Nonprofit Marketing Toolkit 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS General Information..........................................................................................................3 New and Different for 2016..............................................................................................4 Glossary..........................................................................................................................5 Free Marketing Support................................................................................................6 Key Messages.....................................................................................................................7 Giving Day Strategy Checklist..........................................................................................8 Challenge Funds................................................................................................................9 Add North Texas Giving Day to your Calendar..............................................................10 Email/Direct Mail Template.............................................................................................11 Social Media Center Social Media Tips.................................................................................................12 Facebook Tips.......................................................................................................13 Twitter Tips............................................................................................................14 Instagram...........................................................................................15 Planning Timeline......................................................................................................16-17 Day-Of Community Events...........................................................................................18 Guide : How to Fill Out Your Profile .........................................................................19-22

NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY General Info and Eligibility What is North Texas Giving Day?

North Texas Giving Day is an online giving event for people across the nation (and the world!) to come together to raise as much money as possible for North Texas nonprofits on one day: September 22, 2016. In seven years, North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $119 million into the North Texas community. In 2015, $33 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting 2,020 nonprofits.

When is North Texas Giving Day?

Thursday, September 22, from 6 AM Central – Midnight at www.NorthTexasGivingDay.org.

Who created North Texas Giving Day?

Communities Foundation of Texas, a leading 63-year-old community foundation headquartered in Dallas, TX, created North Texas Giving Day in 2009. North Texas Giving Day was one of the first—and is the largest— community-wide giving events in the country.

ELIGIBILITY:

To participate in North Texas Giving Day, a nonprofit must: 1. Have a physical location/mailing address in one of these North Texas* counties: • Ellis • Johnson • Parker • Dallas • Erath • Kaufman • Rockwall • Tarrant • Hood • Navarro • Somervell • Collin • Hunt • Palo Pinto • Wise • Denton 2. Provide more than 50% of their services in the counties listed above; 3. Have a completed Giving Day Profile by August 15, 2016; and 4. Be a 501(c)(3) in good standing with the state and the IRS and not be in violation of any applicable state or federal law, ordinance or regulation; 5. Any organization qualified by the IRS as a 509(a)(2) organization must provide additional documentation before their profile will be approved. Not eligible: • Private foundations (operating and non-operating), PTAs, places of worship, 509(a)(3) supporting organizations, foreign organizations, individuals and disqualified supporting organizations are not eligible to participate in North Texas Giving Day. • Places of worship, as designated by the IRS, are not eligible to participate in North Texas Giving Day. EXCEPTION: If a program operates as a fiscal agency through a place of worship, that program must submit additional documentation demonstrating that it provides direct program services to individuals. Please note: • Each nonprofit’s page will include a link to their Guidestar profile to provide donors with more detailed information on the organization’s mission and use of its charitable dollars. • Approval of an organization’s participation in North Texas Giving Day does not constitute an express or implied endorsement by CFT or any other Giving Day partner of a nonprofit or its mission. *North Texas is defined by the North Texas Central Council of Governments as the 16 county region listed above.

NEW & DIFFERENT IN 2016 1. Perks for Registering Early

• Submit your profile by June 17 to be in the Early Bird Perks Club! If you submit by June 27, you will also receive a few perks. Perks include priority consideration for press events and media outreach.

2. Ability to upload photos and video to your public profile page

• Your profile page now allows you to upload three photos and embed one video (Note: videos and photos will be removed on North Texas Giving Day for optimal site performance)

3. Password-protection allows nonprofits to access your donor report link

• New login process - logging into your profile will be password-protected • When you login to edit your nonprofit profile, you will be able to access the link to your donor report (which provides you live donor data on Sept. 22 - even more important that your point of contact is someone permanent that you trust). No more relying on an email to receive the link!

4. New support tool for responding to the needs of nonprofits

• ZenDesk is a dynamic, searchable help center so you can find the answers you need quickly and easily (and don’t have to wait on us!) • If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, fill out a simple form, creating a help ticket, and we will follow up with you in a timely manner.

5. Prizes will appear on your donor report

• Your live donor report will contain your prize information (if you win one)

6. Enhanced nonprofit tools:

• Cheat-sheets on how to complete your registration form • Recorded kickoff events with videos posted online • Challenge Fund video

7. New look/feel for the website and graphics:

• We still have the hands in our graphics, but we have a new font treatment and the website looks a bit different—more fun, whimsical and vibrant.

