10 Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Should Participate in SW Washington’s Giving Day!

At first glance, Give More 24!—southwest Washington’s largest giving day—can seem a little complicated. That’s because a giving day is not the typical fundraising event that nonprofit professionals like us are used to planning. We understand.

We also know that it brings up a lot of questions; the most important of which is, “Why should I participate?”

Our short answer: BeCause it’s a game-changer for southwest Washington nonprofits. To show you what I mean, let’s talk numbers for a minute.

Last year 155 nonprofits raised more than $1.36 million for their respective programs. 4,000 generous people felt empowered enough to give, totaling 5,750 individual gifts, and share their passion for local causes on social media. You read that right. That’s 4,000 local people who are interested in the future and well-being of our community. They’re interested in YOUR vision and mission.

Giving days like Give More 24! use technology to create a real-time ripple effect, and—as you can see—the results are usually awe-inspiring. So, have I convinced you yet? Great! Head over to GiveMore24.org and register today!

In case you or other staff and board members need more convincing, we’ve also come up with our top ten reasons why participating in our region’s only 24-hour online giving day is a great idea:

1. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from and work alongside a large community of nonprofits and people who are seasoned experts in giving days. Sign up for emails, attend our planning workshop, join our Facebook nonprofit forum, call into our training webinars, dive into our online nonprofit toolkits – the list goes on!
2. Giving days provide a unique opportunity to involve both major donors and those who give at more modest levels. Ask your larger donors to position their gifts as matching funds. This serves as both an incentive and a challenge for others donors on September 19.
3. Give More 24! levels the playing field for our region’s nonprofits. Every organization has its own profile and the same tools to execute its fundraising push. Then, messages like “Give Today!” will be blasted across the region and the Internet on September 19. Donors will arrive primed to give to several causes, and yours could be one.
4. Did we mention prize dollars are at stake? Every year, nonprofits are awarded nearly $20,000 in prizes based on goals or contests that take place throughout the 24-hour giving day. Prize dollars are still being raised, and details will be announced on Thursday, August 5.
5. Give More 24! is a joint publicity effort. There is strength in numbers, and we have more than 100
   organizations taking part in this team effort. Collectively, our voices are amplified. So, by signing up to participate, you’ll be part of that effort and you’ll benefit from our widespread promotional activities.
6. The end of September is probably around the beginning of your annual year-end giving push. You can use GiveMore24.org to ride this momentum into the last few months of the year to meet your fundraising goals.
7. By signing up to participate, you can take advantage of ready-made, easy to customize marketing tools to create a campaign that draws donors in and sparks interest in your mission. Social media images are ready for download plus dozens of general Give More 24! posters, postcards and marketing messages crafted by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington.
8. Give More 24! helps you as a nonprofit professional build online fundraising and marketing skills, especially if you attend our planning workshop and online webinars. These skills are becoming increasingly valuable as more and more donors become familiar with digital platforms and online giving.
9. You’ll be able to use the momentum around Give More 24! publicity to demonstrate the value all donors bring to your cause. Every gift counts during Give More 24! This giving day promotes philanthropy as an inclusive and accessible act of kindness, and you can emphasize this in your messaging.
10. Let’s be honest, you’ll get to feel the same warm, fuzzy feeling we all get when we contribute to a larger cause and see others doing the same. It gives us hope and excitement.

Thanks for reading our top ten reasons to sign up and get involved. It may not have answered all of your questions about southwest Washington’s local giving day, but we hope it answered the most important one. Either way, we can help. If you’re ready to get going, head to GiveMore24.org and register before June 28! If you still have questions, you can reference our Nonprofit FAQ, read more about the event or reach out to us with your questions any time. We’re always excited to make connections and support our nonprofit partners.