João Paulo Vergueiro and Estaban Oyarzo are advancing the GivingTuesday movement across Latin America and the Caribbean. They share insights and advice for making an impact with your GivingTuesday campaign.
JP: I joined the movement 10 years ago in Brazil. I learned about what they are doing in the United States, where it started, and thought it was a brilliant idea to have a day that encourages people to do good all over the world. And I wanted to be a part of the movement. In Brazil, GivingTuesday is called Dia de Doar Day, as it doesn’t have the same link to US Thanksgiving—but it’s still part of the movement to promote generosity.
JP: GivingTuesday is set up in a way that you don’t need a local leader to be a part of the movement and do good. Local organizations have made a significant impact in promoting GivingTuesday. For instance, in Brazil, local nonprofits who had never sent a message, made a call, or posted on social media to ask for donations began using GivingTuesday as an opportunity to post and raise funds. This experience inspired them to apply what they learned to ask for donations and build their fundraising practices. They started reaching out to individuals and locals for contributions, reducing their reliance on public funds. The movement inspired them to do more.
Esteban: I invite everyone to check the 2022 GivingTuesday Impact Report. In the US alone, 35 million people participated in last year’s GivingTuesday, and online donations surpassed $1 billion, demonstrating the profound and far-reaching impact of GivingTuesday across the world. Among them, 20 million made monetary donations, 11 million donated goods, 10 million volunteered their time, and 15 million used their voices for different causes.
These figures highlight that GivingTuesday is more than just giving money; it’s about giving your time and lending your voice to support the causes that matter to you and make a positive impact on the world.
JP: While online efforts can be impactful for many organizations, you don’t necessarily need an online presence, and fundraising platforms like GlobalGiving can help you engage with donors and supporters beyond your local community. Offline events can be just as impactful. In Brazil, raffles are very popular, and local organizations have implemented local cultural events and activities that resonate with their local community to fundraise and connect with people, ultimately placing them in the pipeline for future engagement.
Esteban: There are many different ways to engage participants, and one effective approach is to have a soft launch before fully initiating your GivingTuesday campaign. This soft launch can be tailored for various groups, including your board members, volunteers, donors, and partners. It’s an opportunity to expand your network, secure early donations for the campaign day, connect with key stakeholders in advance, and fine-tune your messaging and technical aspects.
This approach has been successfully implemented in Mexico, where they launched #IGiveBecause, and people were invited to share on social media why they give. Instead of NGOs sharing information, it was the individuals within the local community who shared why they were part of it. This created significant online buzz and demonstrated the impact of people getting involved with the GivingTuesday movement.
JP: Think of GivingTuesday as a movement aimed at promoting generosity and expanding support for your cause. GivingTuesday is more than just a means of fundraising for individual organizations. It’s generosity that leads to meaningful change, and nonprofits play a pivotal role in achieving this. When we ask people to contribute, whether through monetary donations or volunteering, we’re contributing to the creation of a world where people actively participate in bringing about the changes they wish to see.
Esteban: Here are some steps to maximize your impact on GivingTuesday:
Esteban: Check out the “How to Participate” section on givingtuesday.org. In this section, you can find a wealth of resources. The website offers a wide range of materials to boost your fundraising strategy, such as graphics, toolkits, and worksheets to help you plan and build your fundraising strategy for GivingTuesday. For the latest news and updates, follow GivingTuesday’s social media accounts. We continuously publish new material and research. You can stay updated by following @givingtuesdayLAC on social media.
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