Want to Win the Challenge? It’s All About Organizing!

Over the past week I’ve been obsessively checking the daily and overall Giving Challenge leaderboards, as well as many of the participating causes themselves.  In doing all of this “informal research,” I’ve been struck by the gap between those causes that seem to have an organizing strategy and those that do not.

As the second week of the Challenge builds momentum, I’ll offer a few observations that I hope will help participating causes reach their full potential:

1.    Successful causes are built by hard work, not magic.

The unfortunate thing about a platform on which a million people can assemble themselves with minimal effort and cost is that we start to believe that everything must be this easy online.  There is a temptation to think that “if you build it, they will come.”  But getting people to take action, wherever it is done, is hard work.  It demands a solid strategy and effective tactics.  On a strategic level, organizing requires building relationships with people, creating goals with them, and inspiring them to reach those goals through a series of actions that will lead to success.  On a tactical level, organizing may call for a mission statement, instructional and marketing materials, events, descriptions of impact, volunteer opportunities, celebration of successes, recognition of individual achievements, and countless other ways you might effectively execute your strategy.

What this means for the Giving Challenge:

The strategy is easy enough to understand—where most people get stuck is in carrying out the tactics.  It is not sufficient to send a bulletin to your members and sit back and wait for the donations to roll in (no matter how many members you have).  Bulletins are a vital communication tool, but you’ll be lucky if an email alone inspires more than a handful of your members to act.  Sustained action requires cultivation.  In addition to the bulletins you send, you should personally reach out to and get to know your Hall of Fame members, and encourage them to achieve specific goals.  Get everyone you know personally to join the cause and donate, even if you have to carry your laptop around your neighborhood.  Use the Cause Stream (the Wall-like feed below the Giving Challenge box on your cause) to keep members updated on progress, thank donors and promoters, and celebrate successes. Send follow-up bulletins telling your supporters what happened the day before and recognize specific people who contributed.  Organize daily phone and email outreach campaigns.  Throw a party.  Go for specific daily prizes and tell your supporters what they will need to do to win.  Share the burden by appointing multiple administrators who can mobilize different personal networks and help manage the cause.  Check out our best practices for more ideas.

2.    Many hands make light work.

The last Challenge winner, Love Without Boundaries (LWB), recently told us that they have 170 volunteers in 9 countries that have a specific responsibility.  These supporters recruit friends, welcome newcomers, post media to the cause, fundraise, share news about specific programs, write bulletins, and respond to questions, among other tasks.  Even if LWB could tackle all of this work without any volunteers, which is doubtful, they still would miss out on the opportunity to bring more people into their organization and develop lasting relationships with them.  LWB’s leaders reduce their workload and build a stronger community around their cause by spreading responsibility across its network of supporters.

What this means for the Giving Challenge:

Appointing multiple administrators is a great start, but even five or ten administrators can’t possibly get enough friends to donate enough times to win the Challenge.  You have to empower your most avid supporters to play a meaningful role in your campaign.  Give them responsibilities, titles, and goals.  Teach them how to post media, recruit others, welcome newcomers, and fundraise. Explain to them why their work matters and how it contributes to the overall goal.  Solicit their suggestions and questions.  Encourage their creativity.  Recognize their accomplishments on the cause and personally.  Giving your supporters leadership roles will not only help you win the Challenge, but will build a community of supporters who care about your organization and are ready to help you down the road.

3.    Make the strongest case you can.

At the end of the day your fundraising campaign will be no more successful than your pitch.  Yes, you have to “pitch” your cause to potential supporters.  Your supporters could use their time and money in thousands of other ways, so make your pitch unique and compelling.  Remember that the cause itself is part of your pitch, as are the bulletins you send, the slogans you come up with, the goals you set, and the photos and videos you post.  So what makes a good pitch?  According to Sarah Koch, one of our nonprofit coordinators, “A good pitch is one that is personal, sincere, and demonstrates real impact.”

What this means for the Giving Challenge:

First, make your pitch clear: If a potential supporter can’t easily find out who you are, what you do, or why giving money matters, she is not going to donate to your cause, much less promote it to her friends.  Second, make your pitch personal: Tell supporters what you want them to do and what their actions can accomplish.  Show them that the impact for others far outweighs their sacrifice in time and money.  Third, make your pitch passionate: Show supporters, in your own way, how much you care.  Like voting, most of us donate with our hearts.  So figure out how to speak to your supporters’ hearts.

While the numbers from the first week of the Challenge are impressive, I think most causes are barely scratching the surface of their potential.  Starting TOMORROW, check here each day for a Challenge tip that will highlight what strategies and tactics causes are effectively using in the Challenge.  ALSO, check out the right sidebar of www.causes.com for a new “Challenge Toolkit” and “Challenge Resources” that should help you run a more effective campaign.

Think big, be creative, and don’t give up.  We can’t wait to see what you come up with in week two.  Good luck!