Holiday Giving Online: Goodwill and Good Cents

Julie is absolutely right, “The giving season is upon us again!” This begs the question: what makes individuals so much more generous during the month of December?  There is no denying that there is something magical about this time of year that makes people reach into their pockets.  Small acts of giving occur all around with very little expectation of a financial benefit to the giver. Dropping change in a red bucket for the Salvation Army, buying a few gifts for a local toy drive, and volunteering at a soup kitchen are all examples of the goodwill of the season. However, potential financial benefits can abound as well! As individuals meet with their accountants or financial advisers for the final time of the year, added incentives like write-offs and tax breaks may be at the root of this holiday cheer.

Regardless of which aspect is more influential, combined these factors can account for most of the aforementioned increase in giving. With this in mind, organizations must tailor their appeals to reach both the benevolent and the business side in each person. Traditional appeals like direct mail and telethons are customary to the season; however, these campaigns force organizations to make decisions about the focus and message of the appeal. While many organizations have become very good at targeting an audience and creating successful campaigns, it is impossible for them to reach every potential donor with an individualized message.

One solution is to supplement an end of year campaign with website features designed for the holiday season. An effective online campaign can have a significant impact on a non-profit’s December revenue because it is more dynamic than direct mail and can provide information customized to the potential donor. Additionally, the scope of a web campaign can broaden significantly for a fraction of the price. Unlike a mail appeal, an effective website can direct potential donors to the information they care about most, and is not limited by space or scope. Organizations can provide materials appealing to both people’s goodwill and their finances, allowing potential donors to decide which will influence their giving this December.

Online giving is growing rapidly and many non-profits have updated their sites to include end of year giving information.  Here are some ideas for your organization:

• Human Interest Story: Creating the connection between the potential donor and the cause is incredibly important. Many organizations highlight a beneficiary of their work and detail how donations have helped during the holiday season.
• Tribute/Holiday Cards: Give a gift as a gift! Organizations promote tribute cards where an individual can make a donation in honor of a friend or family member.
• Online Gift Catalog: Similar to the idea behind tribute cards, some organizations are associating a dollar amount with a specific item that can be given as a gift. As Julie mentioned, Christian Blind Mission International utilized this tool.
• Web Site Design/Language: Many organizations have updated the language and design of their websites to make it more celebratory. Language like “The Joy of Giving” and other phrases associated with the holiday season are common. Additionally, seasonal pictures and graphics (trees, holly, bows, wrapped gifts, lights, families exchanging gifts) can make a site seem more festive.
• Donate Online: Although online giving occurs all year long it can be marketed differently during the holiday season. Online donations ensure donors that their gifts are credited before December 31st. Also, a few sites explain the benefits of making an online donation using a credit card and paying for it in the beginning of the following year. This allows a donor to receive tax benefits for the current year.
• “How-To” Documents: Many sites have published informative documents on how to make an effective end of year gift. Many of these documents outline the tax incentives and the different ways to give including cash gifts, securities and bequests. Many of these “how-to” documents are around larger gifts and usually include a development officer’s contact information. A benefit of the “how-to” documents is that they include more general giving information, which can generate increased site traffic through search engines like Google and Yahoo.

Whether it is the holiday spirit, tax breaks, or both, this season is sure to be filled with people giving their last minute gifts; this makes December a busy and exciting time for non-profit professionals. Engaging donors during the holiday season is a necessity and now, more than ever before, you have the opportunity to creatively market your cause and all of the benefits of giving (from goodwill to good cents!) to a larger pool of potential donors. Use the Internet as a tool to help guide donors in their decision-making this December; your organization will be likely to have a very happy new year.

Evan Jacobs is an Associate Director in the Fundraising Division of Changing Our World, Inc.