Giving Tuesday Israeli Style

by Mordecai Holtz

Next week, Israel will be launching its first Giving Tuesday. By joining the global initiative, coined the Social Innovation of the Year by Bloomberg in 2012, Israel is boldly stating that it’s time to inspire and engage the growing local philanthropic landscape.

IsraelGives has done a fantastic job designing a platform that enables every nonprofit to participate.

The success of Giving Tuesday shouldn’t be measured only by the donations brought in, but by the amount of buzz generated by the day. Black Friday isn’t the only day that should receive vast social media attention – the sharing of Giving Tuesday initiatives by both organizations and donors will ensure that the day will become a critical day on the Israeli calendar for years to come, one that will be a sign of our country’s generosity, economic stability and the true impact of local nonprofits.

Whether you work for an organization or support one, here are 9 S’s to ensure that Giving Tuesday Israel will be a tremendous Success:

Nonprofits

Simple: Online campaigns have proven successful only when the ‘ask’ is simple and succinct. Too much verbiage or explanation will confuse potential donors and lead to a decrease in support.

Shareable: Does the story or project you’re soliciting for have a shareable/ social factor? Will people want to promote such a project or is too limited in scope?

Short: Is the video brief and to the point or does the video cram in too much? Do you have a video at all?

Story: What story are you telling about the organization? During concentrated giving campaigns like Giving Tuesday storytelling is critical to engage a potential donor, inspire them to give and encourage them to share your story with others.

Substantial: According to Blackbaud, the average gift on Giving Tuesday in the US (12/3/13) was $142. Can the project be divided into amounts that convey that each donation actually makes a real impact?

Donors

Story: After reading the story or seeing their video, are you intrigued or engaged? Or is their story not convincing enough? Will your contribution really make an impact? Is this a story that you want to follow for the long term?

Size: Would you prefer to support a proven, scaled organization, or does the smaller, less popular organization appeal to you more?

Sense: Can you access some form of success metrics? Do the published numbers of the organization make sense and show that it is being run efficiently and effectively? What is the ratio of fundraising vs admin vs actual output? How will you, the donor, measure impact, or does it not matter to you?

Secure: Are you comfortable with supporting the organization you selected? Do you have any reservations?

Mordecai is the NonProfit Division Leader at Pixel/Point Press. After working in the industry for almost eight years, Mordecai has merged his passions for social causes and social media by applying online marketing principles to the nonprofit sector. Beyond engaging people online, Mordecai loves applying his creative flair and passion to help clients succeed in the digital space.

Mordecai is an occasional contributor to eJewish Philanthropy. You can follow Mordecai by reading his blog noholtzbarred.com or on twitter @mordecaiholtz