#GivingTuesday Now Fundraising Campaigns for COVID-19 Relief

In our current world climate, unless your organization is working on the frontlines as a necessary worker, your employees are most likely working remotely or not working at all. With an unseen end in sight for closures of businesses, it can be difficult to continue to encourage your employees to stay positive, however, one way to keep their minds, thoughts, and hearts in another place is by providing them with an opportunity to do something that makes a difference during challenging times.

As we continue our second month of social distancing, shelter in place, and global pandemic restrictions that have become the new normal, the Giving Tuesday team has been hard at work pulling together a similar day of giving to unite donors, corporations, and communities. Launched in 2012 as a way to give back to the community and nonprofit organizations during the season of giving, Giving Tuesday has grown exponentially, raising millions of dollars, and gaining notoriety for its results.

#GivingTuesdayNow follows the same practices as traditional giving days, simply shining a larger light on giving back to the community and recognizing all the good that is being done around the world. On May 5, the only difference will be that there is a more immediate focus on giving back to organizations that are providing support to those most impacted by the effects of COVID-19 and ones working to help those in need.

Here are some ways you can get in front of your employees to support local organizations that are overwhelmed by COVID-19 impact:

• It is proven that communicating proactively and quickly will keep your employees informed about initiatives like #GivingTuesdayNow. If you are holding a large giving day, tell them about it as early as possible and communicate your goals from the beginning.

• Focus your employees on the mission! There isn’t a ton of time to prepare them for a new fundraising campaign, so you need to pull out all the stops, create the messaging, and pitch to your people. Hear how Asha Curran, CEO of Giving Tuesday suggests you take on the limited timeframe!

• Maybe you were already planning on hosting a fundraising event for your employees in the same date range as #GivingTuesdayNow. Luckily, your employees probably are already well-educated on what Giving Tuesday is about! We have a few tips on how to turn your COVID-19 giving day into a #GivingTuesdayNow Campaign with ease.

• Make sure you are staying realistic. On our #GivingTuesdayNow Tip Sheet, we give ten tips on how to successfully launch a #GivingTuesdayNow Campaign. One of the most important things to remember is that you have to be realistic with your goals. Your employees may not be in the place to give as much as they usually do, may have already given a lot, or are previously committed elsewhere. Don’t get discouraged by the numbers, be encouraged by the impact your team and corporation is making!

The curious thing about this disaster is that every person in the world has been impacted in some way by it, whether it be a sick friend, family member, or self; your business slowing, hurting or even shutting for a few months; your school year ending shortly, not getting to go on that dream vacation, or postponing special plans. Every person has sacrificed for COVID-19.

You have the unique opportunity to reach out to your employees during a difficult time and bring them together through a wave of generosity, engagement, and philanthropy, showing that at this moment, we all have more similarities than differences.