Nonprofit Information

Nonprofit Information

The Foundation s Give BIG Lexington initiative began in 2011 and was the first giving day hosted in Nebraska and remains one of the biggest giving days in the area. In five years, more than $2M has been distributed to 94 area organizations from over 9,000+ donations. Support for Give BIG Lexington has been widespread and has generated support from around the world with donations being received from 181 different towns in 32 different states and one foreign country. This single-day drive has become an enormous focus for charitable fundraising in the Lexington area. The Lexington Community Foundation is hosting the sixth Give BIG Lexington on Thursday, November 10, 2016 from 12:00 a.m. to midnight. We want you to partner with us to turn out hundreds of new and returning donors to help support your organization. The donations and the percentage of the $75,000 incentive matching funds your organization receives during Give BIG Lexington will rely largely on how well you promote your participation in the giving day. This booklet is designed to equip you with quick and easy tips to market and promote Give BIG Lexington. This one-day, online charitable giving event is intended to be a bonus fundraising and capacity building opportunity for you. We hope Give BIG Lexington will help spread awareness and inspire generosity. Before August 31st Get Started Determine Eligibility & Establish Giving Day Page Contact the Lexington Community Foundation by August 15th to determine if your organization / project / program is eligible to participate. The you have until August 31st to meet with Jawna to go over the information to be placed on your giving day page for Give BIG Lexington. This is your first step in marketing for the giving day. You want to showcase the best of yourself and compel supporters to want to donate. Before October 14th Get Organized Organize Your Marketing Campaign Once you have nominated your key volunteers, fundraising team and chairperson you can host a meeting to determine your marketing campaign. Set clear goals for what you are wanting to accomplish through the giving day. Download the information provided to you in the nonprofit resources located on the Give BIG Lexington web site. Distribute these materials to your key volunteers and your fundraising team. In order to minimize confusion and maximize the effectiveness of this event, we ask that all causes wait until the week of October 17th to start rallying support for Give BIG Lexington.

Before October 31st Get the Word Out Promoting your participation is vital to your success. The success of Give BIG Lexington depends on how well you get the word out to the community with creative, consistent and effective messaging. Communications should have a fresh and conversational tone neighborly, community centered, vibrant, exciting and fun! Facebook / Twitter This guide is not meant to get you started from scratch with social media. There are plenty of great resources on the web for quickly getting started and we have included Tips for Facebook and Tips for Twitter on the Give BIG Lexington web site. Once your page is set up be sure to Like the Lexington Community Foundation to keep up-todate as November 10th approaches at: http://www.facebook.com/lexingtoncommunityfoundation Add your Facebook and Twitter account links to your emails, email footer signatures, E-newsletters, websites and print materials to make it easy for people to become a fan of your organization on Facebook and follow you on Twitter! Like us on Facebook! Share our page and help us spread the word about our participation in GBL 16. http:///www.facebook.com/ Follow us on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/ "Like" Us on Facebook! http:///www.facebook.com/ Print Publications Include information about your participation in Give BIG Lexington when you distribute recognition letters, newsletters or other donor publications. You could also send out letters, post cards or notes to your supporters announcing your participation. Let as many people know as possible about Give BIG Lexington. Share with them that their donations will be matched with a percentage of the incentive match funds. SAMPLE MESSAGE Can we count on you to support (your organization s name) through GBL 16? SAVE THE DATE: November 10, 2016! Join the community in supporting (your organization s name) as part of one of the biggest days of giving in this area. Start now by "Liking" us on Facebook and stay tuned for more details! http:///www.facebook.com/ Update Your Web Site Post information about the giving day on your web site. Explain your goals and what you intend to do with the money you raise. Include links to your giving page through Give BIG Lexington, your Facebook page and Twitter. You can get Donate Now widgets from the Foundation to imbed on your web site and Facebook page. Build Momentum for Your Nonprofit Email Signatures Use email signatures to build your Give BIG Lexington audience. When your email signature features a graphic, tag-line or hyperlink, people notice. Make sure it provides the essentials: Link to your nonprofit - ex: givebiglexington.razoo.com/nonprofitname A quick snapshot of what the day is about. An action you want people to do. Give BIG Lexington official logo. Ask your board and volunteers to change their signatures also.