GLOSSARY • bonus funds - CFT raises approximately $2.5 million in bonus funds and prizes that is distributed on a pro-rated bases to nonprofits. Nonprofits each receive a percentage of the bonus fund pool based on how much money each raised. In 2015, the bonus was 7.5%. The 2016 bonus percentage will be determined on Sept. 23 (the day after Giving Day). Watch a video. • categories - when completing your profile, you may select up to three (3) categories for your organization. This information is used for donors when they perform a category search on the website. • challenge funds - additional funds contributed directly to a nonprofit from a donor (or donors) to help encourage donations to your nonprofit. Challenge funds could (but do not have to be) a dollar for dollar match. Watch a video. • donation station - events on Sept. 22 where nonprofit(s) gather and have information tables, laptops, ipads or computers to allow donors to make donations. • donor-advised funds - donor-advised fund holders at Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, The Dallas Women’s Foundation and North Texas Community Foundation are able to make grants to nonprofits through their funds for North Texas Giving Day. These gifts appear on tab 2 of your donor report. • EIN - the 9-digit IRS tax id associated with your organization’s legal name • giving guide symbol - this symbol on an organization’s donation page indicates that the nonprofit has applied (in April 2016) and was chosen to appear in CFT’s Giving Guide, which is an annual online publication that is posted every September on CFT’s website. Learn more. • Guidestar - website that pulls information from the IRS Business Master File. CFT uses Guidestar to verify eligibility. The Guidestar logo on each profile page is a link to each nonprofit’s Guidestar profile so that donors may do additional research if they so choose. • kickoff event – in-person, 2-hour sessions where nonprofits learn key information about North Texas Giving Day such as key dates, marketing tips, what is new this year, receive a print-out of the marketing toolkit, and more • leaderboard headings – there are 6 leaderboards online that show results: all organizations, prizes, small, medium, large and schools. Annual budget size determines the small, medium and large leaderboards. They are sortable by name, total gifts, and amount raised. • main point of contact – person listed in your profile who will receive all important email communication about North Texas Giving Day. This should be a full-time or employed staff member who can access sensitive info like donor data. • marketing toolkit – created to help nonprofits make the most out of Giving Day, you will find a timeline (March to October), social media tips, sample wording, key messages, glossary, challenge fund tips, etc. • nonprofit resources page – webpage that provides key information and tools for a nonprofit to have a successful Giving Day campaign. You will find graphics, video tutorials, links to FAQs, marketing tookit, timelines, and assistance on completing your profile. • donation page – each approved organization has a public donation page on www.NorthTexasGivingDay.org. The URL of that page is the same year-round. This is the URL for your donation page on North Texas Giving Day. • pro-rated - the bonus fund amount applied to each eligible gift will depend upon the total bonus pool and the total of donations. The bonus is “pro-rated” based on the total amount raised on North Texas Giving Day. • profile – your organization’s profile provides two key areas of information: 1) Public-facing info for donors that will appear on your donation page (such as address, mission statement, cause area, current agency needs, etc.) and, 2) Back-end information used by CFT (such as budget, IRS letter, agreeing to rules and guidelines, confirmation that you are eligible to participate, etc.) for reporting purposes. • unique donor - for the purposes of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one gift.

FREE MARKETING SUPPORT North Texas Giving Day Graphics

Download materials at www.NorthTexasGivingDay.org, click on Nonprofit Resources. Facebook cover photo

Logos

Save the Date! 9.22.16

Rack card

Business Card

Post Card

Poster

Media Outreach

• Significant PR support with outreach to all local TV, print, radio and online outlets in Dallas and Fort Worth • Media Sponsors WFAA Channel 8, TV sponsor My Sweet Charity, blog sponsor The Dallas Morning News, Dallas newspaper sponsor DFW Child Magazine - Sponsor of the KidsGive event at NorthPark

Social Media

• Sample posts provided in toolkit • Social Media tips provided in toolkit

Videos

• Video-recorded kickoffs to provide additional support and flexibility to nonprofits • Challenge Fund video, Bonus Fund video

KEY MESSAGES Please use the following messages when promoting North Texas Giving Day.

