giving Tuesday. We all do it. We wait until the very last second to do a task we need to do, whether it is a simple task or a more difficult one it is human nature to procrastinate. Why is this? Psychology Today states that one reason we procrastinate is timing. If it is not happening in the immediate future, our brains will want to look over it.

We know you are busy so here is the crash course: A Procrastinator’s Guide for Giving Tuesday.

One Month To Go:

You can organize the following in an afternoon. 

• Register for Giving Tuesday and download logo files from their website

• Get a committee together to be the voice of the campaign (5 people - nothing crazy)**

**This is a key step because you need your people to share in order to acquire NEW donors on Giving Tuesday. 

• Set a goal. Decide what your goal for the campaign will be. Pick ONE of the following: (1) Raise awareness or  (2) Raise Funds. 
• If you are running a fundraising campaign, think about a matching gift to build excitement to give from your community. Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity for a corporation to enjoy the co-branding and online sharing. 
• Figure out how you are going to set your campaign apart from all other Giving Tuesday campaigns. Decide on a catchy simple name, graphics, and what story to share that will connect with people who’s timelines and inboxes are being flooded with other Giving Tuesday campaigns. Consider funding a project - it's helpful if the giving on this day is concise, compelling and tangible.
• Get your technology together and think about how you’re going to collect donations on the day of. 
• Announcement Day! Begin spreading the word by sending out an email to your list and becoming active on social media. Include the date on all “pre Giving Tuesday” emails/posts to make sure your community does not forget that date.
• Go ahead and type out social media posts (or delegate to an intern) -- Plan out your social media posts that will go out 2-3 times a week for the next month/3 weeks. Feel free to use #GivingTuesday in all of your posts but also include something to set your campaign apart!
• Email reminders 1 week beforehand and 1 day - Giving Tuesday offers great sample outreach emails and other resources that are available to assist you in your efforts!
• Use low budget video (i.e. your phone) around your organization on Giving Tuesday to show everyone what you're about. You CEO can say a quick hello over coffee, catch your development staff planning the next big event, your program director with pictures of those helped or telling the camera why he/she needs more $$.  Have fun with this. 
• The day after: SAY THANK YOU!

That is it! You are ready for Giving Tuesday! Good Luck! Click the link below and pin it to your wall to make sure you stay on track!