Giving Tuesday is November 30: Re-engage Your Community of Givers

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a global movement that inspires people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity—and it’s an ideal opportunity to re-connect with your community’s supporters.

As you prepare for this year’s celebration on November 30, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Learn From The Experts: Check out the recorded sessions and tools from October’s virtual “Givers + Friends Fest,” featuring resource experts from social channels and digital fundraisers. We encourage you to listen to the summit recordings and try the many free tools to assist you in preparing not only for Nov. 30, but also for end-of-year campaigns.

Use What’s Out There: Giving Tuesday offers an incredibly detailed toolkit for nonprofits. Check out the Complete Guide for Grassroots Community Organizations & Nonprofits and download the 6-Week Communication Timeline to keep everything moving toward Giving Tuesday on Monday, Nov. 30.

In addition, Scholarship America has a number of social media graphics and sample posts already available to use for Giving Tuesday in Affiliate Resources. And, for Dollars for Scholars that have transitioned to online donations through Give Lively or other means, your new capabilities will be more important in these post-pandemic times. Here are some takeaways from the Summit:

Know The Landscape: The research team at Giving Tuesday took a look at all charitable giving in the U.S. in 2020 and saw that overall giving was up despite the pandemic, with a surge in new donors, especially those giving small amounts. Small, repeated or recurring donations will be an important approach to engage the ever-larger pool of donors looking to continue their giving.

Giving Tuesday is a unique opportunity and a great way to kick off your year-end giving. Work with our team, your Engagement Director and Student Support team to assist you with your Giving Tuesday and end of year campaigns!

GuideStar Can Help Share Your Mission

GuideStar is the largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. It offers your Dollars for Scholars a free tool to help potential donors and other philanthropic partners know about your good work.

More than 150 Dollars for Scholars have claimed their GuideStar profile, have shared information about their mission and results and have earned a seal of nonprofit transparency at Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels. GuideStar’s transparency levels can help donors, funders, the business community and partners like Amazon Smile or Facebook know that you are an active nonprofit with integrity.

The 2021 GuideStar Profile Standard is the best practice guide that will tell you what information is required for each level. Your Dollars for Scholars can download a tool kit that provides you the seal of transparency to post on your website, newsletter or social media. Access information about how to make updates to your website in the ChapterNet Training category of Affiliate Resources, and our brand usage/standard guide, in the Marketing & Communications category.

Utica Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars in New York is excited to have their Platinum seal of transparency visible to their community. As treasurer Bruce Brodsky says, “Our organization earned a 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency! Now, everyone can see our strategy, metrics, and achievements.”

ChapterNet Updates

As you prepare for the 2021-2022 scholarship season, here are
a few pre-season tips to help set you up for success:

1. Advance your scholarships in ChapterNet and make any necessary updates to dates, eligibility requirements, etc.
   Annual Advancement Training Video
   
   
2. Update your Dollars for Scholars website with this year’s open/close dates and application instructions. Editing Your Website Training Video
   
   
3. Contact students about creating/updating their profiles. Stock instructions for students, parents, references, and school officials can be found in Affiliate Resources
   
   
4. Reach out to the schools you serve, specifically the counselors, so they know what is going to be expected of them as students begin requesting References and/or Transcript Information

Be sure to check out the Scholarship Management Checklist, Annual Chapter Operating Timeline/Checklist, and Scholarship Set-up Checklist in Affiliate Resources to help you navigate your scholarship season.  

See What's Trending in Higher Ed

See our Scholarship America student survey results, as students returned to classes this fall term and learn how much financial concerns are top of mind for students. Feel free to use this information in your appeal letters and newsletters.

Here is our updated guide to helping students recover from COVID-19 Setbacks

Scholarship America has joined forces with dozens of higher education and student success organizations to announce a “Shared Commitment” to make “Democracy Learning a Top Priority for Postsecondary Education.” Read more on our blog.

Reminders

Stay up to date with everything going on. Check out the
important dates and deadlines coming up, with November 1
being the first key date to note.  

• November 1 - Dollars for Scholars chapter donations will no longer be processed through scholarshipamerica.org.
• November 30 - Giving Tuesday
• December 9 – 7:00 pm CT Dollars for Scholars Holiday Gathering, register today to join us.

Questions? Contact your Engagement Director!