Key Messages

• The eighth annual North Texas Giving Day is back on September 22, 2016 and aims to set yet another national record! Search among the 2,000+ nonprofits, and gifts $25+ will be multiplied by $2.5 million in bonus funds and prizes when you give through NorthTexasGivingDay.org between 6am and midnight! • North Texas Giving Day is powered by Communities Foundation of Texas, a 63-year-old community foundation that has powered North Texas Giving Day since 2009. As the largest community foundation in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, CFT works to strengthen the community through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. The foundation professionally manages more than 900 charitable funds for families, companies, foundations and nonprofits and has awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants since its founding in 1953. • Donations $25 to $50,000 will be multiplied by $2.5 million in bonus funds and prizes. Every nonprofit receiving a donation on North Texas Giving Day receives a portion of the bonus funds, which increases the value of every dollar donated.* • The NorthTexasGivingDay.org leaderboard is fun to watch all day. Follow your favorite nonprofits’ progress! • North Texas Giving Day is not just a day. It’s a movement that inspires and unites tens of thousands of donors across the world to support their favorite North Texas causes online through NorthTexasGivingDay.org. • Join the fun in person at parties thrown all over town throughout the day! Visit the events page to learn about donation stations in Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth and McKinney. • North Texans have already broken four national record for giving days. Last year you raised $33 million for 2,020 local nonprofits. Help set a new record! • Nonprofits can raise their own challenge funds to “challenge” the community to give even more to their organization on Sept. 22. *Note: Bonus funds are NOT a dollar-for-dollar match. Please do not use the word “match” or “matching” when promoting the day.

Bonus Funds Key Points

• The $2.5 million in bonus funds and prizes is raised from local foundation and business partners by Communities Foundation of Texas. The bonus funds boost every donation made on North Texas Giving Day. • For example, if a nonprofit raises $5,000 on North Texas Giving Day, and the bonus percentage is 7.5%, then that nonprofit will earn $5,375. (before processing fees) Watch a video. • Bonus Calculation: Example: Total Bonus Funds

= Total Amount Raised on North Texas Giving Day

Bonus Fund %

$2,500,000 $35,000,000

=

The bonus percentage for 2016 will be determined on September 23 (the day after the event.)

7.1%

GIVING DAY STRATEGY CHECKLIST Maximize Your Impact by Working Smarter, Not Harder

North Texas Giving Day is a popular way for North Texas nonprofits to reach more donors and raise more money, especially in today’s increasingly noisy world. However, North Texas Giving Day can be a lot of work. Maximizing the opportunity can be difficult with all the normal responsibilities on your plate.

...Did you know On North Texas Giving Day in 2015, 35% of donors gave to a nonprofit for the first time.

You have two options: work harder or work smarter. Here’s a comprehensive checklist for you to experience success through a special giving day by working smarter:

STEP #1: Analyze Your Data to Define Your Goals ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Analyze your current donor database to discover new opportunities and develop the best approach. Establish your overall fundraising goal based on insights from your data. Determine the number of new donors and total participants you want to reach. Set segmented participation goals (young donors, lapsed donors, etc.). Determine in advance how you are going to measure your goals.

STEP #2: Develop a Compelling Experience for Donors

◊ Create a compelling case for support. Consider tying your campaign to a challenge fund, matching gift or specific program. ◊ Create an omni-channel experience. Be sure to coordinate your communication efforts across every channel (web, print, social media, direct mail), and don’t forget mobile. ◊ Be intentional with your email strategy. Start early, but beware of donor fatigue. ◊ Segment donors and tailor messages to reach them. Target donors with relevant content and contextualized asks. ◊ Personalize your communications. People give to people. Create a personal experience that resonates with each individual donor.

STEP #3: Leverage the Power of “Viral Fundraising”

◊ Optimize your website. Consider launching a homepage takeover. Redirect your donate button to your North Texas Giving Day page on Sept. 22. ◊ Let your donors share their experience. Encourage them to share the campaign by asking engaging questions that tie to your mission. ◊ Equip social ambassadors with social content and images for your campaign. ◊ Create templated emails for your key influencers and board members to share. ◊ Reward participants for recruiting donors. Think about an incentive that would inspire them to share.

STEP #4: Be Intentional with Your Follow-Up

◊ Create a simple thank you video in advance. ◊ Thank immediately—via email, phone call or text. (Your donor report provides live donation data!) ◊ Develop a specific follow-up campaign to steward donors and create a transformational experience.

Make Giving Day more than simply “something else” your organization participates in. Consider how you can maximize the opportunity to transform your fundraising efforts by working smarter not harder. 4

CHALLENGE FUNDS What are Challenge Funds?

