To run a successful campaign for a giving day, start planning early! If you already have a strong donor base or you are fundraising for the first time, these tips, strategies, and videos can help you.

Select a staff member or volunteer as point person for the Giving Day, someone who has strong leadership and organizational skills, and can commit to the entire campaign timeline and process.
Establish success metrics that include more than winning a prize or grant. Treat the Giving Day as part of your fundraising plan for the year by considering how it fits into your annual giving campaign. Consider success metrics such as using the event as a capacity building exercise, using it to highlight a program, or to cultivate new donors. Develop and build a plan around these goals vs. only trying to win a grant or prize.
Identify your top champions and how you want to engage with them. Who knows your work best? Board members, volunteers, and long-time donors could be on this list. In addition to making a gift for the event, consider other asks you can make. They can be great assets in spreading the word, setting up peer-to-peer fundraising, and assisting with in-person events to celebrate giving day.
Reach out to major donors and sponsors. Let them know that you are participating in the giving day this year. Ask them if they would like to make a donation that can serve as a match. Matches as low as $200 can be compelling to donors. If you have a donor who wants to make a more complex gift such as a gift of stock or a distribution from a retirement account, advise them to initiate that transaction as early as possible and schedule the donation to arrive within the June 1 – 25 timeframe.
Consider the ways you are already reaching out to supporters. We recommend capitalizing on what you are already doing vs. creating a bunch of new things. How can you use these tools to engage supporters? Consider things like email newsletters, social media, website, in-person events or meetings, mailings to supporters, etc.
Reach out early and often to the CFNRV team. We are here to support you! Lindsey Gleason-Reed is our main contact for all giving day efforts. Reach out to her at lindseygleason@cfnrv.org or 540-381-8999.

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