Email A personalized email focused on Give BIG Lexington can be a great way to draw attention to your organization s friends and followers. Sample messages will be available to download on the Give BIG Lexington - Nonprofit Resources page. Encourage your Facebook followers to also Like Lexington Community Foundation on Facebook where they can get stay up-to-date and join the conversation. Follow up with reminders on your Facebook page, several times per week. Tag the Lexington Community Foundation and Give BIG Lexington in your posts. #GiveBIGLex Create an a-ha! moment about how you enrich life for each of us in the Lexington area. Share your story & the impact you have had. Tell donors what you are fundraising for. Give donors a timeline of when you intend to use their donations. Encourage followers to join the conversation. Thank donors for all of their support. Hashtags Be sure to use #GiveBIGLex in ALL of your social media posts. WHAT IF WE ALL GIVE? We can!! On November 10th (organization) is participating in the sixth annual Give BIG Lexington. Learn more by Liking Lexington Community Foundation (link to the page) on Facebook and visiting Give BIG Lexington web site. (link to the page) (or) Did you know if you partner with us and show your support through Give BIG Lexington on November 10th you could be helping (organization) win Golden Tickets from Lexington Community Foundation (link to the GBL web site). You can use Give BIG Lexington logos in posts to grab attention. Schedule Donations Encourage your supporters to schedule their donation ahead of time. Donors can go to your GBL 16 online giving page and click the link to schedule their online donation. Their donation will be processed immediately and posted to the leaderboard on Thursday, November 10th. This will help donors not miss the opportunity to support your organization through the giving day. On November 10th Get Excited Today is the day to join the community and make a BIG difference! Visit www.givebiglexington.razoo.com Maximize your donation today ONLY! Rally your friends and show support for (YOUR ORGANIZATION). Thank You! (Insert name) donated to us through Give BIG Lexington 16! 4 hours left and we ve gotten donations! Thank you to everyone who has partnered with us positively change the community! Continue to garner support and get excited for the BIG day. Post reminders that today is the day to give to your organization. Share links to your online giving page and encourage them to donate. Ask your followers to share information about Give BIG Lexington with friends. Highlight donors by thanking those who have given. Posting appreciation of support through social media is a great way to generate additional positive attention. It makes donors feel good about participating and they are likely to re-share or acknowledge your shout-out publicly. Don t forget to post a reminder for the GBL 16 event you are hosting to rally support for your organization. Invite the community to join you at your event. Email

Send out a reminder email in the morning. Make sure your email is fresh, brief and clear. Tell donors exactly what you want them to do. Give them links to your online giving page, attach a copy of the offline donation form for donors who do not want to give online, share the details about the GBL 16 event you are hosting and invite them to attend. Giving Day Tips Frequently share the direct link to your online giving page. Ask donors to share on social media that they gave to your organization. Contact five - ten of your friends in person and ask them to support your organization. Stop by the Foundation office to experience the excitement first hand. Be sure to turn in any offline donations you collect for the giving day. Have Fun. This is the day you get to showcase the amazing work you do all year long. Take time to celebrate how you make an impact in the lives of everyone who lives in the community. After GBL 16 Get Acknowledgments Done Properly tell each donor how much you appreciate them. The Thank You is a great time to show your appreciation for your donor s support. If a donor feels appreciated and valued they are more likely to become an annual supporter of your organization. Throughout the giving day and immediately following you should be gracious and express your thankfulness for all of the support you are receiving. Be creative with your posts, make them lighthearted and most importantly make them personal. Be sure that all of your donors feel like their donation matters and will help to generate positive change. Personal Letter or Card This is another opportunity to give the donor an update on the total donations received, your percentage of the incentive match funds you received and how your organization did in the challenges. Correspondence after GBL 16 should go as follows: Post Thank You messages on all social media sites immediately following GBL 16. Update your web site to show your gratitude and give preliminary fundraising information. Donors who give online will automatically receive a donation receipt and generic thank you from Razoo. Lexington Community Foundation sends a personalized thank you to each donor who gave online. Lexington Community Foundation sends each offline donor a personalized thank you and receipt. You receive the distribution of the donations and the donor information. You send personal/hand-written note of thanks to each donor, thanking them for their support. Questions? Contact the Lexington Community Foundation 607 N. Washington PO Box 442 Lexington, NE 68850 (308) 324-6704 Jackie Berke: lexfoundation@windstream.net Jawna Kuck: jawnakuck@lexfoundation.com Maintain the Give BIG Lexington brand. Please use the information in the toolkit - especially the provided templates and logos. For maximum impact the marketing and brand must stay consistent.