Challenge funds are additional funds contributed directly to a nonprofit from a donor (or donors) to help encourage donations to your nonprofit. Sometimes known as ‘matching funds’, challenge funds can be: • added dollar for dollar to original donations, or • can be structured in other ways such as added to any donations over a certain amount or • added to any donations made by new donors

$

Did you know... In 2015, 183 nonprofits raised their own challenge funds, totalling

$6 million!

The choice is yours! Challenge funds should NOT be entered via the normal NorthTexasGivingDay.org website, they should be sent directly to your nonprofit. Watch this video to learn more about challege funds.

Who are potential challenge fund donors? • • • •

Board members Major donors to previous Giving Days Fall/year-end donors A group of donors, or anyone who loves your nonprofit!

Challenge funds allow donors to:

• Multiply the impact of their gift for a nonprofit about which they care deeply • Broaden the nonprofit’s giving base • Make a large impact with one gift

Does the challenge fund money get bonused?

No. Each nonprofit should receive the challenge fund money directly from their donor. It should not run through the North Texas Giving Day website, and is not eligible for bonus funds.

Are challenge funds a dollar for dollar match?

They can be, but they don’t have to be a dollar for dollar match. You can structure them however you feel they will be the most successful for your organization. You should then clearly communicate how your challenge is structured.

Examples of challenge funds: • • • • • • • • •

A donor will match (dollar for dollar) up to $10,000 raised by your organization A group of donors will match up to $20,000, but only if $10,000 is raised by a specific time If 25 people donate $100 each, a donor will donate $5,000 If $2,500 is raised in total by your organization, the donor will give $5,000 If $1,000 is raised between 12pm – 1pm, a donor will make a $500 gift. If 20 people donate $100 each, a donor will make a $1,000 gift. The first $5,000 in the day raised will be matched by a group of donors. If 50 people donate at least $25 each, a donor will make a $500 gift. If $5,000 is raised by the end of the day, a group of donors will make a $1,000 gift.

ADD #NTXGIVING DAY to your Calendar Below are links that enable people to add North Texas Giving Day to their calendars. You can use these in electronic communications to donors, on your website, or on your social media pages. Please follow the directions below. Add these hyperlinks to your E-Newsletter, email signature, website or social media, etc.

Outlook Link:

www.cftexas.org/document.doc?id=2593

Google Calendar Link:

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=bnFxZTZubHJvbXVxaWtzdWY1cThlZGR 1ZTQgbm9ydGh0ZXhhc2dpdmluZ2RheUBt&tmsrc=northtexasgivingday@gmail.com&pli=1&t=AKUaPmatzzt6V34qjedUyAsMZPuxY7StQcITnoCWG2h1vyh9lkt2bFcr442Iu9qgDsIdn1ICgGNexG0IFEl4cNhv_oxMyaXTfw%3D %3D&sf=true&output=xml#eventpage_6 Add to Outlook

Add to Google Calendar

Outlook

Google Calendar

EMAIL TEMPLATE Can also be used for direct mail Dear [Donor Name], Thank you for being a part of the [organization name] family/community/team! Each year generous supporters like you join us for the exciting annual North Texas Giving Day—this year it will be September 22 from 6 a.m. to midnight. Your generous support makes a meaningful difference to [core mission constituency, e.g. homeless youth, children with cancer, collies and dachshunds]. As you know, [organization name] is changing lives every day by/through [core mission or program e.g. providing safe shelter, arts and recreation, saving the environment]. On September 22, 2016 (North Texas Giving Day), your [$XX target donation amount e.g. $25, $100 - Insert a dollar amount that is slightly higher than your average online gift from last year to really stretch their North Texas Giving Day donation] gift will help us receive extra funds for our work in the community. Every gift of $25 or more will go further with $2.5 million dollars in bonus funds and prizes! By visiting NorthTexasGivingDay.org, the online giving website for North Texas Giving Day, you can make a difference with your gift to [organization name]. Here’s the really exciting part: Every gift made through NorthTexasGivingDay.org on September 22 helps our chances of winning prizes given throughout the day ranging from $500 to $5,000! With more than 90 total prizes being awarded throughout the day, our chances to maximize your gift are great! Just imagine if we could [something aspirational you might do with $5,000]! All gifts you make to [organization name as listed on NorthTexasGivingDay.org] on September 22 will increase our impact by allowing us to [specific program with quantity e.g. clothe ____children, grant ___ scholarships, save ___ trees]. Make your gift on September 22 by visiting [insert a link directly to your NorthTexasGivingDay.org donation page]! [Add your specific call to action here. Do you want your donors to donate at 10:00am? Tell at least one friend to donate?] [Add information about any challenge funds you’ve secured for North Texas Giving Day.] With your help, we WILL reach our [$XX,XXX] fundraising goal on North Texas Giving Day! Follow us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram [insert a link to your social media page] so you can share in the excitement of a day of giving and remember to give on September 22. Sincerely, [Name] [Title (Executive Director, Board Chair, Volunteer)]

