Is it okay to skip GivingTuesday?

If you already have multiple, effective fundraising efforts in the works for the end of the year, you may feel like you only participate in GivingTuesday because you have to. If that’s the case, you’re not the only organization that feels that way. And you’re not the only fundraiser who’s wondered, “Is it okay to skip GivingTuesday?”

You know your fundraising plan and your donors best. It’s okay to decide to take a lightweight approach to GivingTuesday and skip the big celebration.

A lightweight approach to GivingTuesday

If you want to participate “lightly” in the day, you might mention GivingTuesday in your existing fundraising plans. Here are some suggestions for how to do that:

• Add the GivingTuesday logo to your existing donation form on that day only (or enable the GivingTuesday form template, if you’re using Little Green Light online donation forms)
• Schedule a social media post for GivingTuesday that links to your online donation form
• If you’re sending e-blasts on or near GivingTuesday, include a mention with a link to your donation form—but don’t send out any separate bulk communications just for GivingTuesday

Conclusion

GivingTuesday may be a mechanism that works well for your organization, and if so this resource can help you prepare. But if you know that other aspects of your year-end fundraising plan are more effective, it’s okay to skip a big GivingTuesday solicitation.

Focus your time and energy on the fundraising efforts that you know have a high return on investment, and don’t feel guilty for taking a lightweight approach to GivingTuesday. It doesn’t mean you can’t make a different decision in the future; but it does mean that, this year, you can devote more attention to the fundraising efforts that matter most for your organization.