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6 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Spread The Word On World Refugee Day

On June 20, people around the world will observe World Refugee Day. What can your nonprofit do to harness the momentum?


 

You spend every day tackling one of the biggest issues facing the world—a refugee crisis that has displaced millions of people, and a system ill-equipped to help. There are so many urgent needs in your community, and too little resources. Trying to explain your complex work within the 24-hour window of World Refugee Day can be intimidating! Get organized and harness the extra attention with five World Refugee Day fundraising tips from GlobalGiving:

    1. Humanize the issue.

    Worldwide, nearly 1 in 100 people are displaced from their homes, the highest share of the population that has been forcibly displaced since 1951. The magnitude of the problem—and every individual’s role in helping to solve it—is sometimes overwhelming and difficult for donors to contemplate. So don’t rely on statistics alone. Tell a story about one refugee’s life in limbo, like Ziad, a Syrian refugee who had to set up a makeshift classroom in a tent in Lebanon for his children. Or experiment with other storytelling tactics to help people, who may be a world away, understand what’s really at stake. Get six writing tips that will help your nonprofit prepare for World Refugee Day.

    2. Urge donors to act with story-based email appeals.

    Email appeals drove about 28% of online giving in 2017, according to the latest M+R Benchmarks Study. Develop an email series to motivate your donors to give on World Refugee Day. Try telling one refugee’s story, as mentioned above. Download our pre-written World Refugee Day email examples to get a head start.

    3. Host an event.

    It could be as intimate as a dinner at your house for your four most-engaged donors or an open house at your office for curious passersby. Events are a great way to humanize your mission, and there are endless event ideas—from simple to elaborate. You can also rely on your donors to host peer-to-peer fundraising events on your nonprofit’s behalf. Check out this list of 14 fantastic peer-to-peer fundraising ideas.

    4. Reach out to the press.

    The worldwide observance of World Refugee Day is an ideal time to reach out to press and ask for coverage of your event or your expertise. Download GlobalGiving’s free press release guide to spread the word about your issue-based work, or download our free press advisory guide to alert your local media outlets about your World Refugee Day event.

    5. Tap into the momentum on social media.

    Follow and use trending hashtags, like #WorldRefugeeDay, #RefugeesWelcome, and #WeAreRefugees, to be part of the global conversation on World Refugee Day. Being part of the conversation means sharing other’s work, too. Retweet compelling information from your peers and ask your supporters to share your work on social media, too. Watch our webinar, “Hashtag With A Purpose,” to learn more about how to leverage Twitter on World Refugee Day, and feel free to reuse and repurpose GlobalGiving’s social media promotions on that day, too.

    6. Demonstrate your results and make a clear ask.

    Be sure to share stories about the difference your programs are making in the lives of refugees, and invite your supporters to be part of the solution. Use powerful photos and videos, if you have them. And don’t forget a call-to-action! If you have a project on GlobalGiving, send an update using GlobalGiving’s project appeal email tool before or on World Refugee Day. Your content will provide the emotional connection, and GlobalGiving’s matching funds (and simple donate button) may be just the incentive your supporters need to give again. Explore more free World Refugee Day resources for nonprofits.

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      Featured Banner Photo: Child refugees are processing trauma, thanks to a GlobalGiving project by Emfasis Foundation.

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