SOCIAL MEDIA CENTER General Tips and Guidelines Connect with us

Connect with NTGD on our social media networks. Like, share, repost from our feeds and tag North Texas Giving Day when you post about Giving Day! Facebook:

facebook.com/NorthTexasGivingDay @NorthTexasGivingDay to tag

Twitter:

twitter.com/ntxgivingday @NTXGivingDay to tag North Texas Giving Day hashtag: #NTXGivingDay

Instagram:

instagram.com/ntxgivingday/ @NTXGivingDay to tag North Texas Giving Day hashtag: #NTXGivingDay

Plan

Take time before North Texas Giving Day to plan out your social media approach: • What stories will your organization focus on? • Who will be responsible for social media updates and conversations? • Who will monitor your North Texas Giving Day progress to track donations and keep donors informed and engaged throughout the day? Add your Facebook page and Twitter handle to email signatures.

Shorten your links

Use a URL shortener to make a condensed link for your North Texas Giving Day donation page. You can then share the shortened link in tweets to save characters. Use these free URL shorteners will also give you insights about your clicked links: http://goo.gl/ and https://bitly.com.

Engage

North Texas Giving Day is an opportunity for your organization to increase visibility in the community. Harness the momentum and excitement surrounding Giving Day and use it to your organization’s advantage. ◊ Have conversations about NTGD on social media in the months up to and following September 22. ◊ Make your content relevant, interesting, sharable, and uplifting. A sad post may garner attention every once in a while, but no one wants to have their feed flooded with sad pictures and stories. ◊ Be authentic and engaging. Participate in the conversation. Respond to what people are saying to and about you. ◊ Ask your followers to tell you why they support you. ◊ Talk about your success stories - what were you able to do with the funds raised from last year’s Giving Day? ◊ Be excited! People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. ◊ Find creativity in what you have. ◊ Brag - your organization is doing great things. Tell people! ◊ Engage others to tell your story - get your staff, board and volunteers to be brand ambassadors for you.

FACEBOOK The Internet’s Watercooler Like North Texas Giving Day and Communities Foundation of Texas on Facebook to stay connected with updates, important information, and tips. Share our posts and updates for a quick and easy way to curate Giving Day content for your page. Tag North Texas Giving Day in your posts so we can stay updated - @NorthTexasGivingDay. Use Facebook to connect with followers and deepen relationships. ◊ Ask open-ended questions to create conversations ◊ It’s not all about you! Share content from other pages that your followers will find interesting. ◊ Use pictures and video to show, rather than tell, about your organization. ◊ Keep your posts brief - no paragraphs of text. ◊ Tag businesses and organizations who support you. If they share that post with their followers, then even more people will see your update! Remember - quality over quantity. Pages that post one or two times per day receive 40% higher user engagement when compared to pages that have more than 3 posts per day.

Sample Facebook Posts

Each of these should be accompanied by an image

• Time once again to start planning for @NorthTexasGivingDay! • Follow us on Twitter (your handle) & Instagram (your handle) to stay informed of all our @NorthTexasGivingDay plans! • We can’t wait to be a part of such a BIG day! What’s your favorite part of @NorthTexasGivingDay? • Last year our @NorthTexasGivingDay goal was (enter goal) and we ended up raising (enter total raised in 2015) thanks to YOU, our supporters! • “One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.” - Henry David Thoreau. Who is inspiring you to give this @NorthTexasGivingDay? • “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events.” - Robert F. Kennedy. This September 22nd, help us change North Texas for the better on @NorthTexasGivingDay! • “It takes each of us to make a difference for all of us.” - Jackie Mutcheson. Join us in making a difference on September 22nd. @NorthTexasGivingDay • Millions will be donating to their favorite causes this year on @NorthTexasGivingDay join the movement!

Psssst!

No time, budget, or skill for making graphics? Try Canva (https://about.canva.com/canva-for-nonprofits/) an easy-to-use online image maker.

TWITTER Short and Sweet Follow @NTXGivingDay and @GiveWisely on Twitter to stay connected with updates, important information and tips. Retweet us for a quick and easy way to curate Giving Day content for your feed.

