As holiday magic slowly enters the air, you may notice the general public is in a, well, lighter mood. That can only mean one thing – the season of giving is upon us! As a theatre, there are ways to leverage that contagious holiday cheer to strengthen your organization, both financially and as a brand.
With Giving Tuesday on the horizon (Nov. 28), now is the time to start planning your fundraising and marketing strategies to reach the best possible results. What began in 2012 as a single day dedicated to promoting acts of kindness, has since evolved into a year-round movement that inspires millions to share, work together, and thrive in the spirit of giving. It serves as a powerful reminder of the spirit of generosity and charity during the holiday season. Learn more about the movement here!
Your theatre isn’t the only one looking for donations around this time of year, so make sure your strategies on social media and other digital platforms are compelling, concise, and specific. After all, social media should be your absolute best friend during any marketing and fundraising campaigns. A few ways to utilize digital marketing strategies on your socials include:
Empowering others to raise the money for you – Bring in local influencers, other creatives, and like-minded individuals to help raise money for your cause. By broadening the scope of people talking about your fundraiser, you’re sure to get more donors than ever. Encourage peer-to-peer fundraising, crowdfunding, and other fun competitions.
Make your appeals specific – Year-end fundraising is incredibly common, and in an oversaturated market, you need to stand out. Let your donors know exactly the kind of things you’ll be using their donations for. Giving a specific motivation for donation makes things feel more urgent, personalized, and important.
All in all, it’s important to leverage social media as a resource to keep your supporters engaged throughout the campaign.
One way to put your money where your mouth is? Participating in Giving Tuesday or making donations yourself will surely inspire others to donate to your cause.
And while you may be limited on resources, remember that Giving Tuesday isn’t just about financial donations. Consider spending the day volunteering with a local nonprofit or providing in-kind donations to other theatres.
Additionally, you can spend time on Giving Tuesday celebrating your donors. Why not take the day to recognize those who support your mission – like donors, volunteers, sponsors, grantees, and vendors? Show off their work and make them feel appreciated!
Now is the time to make sure your donation page on your theatre or show site is operating at its maximum potential. Optimizing your donation page is an essential part of your fundraising efforts, as most people prefer to give digitally. Your online page should, therefore, streamline the giving process for your supporters to enhance the experience.
A few rookie mistakes to avoid on your donations page are:
Gift matching is an excellent incentive for other businesses, sponsors, and community partners to get involved with your fundraiser.
Essentially, when a company promises a matching gift, they’ll provide an additional donation to the organization their patron/employee/colleague has donated to at a predetermined ratio. (Usually 1:1). In this case, your business sponsors and community partners can provide matching gifts to your theatre and encourage their patrons to donate to you, as well.
Spreading the word about matching gifts and encouraging donors to up their numbers during Giving Tuesday can drastically increase your revenue. And don’t forget that large sites like Facebook and Paypal often have matching campaigns on Giving Tuesday. In the past, they’ve matched up to $7 million USD of Giving Tuesday donations. Harness that power!
A fundraising challenge can be just what you need to give your theatre an extra boost of publicity, while also bringing the community together. By challenging your patrons and donors with an achievable goal, they will feel more motivated to raise money and make a difference.
Some fun challenge ideas include:
If you feel like you haven’t yet hit your end-of-year projects for fundraising, it’s not too late to get there. Remember, last-minute fundraising efforts are better than no efforts at all, and On The Stage has the perfect guide to help.
On The Stage’s Guide to Last-Minute Fundraising is designed to set the stage for fundraising success, whether you’re planning an event for next month, next week, or tomorrow.
In the guide, you’ll find:
And if you’re looking for an even more comprehensive answer to your fundraising woes, OTS’ Fundraising Suite is an all-in-one solution for your theatre. With the suite, you’ll be able to take control of your theatre’s financial destiny. Here are some things you can do:
Equipped with a fundraising suite that does it all, the only limit is your imagination. If you’d like to learn more about On The Stage and how it can help elevate your theatre, book a personalized demo today.