3. Create a project: Specific is Terrific! What’s your programmatic goal? (What will funds raised go towards?) How will you get there? (What’s your method?) Link to your larger organizational mission or vision
4. What is your financial goal? Aspirational but attainable Set donation levels Link to specific outcomes that contribute clearly to your programmatic goal Give a spread of dollar amount options Create a project: Specific is Terrific!
5. Create a project: Hey good lookin’ Use photos that have historically been well-received Bright, vivid, compelling Reflect your goal Photos courtesy of Sergio Pessolano
6. Create a project: Hey good lookin’ Title – reflect your programmatic goal Include a specific number Description Clear Concise Compelling Global Giving’s guide: http://www.globalgiving.org/project-posting/
7. Strategy: Battle Plan Map out your strategy ahead of time! Draft communications Create a communications calendar Dates Responsibilities
8. Strategy: Marshalling the Troops Leverage a committed group of supporters Support their efforts Provide them with “weapons” – documents, strategies
10. The Challenge: Last minute push A few days before the end of the challenge, Tahirih’s support group had gotten us to $4,000, but we were short of the goal of 50 individual donors
12. Maintaining your project Keep project reports up-to-date Look for what successes and updates you’re already sharing Communicate Bonus Days and other contests
The Tahirih Justice Center works to protect immigrant women and girls seeking justice in the United States from gender-based violence. Leveraging both in-house and pro bono attorneys, we empower our clients to achieve justice and equality through holistic direct legal services and national public policy advocacy.
DECIDE before you describeMethod: training volunteer attorneysLarger mission: protecting immigrant women and girls fleeing violenceLarger vision: help clients become self-sufficient, contributing members of the community
Funding goal is set high but attainable – high enough that we hope donors will be inspired to give more but low enough that they will see their gift inching that bar higher.-> Donors should be able to feel that their gift has an IMPACTDonation levels – GG minimum is $10, should set at least one goal between $10 and $25
Remember: Global Giving donors will be scrolling through dozens, even hundreds of projects – what will make yours stand out in a few seconds?Humans primarily process information visually – take advantage of that!Tahirih has had good responses to photos that are crisp, professional, and that show children as well as adult women
“Specific is terrific” applies here too!Title: include that specific number! Description is NOT the place for in-depth client stories, involved explanations, technical details… if those are important, include as attachments. (most donors don’t exhaustively research!) The format/questions lay out a pretty clear roadmap – don’t go beyond itSummary - "What is the issue, problem, or challenge?" - "How will this project solve this problem?" - "Potential Long Term Impact" - "Project Message“- The Project Message should be your touchy-feeling ooey-gooey
Tahirih decided we would focus on converting new donors who would be excited by the challenge, via social media (Facebook and Twitter) and via a group of committed supporters who reached out to their own personal networks.Will talk about “support group” in a moment.Key we planned this out ahead of time and had it ready to go, instead of trying to do it on the fly.Communications calendar meant everything was ready to go – we knew who was doing what when, didn’t have to worry about it.
- Going into the challenge, Tahirih had the support of a small group of constituents who were dedicated to Tahirih’s success in the Open Challenge. We developed our strategy together with this group, who were committed to donating themselves as well as reaching out to their personal networks to encourage others to give.- Our support group leader drafted a letter to reach out, and Tahirih staff provided comments and supporting documents to aid their outreach.
During the challenge, you should really just be monitoring your page and following your calendar. Make changes to your strategy and communications in response to what you’re seeing and if results are not what you expect or need.
We had to think of a way to get many donors in the door quick. We reached out to personal networks to ask for small contributions to Tahirih’s project. We shared Global Giving’s “50 donors” goal and the Open Challenge’s deadline to convey a sense of (real) urgency to our contacts – and easy passed the 50 donor mark.
Now you’ve won the Open Challenge and your project has a permanent place on Global Giving’s website – what now?Project reports – you’re probably communicating about successes and progress anyways. If it’s in a more formal way, just use the same communications as project reports on global giving. But even if it’s not a formal communication, look for updates and victories you share with colleagues, supporters, etc, and look to use those as Global Giving project reports (save energy!)Use the urgency and excitement of Bonus Days and other built-in challenges to motivate donors to give – harnessing the same sense of timeliness as the Open Challenge