Twitter Tips

◊ Use the hashtag #NTXGivingDay to be in the North Texas Giving Day conversation. ◊ Follow and interact with people/organizations who are improtant to your organization: people who have fundraised for you, those who hold important positions in your community, experts in your area or people who are talking about your interests already. ◊ Start talking, but have something to offer, such as a link, picture, fact or video. Twitter connects your organization with those who are outside your usual sphere using #hashtags and retweets (RTs)

Retweet

A retweet (RT) is a shout out. When someone sees content on Twitter that they like, find of value or find funny, they retweet it to share it with their followers. Your organization’s reach may be small, but with retweets you can reach the world. Often, those who get retweeted then reciprocate. Encourage retweets by keeping your messages 100 characters or less.

#Hashtags

Hashtags are the way to categorize what your tweet is about. It’s the card catalog of social media. People follow hastags about topics they are interested in. Searching #NTXGivingDay will bring up all tweets with this hashtag, even those whom the user isn’t following (yet). Use a URL shortener to share your donation page on Twitter. Shorter links save characters. Use images! Tweets with images attached get more RTs. Links tweeted with an accompanying image get more clicks.

Sample Tweets • • • •

Time once again to start planning for #NTXGivingDay! About 7 million people live in North Texas. Together we can make a difference on #NTXGivingDay! A little goes a long way when North Texans give all at once. Join us Sept 22 for #NTXGivingDay! “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” Margaret Mead #NTXGivingDay • “One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.” Henry David Thoreau. Who is inspiring you to give this #NTXGivingDay? • Millions will be donating to their favorite causes this year on #NTXGivingDay - make sure you get up and give with the rest of us! On North Texas Giving Day: • “How wonderful that no one need to wait a single moment to improve the world.” Anne Frank. Don’t wait #NTXGivingDay is today! • Help us get to the top of the #NTXGivingDay leaderboard! Donate here today: (link to donation page)

INSTAGRAM Picture Perfect Follow @NTXGivingDay on Instagram Tag @NTXGivingDay in your posts so we can stay updated! Instagram is a great visual way to share content with supporters. Whether it is a fun quote, graphic, or photo Instagram is a way to visually tell your story to supporters.

Sample posts for Instagram: Calls to Action

Events

Why NTXGivingDay?

Supporter Stories

How to Donate

Your Programs

Quotes

Success Stories

Tags (Hashtags)

On Instagram the visual image is the most important part. Use the caption to give more information, but understand that most people won’t read more than one or two sentences of a caption. Use #NTXGivingDay so your images will show up in the Giving Day posts.

PLANNING TIMELINE Month-by-Month Guidelines

Here is a month-by-month guide to help you prepare for North Texas Giving Day on September 22, 2016 from 6am - midnight.

April

Register for a Kickoff Event

May

Develop Your Goals

June

Attend a Kickoff and Submit Your Nonprofit Profile

July

Challenge Funds...Printed Materials...Social Media

New Nonprofits: ◊ Read eligibility requirements to ensure you’re eligible to participate in North Texas Giving Day (NTGD). ◊ Sign up to be added to the email list for the Kickoff Events All Nonprofits: ◊ Mark September 22, 2016 (North Texas Giving Day), on your organization’s calendars. ◊ Register for a NTGD Kickoff Event (Dallas, Fort Worth, Collin Co., Denton Co.) - Click here to Register ◊ Learn about the “Early Bird Perks Club” for submitting your profile or updating an existing profile early. ◊ Inform your board, staff, and volunteers of your participation in North Texas Giving Day. Share your results and key data from 2015 to inspire your supporters.

◊ Develop a fundraising goal, a strategy, and a timeline. Sample goals: 1. Acquire 20 new donors, 2. Raise $5,000 in donations, 3. Re-engage 20 lapsed donors. ◊ Select a staff member or high-level volunteer as a point person who has strong leadership and organizational skills who can commit to the North Texas Giving Day timeline—choose someone to “own” North Texas Giving Day for your organization.

◊ New Nonprofits: After attending a kickoff event, create a login and begin completing your profile. ◊ Current Nonprofits: Create your login (based on the email address of your Main Point of Contact in your NTGD profile). Update your profile (address, mission statement, agency needs, budget size, etc.) ◊ Be sure to upload your logo, add photos, check links to social media pages and website, and ensure written content is simple, concise and appeals to prospective donors. ◊ Build your social media outreach—create a plan and an editorial calendar. ◊ Familiarize yourself with the helpful tools located on the Nonprofit Resources page. Watch, and share with key staff, the kickoff videos, review FAQs, read the press release and key messages. ◊ June 17: “Early Bird Perks Club” deadline #1...Learn about perks for submitting your profile early. ◊ June 27: “Early Bird Perks Club” deadline #2...Learn about perks for submitting your profile early.

