The Five Faces of Giving Tuesday

It is well documented that we at VISIONALITY are not fans of Giving Tuesday. And so, on this (not) Giving Tuesday, a day where many very deserving nonprofits will feel pressured to expend precious resources to “go big” and are unfortunately overshadowed by mega organizations, I want to share with you five BETTER ways to support great people doing great work!  

  1. Recurring micro-donations – Please become a monthly donor or make a 5-year pledge to your favorite three organizations!! When you tell an organization that you’re in for the long-term, it allows them to use the time they might have been soliciting your gift to go cultivate others! Many small, recurring donations evens out cashflow and better-aligns with our current “subscription” culture.  
     
  2. Tell a friend – You are the best way to spread the mission of your favorite organizations. Share your favorite piece of their mission, or your coolest volunteer story. Or how about this: When you meet someone new, instead of asking “what do you do?” try: “what’s your favorite local nonprofit?”   
     
  3. Give Cash, not Things – Although our intentions are good, money is almost always better than physical donations for most organizations. They can apply the money wherever it is needed most … at this time, for example, they might not need a used cat door or “my dead husband’s old boots” … TRUE STORIES.  
    (share (anonymously!) your most cringe-worthy donation story – if we get enough of them, I’ll compile and share the magic in an upcoming newsletter!)  
     
  4. Become a regular volunteer – just like recurring donations, committing to regularly show up allows your favorite organizations to use their resources to cultivate new volunteers. Further, volunteering is often the pipeline that brings in new donors. So while you’re telling your friends about your favorite organizations, invite them to join you to volunteer too! 
     
  5. Tell the staff that they are doing well – oh boy, the staff at your favorite nonprofits are in desperate need of your kudos! As a consultant, a big part of my job is to be a cheerleader (good thing I was a competitive dancer/cheerleader in high school! (again, if we get enough awful donation stories, I’ll share a high school pic to prove it!)) And let me tell you – these magical people work so hard, often for less compensation than their for-profit counterparts (don’t worry – we’re working to change that!), working every day to cure our most-terrifying challenges. They need you to say thanks. They need you to drop by with doughnuts. They need you to tell them that their hard work, long hours, and pure grit is noticed and valued.