How to Land a Sponsorship for Your #GivingTuesday Campaign

It may be the end of summer, but #GivingTuesday will be here before you know it. With just a few months left to go before the big day, many nonprofit organizations are already focusing on strategies to make their #GivingTuesday campaigns their greatest success yet.

Forming a matching partnership with a donor or corporation can help you double your donations through the end of the year. Not only does matching increase dollars, it’s a good way to motivate potential donors to give more.

In this post you’ll learn where to look for partners and how to incentivize corporations and/or large donors to join in on your fundraising efforts to make this #GivingTuesday the largest donation giving day in history.

Next: Get More Giving Tuesday Resources

How to Find an Organization

Finding the right corporation to champion your cause and match your #GivingTuesday campaign may be already at your fingertips. Look first for corporations that you have already established a relationship with. Perhaps you’ve partnered with a corporation on a past #GivingTuesday campaign or have a corporation you’ve worked alongside for other initiatives. Reach out to these contacts first. Not only will you feel more comfortable asking for their support but they may also be more receptive to your request.

In addition to large corporations, you could also reach out to current supporters who might be interested in matching donations. Review your donor database and target your larger donors first. With the holiday spirit in mind, they may be more inclined to give a bigger donation at this time of the year. Especially when their donation is tax deductible.

Once you’ve exhausted your personal connections, look for companies most aligned with your cause. For example, if you are a charity that focuses on animal adoption, look for partners that specialize in animal care.

You should also seek out local, prominent businesses in your own community. Supporting a local cause is not only easy, but good publicity.

Whether you’ll be contacting a corporation or a large donor, reach out well in advance to give them plenty of time to get ready for the big day.

How to Approach an Organization

When trying to secure a sponsorship for your #GivingTuesday campaign, keep the conversation focused on the corporation’s goals and objective. Instead of talking up your nonprofit, highlight how this partnership could benefit both sides.

Sponsors want you to understand their company’s goals and visions, marketing efforts, and consumers. Before the call, gather as much information about their company as you can by visiting their website and social media platforms. When you land that first phone conversation with the sponsor you should be prepared to speak to the following:

• The benefits of the partnership—this should align with their goals as an organization.
• Pertinent details about your cause.
• The dollar amount you’re looking to raise with your #GivingTuesday campaign.

Emphasize that there’s nothing they will need to do on their end; all the work will be taken care of by your organization. Remind them their sole role is to match donations received on #GivingTuesday.

Habitat for Humanity recently partnered up with LiUNA for a matching sponsor campaign which has raised close to $7,000 to date. The partnership is beneficial for both parties in that Habitat for Humanity has helped LiUNA Local by providing practical construction training to young people as they enter the workforce. LiUNA in turn teams up with Habitat for Humanity on housebuilding projects.

Quick Tip:

If a corporation or large donor appears apprehensive about matching all donations received on #GivingTuesday, counter offer a certain timeslot instead. For example, a business could match all donations made between 2 and 5 p.m. You can also agree to a matching limit for the sponsor. A large donor may commit to match #GivingTuesday donations up to $10,000, for instance.

 

How to Seal the Deal

Besides giving out of the goodness of their heart, another motivational aspect of matching or corporate sponsorship is positive branding and press. Giving to a charitable cause is positive PR for both you and the corporation. This positivity will help strengthen the nonprofit-corporate relationship while establishing an ongoing partnership for the future.

Adam Weinger, President of Double Donation says,

Showcase your partner’s brand throughout the #GivingTuesday campaign with social media posts that highlight the matching gift offer. Bring this strategy, as well as your other social media ideas into your initial phone conversation to help seal the deal. These might include:

• A series of #GivingTuesday tweets that showcase the sponsor’s Twitter handle and any hashtags they might want to include
• Instagram images that highlight and tag the company
• An e-newsletter series that features the company leading up to #GivingTuesday
• Social share icons on donation pages

You should also encourage the sponsor to engage with their own social media audience to inform them of the matching campaign. In 2013, Bitcoin processing company GoCoin donated the Bitcoin equivalent of $1 to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica every time someone tweeted the hashtag #Go4Good in a #GivingTuesday campaign. Through multiple positive press releases and creating a hashtag that gained traction across social media, Bitcoin’s sponsorship was publicized through both Reuters and Mashable’s list of 15 #GivingTuesday Campaigns Making a Difference.

Another way to promote your partner’s business is to create an area on your donation page that publicly acknowledges them. Consider mocking up a well-designed campaign page in advance to give your potential matching donors an idea of how their brand might be showcased on your website. Let them know that you will get their name out via social media, email newsletters, and on your website. Finally, let the numbers talk. Tell them that 91 percent of customers switch to brands that support good causes. Nonprofit Quarterly also recommends letting companies know they’re on an elite list of X number of businesses you’re approaching. This poses the partnership as an exclusive opportunity and shows your enthusiasm for their business specifically.

Conclusion

It’s never too early to reach out to potential donors to ask for a matching gift for your upcoming #GivingTuesday campaign. A simple phone call is an investment into a potential lifelong partnership, double the dollars, phenomenal PR for both parties, and potential new donors for you or customers for the corporation. No dream is too big, no donation too small, especially when it comes to #GivingTuesday.

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Photo Credit: Habitat For Humanity