◊ Incorporate North Texas Giving Day logo and other branding materials into your promotions. ◊ Announce your participation on social media. Read the Social Media Guidelines/Tips on the Nonprofit Resources page. ◊ Double check the information is correct in your submitted profile before the August 15 profile deadline.

PLANNING TIMELINE (con’t) Month-by-Month Guidelines ◊ If you missed the kickoff events, schedule time to watch kickoff videos or watch the recorded webinar. See nonprofit resources for links to videos and recordings. ◊ Work on securing a Challenge Fund from current donors or your board. ◊ Use NTGD graphics (logo, postcard, fliers, business card, rack card) in your print newsletters, emails and website (linked from the nonprofit resources page). Use Metropolitan Press as a resource. ◊ Begin an email and social media campaign, starting slowly and build in frequency during September. ◊ Use content you know will resonate with your audience; be sure to include images, videos, links to stories on your own website or blog and other identifying/unique information. ◊ Fine-tune your strategy to reach your goals. Share with board members, staff and volunteers. Ensure they understand their roles.

August ­ Last Chance to Register....Increase Your Outreach ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

August 15 at 5:00 pm: Deadline to submit NTGD profile for approval. Data is locked down, no changes. Begin increasing outreach efforts. Amplify promotion on your website, print materials and word of mouth. Mail NTGD co-branded postcard or other direct mail piece (see Nonprofit Resources page). Think about your ‘thank you’ to your donors. Consider making a simple, thoughtful video or thank you card.

September Promote at Maximum & All Hands on Deck!

◊ NTGD Public Service Announcements begin running on WFAA. ◊ Communities Foundation of Texas continues extensive press outreach for NTGD. ◊ Share any events you have planned for NTGD by completing this events survey. NTGD marketing team will review events to post on the Events page, and to find media, photo and video opportunities with nonprofits. ◊ Increase social media posts. Review best practices video, social media webinar and Social Media Guidelines. ◊ Promote your organization’s chance to win prizes with the help of your supporters. ◊ Send reminders about NTGD. Share your goals. Let supporters know if you’re close or where you’re at throughout the day in comparison to that goal. ◊ North Texas Giving Day is Thursday, Sept. 22! Consider attending an event in your community. (Arlington, Denton, Dallas, Fort Worth and McKinney all have events)

October Thank & Steward your Donors

◊ After North Texas Giving Day: Thank your supporters. (Ideas: hand-written notes, email with photos of the day, inspiring story from the day, upbeat thank-you video). ◊ Share your results on your website, newsletter and social media networks. Consider designing an infographic to represent your results in a fun, graphical way ◊ Begin donor retention plan for new donors.

DAY-OF (SEPT. 22) EVENTS

Regional Events for the Community

Day-of Events for North Texas Giving Day

ARLINGTON

DENTON

DALLAS

Levitt Pavilion Evening: 5:30 - 7:00pm

NorthPark Center - NorthCourt Lunchtime: 11am - 2:30pm

Denton Square Evening: 5:00-7:30pm

Nonprofits may have a booth/tent

Nonprofits encouraged to attend, but no tents or booths allowed. Nonprofit performers by invite only.

Nonprofits may have a booth/tent

Contact: Arlington Tomorrow Foundation

Contact: North Texas Giving Day FAQ page - Contact Us form.

Contact: Laura Wells, Good Samaritan Society [email protected]

[email protected]

FORT WORTH

McKINNEY

Sundance Square Time TBD

Mitchell Park (near downtown McKinney) Evening: 5:00-7:00pm

Nonprofits encouraged to attend, but no tents or booths. $10,000 in prizes awarded.

Nonprofits may have a booth/tent

Contact: [email protected], North Texas Community Foundation

Contact: Dana Riley, Volunteer McKinney [email protected]

Get Your Event Listed on the North Texas Giving Day website

If your nonprofit is having an event on Sept. 22 that is open to the public and you would like it listed on our Events page on NorthTexasGivingDay.org, please fill out this survey to submit your events to be posted.

