Get Ready for #GivingTuesday: How to Mobilize a Successful Campaign Wednesday, September 16 Panelist: Kim Jackson, Director of Communications for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports

1. #GivingTuesday#vtadaptive #sportsforeverybody
vermontadaptive.org

2. @vtadaptive
Nationally recognized, largest nonprofit
organization in Vermont to provide daily, year-round
sports and recreational programs to people with
disabilities. Inception: 1987
Serving all populations – physical, cognitive,
emotional behavioral, and developmental
disabilities.
Winter locations: Pico Mountain/Killington Resort;
Sugarbush Resort; Bolton Valley Ski Area; Suicide
Six; Other locations upon request.
Summer locations: Lake Champlain; Burlington
Bike Path; Waterbury Reservoir/Montpelier;
Chittenden Reservoir; Stoughton Pond; Castleton
Rail Trail; Various Vermont State Parks; Other

3. People WANT to be
involved in activities that
make them FEEL GOOD
during the holiday season.
Participating in #GivingTuesday gives people
a way to capture that feeling.

4. 2014 Goal - $20,000
Secured a matching donor for $10,000
Looked at high level, repeat donors in donor pool;
searched for individual or foundation that hadn’t
given a significant amount recently. There is always
a donor who wants to see his/her gift leveraged.
Made the ask; agreed to donor’s request (to stay
anonymous).
Leveraged matching gift to double amount raised.
Total Raised 2014 #GivingTuesday: $27,000
For 2015 – Secured matching donor gift of
$20,000 (same anonymous donor as last year);
2015 Goal - $40,000

5. Be Daring. Share the
Message. Give Endless
Possibilities.Warmth. Smiles. How do we tell the story?
By the numbers. What does your donation
support?
Used infographic to help tell the story. Shared on
multiple platforms.
Social Media
Email Marketing
Website
Cross-over to annual appeal

6. With a $10,000 matching donor gift – dollar
for dollar your donation will be doubled up
to $10,000. For a total of $20,000. People
love to give when they know their donation
is being matched.

7. Traditional PR/Social
Media
Announced that organization was participating in
#GivingTuesday with press release to Vermont
media.
Announced anonymous donor through traditional
media.
Used all social media outlets to tell the story. Used
prepared tweets, posts, photos and videos.
Email marketing leading up to #GivingTuesday.
Leveraged the matching gift in all communications.

8. How Do You Give?
Time. Talent. Treasure.
Many ways to give in addition to making a
monetary donation.
Encouraged our 400+ volunteers to share their
message and story of why they volunteer for
Vermont Adaptive.
Prepared “work days” at winter locations on
#GivingTuesday for volunteers to give their time
back to the organization during a specific project.
Shared photos, video from that day.
Asked volunteers to give in their communities and
share how they gave back (didn’t have to be to
Vermont Adaptive). i.e. donated blood, etc.

9. I Love Adaptive Sports
During volunteer training in November, we asked
volunteers to take #UNSelfies with a sign we
created, and then used those photos leading up to
and on #Giving Tuesday.
Gave THEM the tools to help share the message.
Prescripted notes, emails, tweets, posts, etc. were
given out to use and share with Volunteers’ friends,
family, coworkers, business relations, etc.
If 1,000 people made an average donation of $50
between Nov. 10 (when we started teasing the
promo) and Dec. 31, 2014 (the end of our annual
appeal), that’s $50,000.

11. Executive
Director Erin
Fernandez
“selfless selfie”

12. Share YOUR story about what Vermont Adaptive means
to you. Trouble putting it into words? Call Kim and she
will “interview” you and write a short blurb that you can
use.

13. Engage & Thank
#GivingTuesday became a way for Vermont
Adaptive staff to involve its volunteers in a “giving
back/paying it forward” type of event.
In turn, we could then share those stories with
others, encouraging people to make a donation.
Continually asking and answering the question,
“Why do you give?”
400 volunteers = 15,000 donated hours annually to
teach adaptive sports. How do you give back?
#GivingTuesday (link to donation page)
Show your best Vermont Adaptive Spirit today
#Unselfie #GivingTuesday #vtadaptive