Gearing up for the
Giving Season
September 23, 2009
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 211-213-816

Reminders
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Webinar recording and slides
will be available on
www.mycharityconnects.org
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For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 211-213-816

What is CanadaHelps?
A public charitable foundation that provides accessible and
affordable online technology to both donors and charities.
For Charities
A cost-effective means of raising funds online.
For Donors
A one-stop-shop for giving.
CanadaHelps is a charity helping charities.
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 211-213-816

Today’s Presenters
• Amy Huynh
Communications Assistant
• Kirstin Beardsley
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 211-213-816

Webinar Agenda
1. What is Giving Season?
2. Donor Motivations
3. The Challenge & The Opportunity
4. Getting Ready
5. Giving Season Ideas
6. Tips & Reminders
7. Q&A

WHAT IS GIVING SEASON?

‘Tis the season to be giving!
• “Giving Season” takes place approximately between October 1 and
December 31
• In a given year, 50% of donations made through the CanadaHelps
portal occur in December alone
• Many cultural celebrations during this time of the year with
common theme of togetherness, generosity, compassion, goodwill

Consider the season’s multiple
cultural celebrations
• Along with Christmas, other cultural events at this time with the
same spirit of generosity
• Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, Winter solstice, Eid
• Get familiar with the holidays celebrated
• Keep a calendar with cultural celebrations highlighted

DONOR MOTIVATIONS

Understand what motivates donors to give
• The spirit of giving
• Family, holiday and religious
traditions
• Tax benefit
• Making a difference
• Having an impact
• Inspiring fundraising
campaign
• Recognition
• Social influence

A big motivator is simply being
asked…especially by someone in
your personal network

THE CHALLENGE & THE
OPPORTUNITY

Challenge Opportunity
• Standing out from the crowd of • It’s a season of giving back
other fundraising campaigns & • People, companies, families,
communications schools, etc. are more likely to
• Competing with donors’ tight donate at this time
budgets • Media are looking for charitable
• Keeping organized and motivated stories
• Companies are thinking about
meaningful gifts for their staff
and clients

GETTING READY

Set goals Define audience
• Specific • Analyze key groups or people you
• Measurable want to reach and what their
• Achievable needs are
• Realistic • Who is key to the initiative?
• Time-focused • Who do you need to connect with
for this to be a success?

Figure out your story
• Develop inspirational content that touches upon the values of the
holiday season
• Why should donors care? What can they help accomplish?
• How can a donation save someone’s life?
• Connect donors to the impact their donation can have
• Tailor your story for the online platform
• Keep it simple
• Easy to remember & retell

Determine your communication tactics
• How are you going to reach your target audience?
• What will you need to spread your organization’s message?
• Additional web pages
• Direct mail materials
• Holiday edition of your e-newsletter
• E-blasts & e-cards
• Speeches
• Advertising
• Online community outreach / Social network outreach
• Events

Update your website
• Maximize your homepage real estate for your appeal
• Remove any outdated information
• Keep your content, imagery and appeals current
• Your website is a huge source of your organization’s authenticity
• Remember: many of your offline donors will visit your website and
consider your web presence as part of their decision whether to donate
• Emphasize donor security and privacy

Test links and buttons
• Are all links in working order? Do they all lead users to the right place?
• Make sure your Donate Now button:
• stands out from the rest of your website
• leads donors to your CanadaHelps Donation Page
• can be found no matter what page a visitor is on

Integrate your communications
• If you're also doing a direct mail fundraising appeal, how is
your online appeal connected to it?
• Your website should reflect the e-newsletters/direct mail
you send out

GIVING SEASON IDEAS

Donations as gifts
• Encourage donors to donate on behalf of a friend or loved one as a
way of giving a holiday gift
• Helps them to buy gifts for their loved ones and “give back” at the
same time
• Suggest monthly donations
• Frame your ask in such a way that it’s a win-win situation: monthly
donations for you, convenience and budgeting for your donors

Donating Gifts of Securities
• Most gifts of securities are made at the end of the year
• Accepting gifts of securities is easy & hassle-free with CanadaHelps
• Clearly and succinctly explain the benefits and process in your
communications
• Donations of securities take longer than regular donations
• In order for donors to receive a tax receipt before the end of the
year, they need to allow for several business days
• Start communicating this option early

Remind donors they also benefit from
donating to your charity!
• Donors need to make their gift by December 31st to get
their tax receipt
• CanadaHelps automatically e-mails them a PDF tax
receipt
• Giving online is perfect for those last-minute donations

Let your donors spread the word for you!
• Encourage your supporters to “tell a friend” about your
organization/campaign, forward e-newsletters, raise funds on your
behalf, etc.
• Make it easy and convenient to support you
• develop strong and compelling communications and let your
donors do the rest!
• Harnessing the power of the social web for good

Ask donors to set up a GivingPage
instead of accepting gifts
• Invite your supporters to create fundraising campaigns through
GivingPages to raise money on your behalf
• Give donors specific ideas: donations in lieu of gifts, pledge event,
fundraising challenge amongst friends, “gift-less” parties, etc.
• Send out an e-newsletter or create a page on your website outlining
how they can help raise money for your organization
• Tips: set a goal and deadline, initiate a challenge, promote through
social networks

• GPAGE EXAMPLE – giftless holiday

Connect with your community
• Schools
• Community newspapers
• Ethnic publications
• Local businesses
• Financial planners
• Volunteers

TIPS & REMINDERS

Have a clear call to action
• Let your readers know what to do next
• Make following through as simple and specific as possible
• Explain what their action would accomplish and what
would happen next
• Good calls to action are highly specific, easy and very
feasible for someone to do

• Need
• Solution
• Cost
• Urgency
• Donor Context
• Donor Benefit

Set up funds on CanadaHelps
• People want to know what their donation will help your organization achieve
• Designate and describe funds for your campaigns, projects, areas of need
• Designating funds on CanadaHelps and your website help donors make a
connection to impact

Login to your MyCharity Account
• Check and fulfill any card requests from your CanadaHelps donors
• Read the messages donors send to your charity
• Make sure your charity profile is up to date

Listen & Monitor
• Set up a GoogleAlerts (www.google.com/alerts) for your campaign
• Be sure to monitor keywords on Twitter (www.search.twitter.com)
• If you find a person or a group talking about your cause, you can
respond to them and start a relationship
• Media outlets are looking for charitable stories at this time of the year

Tap into the “blogosphere”
• Identify and reach out to bloggers who are talking about
the issues related to your cause
• Send them a personalized message about their writing/blog
and explain why your organization’s campaign is relevant or
compelling to them and their readers

Donor Stewardship
• Let donors know how they helped your mission
• Give the donor the credit – tell them how their contribution has
made a difference
• Recognize donors in a timely way
• Remember to include CanadaHelps donors in your charity’s regular
donor recognition programs
• Give new donors a warm welcome

ABOUT MYCHARITYCONNECTS

www.mycharityconnects.org
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UPCOMING EVENTS
The Five Pillars of Online Fundraising
September 29 – REGINA, Saskatchewan
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November 5 – TORONTO, Ontario
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November 12 – CALGARY, Alberta
November 13 – EDMONTON, Alberta
www.mycharityconnects.org/events

Question and Answer
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we can’t hear you
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Thank you for attending!
Webinar slides and recording will be up on:
www.mycharityconnects.org/pastwebinars
Check out www.mycharityconnects.org for resources!
Questions, feedback, comments? Email Amy at:
amyh@canadahelps.org
Thanks to: