Georgia Gives Day Organizers Build on Momentum, Lessons Learned
Courtesy: Georgia Center for Nonprofits
Late last year, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits hosted its first-ever Georgia Gives Day.
The idea was to give people a simple and central way to support a Georgia non-profit of their choice.
About 7,000 people donated amounts big and small on that November day.
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Organizers didn’t publicize a goal because they said there was no way to know what to expect. But when the clock struck midnight, the donation tally stood at less than $800,000– far short of similar efforts in other states. But organizers say that’s an “apples to oranges” comparison because those states have hosted Give Days for many years.
Last year was Georgia’s first effort.
Instead, CEO Karen Beavor points to Alabama, which raised $738,074 in its first-ever give day last year. “We actually signed up more nonprofits than any state in our first year and we got as many donors as, for example, Seattle,” she says.
(The page remains live, and now tallies more than $900,000).
As organizers plan for this year’s Georgia Gives Day, they’re building on last year’s momentum as well as on lessons learned.
One focus includes stressing to non-profits the importance of engaging current supporters to help involve new ones.
“That sort of ripple effect is really what works, and the most successful organizations last year were those that did that,” says Georgia Center for Nonprofits CEO Karen Beavor. She also says there’s extra attention on recruiting corporate matches and “day-of” incentives.
This year’s Georgia Gives Day is Nov. 13th.
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