How to Complete Your North Texas Giving Day Profile What you will need to complete your profile: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Main Point of Contact Agency Name and alias (if applicable) EIN Agency address, email and phone number Select your preferred three (3) cause categories County of your main office Is this your organization’s first year participating in Giving Day? 8. Projected budget for this year 9. Executive Director name, email, phone 10. Marketing/Development contact name, email, phone

11. An image file of your logo (PNG, JPEG, GIF) 12. Agency Mission Statement 13. Current Agency Needs 14. Agency website address 15. Social media links: Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram (if you have accounts) 16. If you are not in Guidestar, you need your IRS Federal Letter of Determination 17. Embed URL for a marketing video 18. Three photos to upload to your page 19. Challenge Fund information (if you have a challenge fund)

Red box items will appear on your public Giving Day donation page. Your Point of Contact should be a full-time or employed person who will receive ALL emails regarding North Texas Giving Day. This person will receive the link to log into your profile, which will include your donor report (which is your list of Giving Day donors and gifts.) Your name is what will appear in the leaderboard and in your agency URL for Giving Day. Your logo can be a PNG, GIF or JPEG and must be smaller than 1MB in size. If you have a verticle version of your logo, that fits better. Your search alias is an acronym or another name that people know you by. Your EIN is a 9 digit number given to you by the federal government when your agency

Select one primary category that will be used for the category search on the website and for reporting and prizes.

You may select two additional categories that will be used for category search on the website.

If you are entering a different address than last year, please answer ‘Yes, my organization’s address has changed’. If you are NOT updating your address, seletct ‘No.’ If you are new, select N/A.

Your address needs to be where you want your check to be mailed. This address will appear on your public profile.

Your public agency phone number.

You can copy/paste your mission statement into this field. Make sure it is grammatically accurate. This is on your publicfacing profile. Text entry is limited to 2,000 characters. Add current needs into this box. Those can be current programs, capital campaign needs, special projects or other needs your agency has during this time. Make sure it is grammatically accurate. This is on your publicfacing profile. Text entry is limited to 2,000 characters.

Your public agency email address.

The best way to get these links is to open your website in a web browser and copy/paste the entire URL into this form. You need the http://. These are public-facing links and you will want them to work correctly on Giving Day. GuideStar is a website that lists nonprofit information. Go to www.GuideStar.org and search for your organization. Please paste the URL link of your organization here. If your organization is not listed in Guidestar, upload your IRS Federal Letter of Determination. (Please upload the Federal Letter of Determination and not the Texas Letter of Determination.) 5MB size limit. You may upload one video to your public donation page. Please enter the embed URL here. You can find this embed URL when you click “Share” on YouTube or Vimeo. You may upload up to three (3) photos to your public donation page. (5MB size limit; jpg, jpeg, png or gif)

You can only select ONE county. This should be the county of your main office. You must select YES to this question in order to be eligible for NTGD.

The certification questions are to sign off that your organization has read and acknowledged the rules of North Texas Giving Day. I certify that my organization is in good standing with the state and with the IRS and is not in violation of any applicable state or federal law, ordinance or regulation. Further, I understand and agree that participation in North Texas Giving Day does not constitute endorsement by CFT or any GIving Day partner of our organization or mission.

This is used for prize eligibility and tracking. Enter your budget with no commas. You must enter a budget number to be eligible for prizes. We will call your CEO if you win a prize on Giving Day. We include them in some but not all emails about Giving Day. We include your marketing/development contact on all emails about Giving Day. Answer Yes to this question if you are a school or a university. School foundations should answer Yes to this

5.09%

You are responsible for entering accurate information for your organization. We are unable to make corrections to your profile on your behalf.

Challenge Fund Information If your organization has secured a challenge fund, answer Yes to this question

Enter the dollar amount of your challenge fund. Do not use commas. You will be able to update this number until August 15 if you receive more challenge fund dollars. Tell us the type of donor your challenge fund donor is: new donor, existing donor, board member, or a combination of these.

Enter the name(s) of your challenge fund donors. Please write accurately and check spelling. If you have many donors, consider listing some as a group (i.e. [NPO name] Board of Directors). If your donor is anonymous, type that here. Limit 2,000 characters. This information will appear on your public donation page.

Enter the parameters of your challenge fund. What are the requirements for you to receive the challenge dollars? Limit 2,000 characters. This information will appear on your public donation page. 2,000

If we have questions about your challenge fund, we will reach out to this contact.

You are responsible for entering accurate information for your organization. We are unable to make corrections to your profile on your behalf.