GiveBIG: Top Tips to Maximize Engagement

By Mitra Karami

Questioning whether your organization should participate in GiveBIG this year? According to WA Gives, in 2024, 44,602 donations were made by 23,271 donors. These donations, combined with donor-advised funds (DAF) and IRA contributions, matching donations from individuals and companies, sponsors, and in-kind contributions from local media companies totaled $11.6 million!

Below are some of Ostara Group’s top strategies and tips to help your organization prepare.

Boost Website Traffic

Use GiveBIG as an opportunity to drive traffic to your organization’s website. Create a unique landing page on your website to host your GiveBIG donation form.

Use Digital Communications Strategically

In the age of digital fundraising, email and social media are cost-effective and useful tools to enhance your fundraising strategy. A steady stream of communication with your donors with a multichannel approach is essential to bringing attention to your organization before and during the campaigns:

1. Plan ahead and create a schedule. Tell a story – communicate campaign goals and impact creatively through social media channels and emails. Let your donors know about the campaign and share match details a week in advance, as well as the day before to capture their attention. Mornings and evenings tend to be the best times to send emails.

2. Don’t get lost in the shuffle. Plan multiple emails on the day-of. Organizations who sent emails by 7am before the workday and 7pm after dinner on the day of GiveBIG saw an average of 28% more revenue last year than those who didn’t.

Use Urgency-Driving Language

1. Create urgency to drive engagement by incorporating elements such as a countdown clock, thermometers, compelling graphics, and videos. Emphasize deadlines and milestones in the days leading up.

2. Express impact of the donor’s donation in clear, highly motivating ways. For example, use match-driven language or client stories to turn a transactional process into an opportunity for investment in your mission and vision.

3. Engage supporters throughout the campaign on social media, using tools like Instagram reels and Facebook stories to do shout outs. Keep them informed of your progress towards your goals and deadlines so that they can take advantage of matching opportunities.

Focus on a Specific Ask

Alt Text: The picture is a graphic and features 3 people sitting at a table, one on a computer, all looking at a large graph on the wall

Use the GiveBIG campaign to inspire donors to make an additional gift by framing your call to action around a specific ask or funding need.

For Example: One of our clients had tremendous success last year, by asking donors to donate to fund the purchase of an essential piece of equipment they desperately needed. By focusing on a specific programmatic need and having a clear call to action that differed from their typical year-round fundraising campaigns, they were able to raise over $65,000 through their 2024 GiveBIG campaign. For reference, this client raised $2,500 in 2023.

Target Different Segments of Donors

If GiveBIG coincides with fundraising campaigns or events your organization holds during these times of the year, use the campaign as an opportunity to engage specific segments of your donors like mid-level, annual fund and/or lapsed donors. Segment and tailor communications directly to this audience that emphasize their role in supporting your work. Incorporate matching incentives, impact equivalencies, and graphics that detail the increased impact their gift can have on your organization’s ability to carry out their mission. Ensure that these are specific to each segment that you are targeting.

Weave A Compelling Narrative

The power of storytelling lies in its ability to connect with the audience on a human level. Sharing stories helps donors see themselves as a part of your work and how their contribution impacts someone else.

1. Share pictures or video clips in your email communications and on social media to demonstrate impact and create a compelling story that will motivate donors to give.

2. Share testimonials to highlight the communities and people you serve. This doesn’t need to be professionally done –repurpose footage from a previous year’s mission video or have a staff member or volunteer snap some pictures or clips on their phone.

Effective storytelling enables you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and inspires your donors to give.

Keep Track of More than What You Raised

It is essential to adopt a data driven fundraising approach. Reviewing your campaign data lets you know what you need to change to get better results. By analyzing your metrics, you can use GiveBIG as an opportunity to determine what is working well and identify areas that could be improved upon.

When analyzing your donations post campaign, we suggest looking at:

• Donation page and overall website traffic.

• Email open rate, click through rate and unsubscribe rate.

• Conversion rate.

• Average donation amount.

This will help you identify how donors made their way to your giving page, how well your messaging is resonating with your audience, and what strategies can be adjusted to better engage your audience. You may find your emails generate less traffic than your social media posts or incorporating video testimonials increased giving year over year. This gives you a better idea of where to focus your energy for the following year.

If you choose to participate in GiveBIG 2025, think of it as an opportunity to test new communications strategies, reach a wider audience, and build new or deeper relationships with those who choose to give. If you would like to talk through your GiveBIG or annual fund strategies, contact the Ostara Group today!