- Author: Emily Delk
The countdown has begun...GivingTuesday is just four weeks away. Mark your calendars for November 30. We know how important this giving day is to raising support for your work. To get started, register your participation in ANR's GivingTuesday campaign before Nov. 1 at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35934.
GivingTuesday is a global movement inspiring millions of donors to give to thousands of non-profits worldwide in just 24 hours.
In 2020, UC ANR raised nearly $200,000 in online donations benefiting participating programs, research and endowments across the state.
If you missed the webinar, “GivingTuesday: Strategies for Success” on Oct. 27, you can view the recording at https://ucanr.zoom.us/rec/share/vCJOXd_hfIrQDZLKAPwdkpShtnOymfS1Sr2MxF0IZl1_ttCU0LppTsw5tVMiQz7F.mfASDaqmmJGbdTgm (Passcode: !Lb&i!4N). Emily Delk, director of annual giving and donor stewardship, shares campaign resources and announces exciting new incentives.
For more information or to subscribe to Delk's newsletter about preparations for GivingTuesday, please contact her at eddelk@ucanr.edu or (916) 564-4862.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Over $196,000 was collected for UC ANR programs on Giving Tuesday this year. Thanks to colleagues all over the state promoting the campaign, the number of people donating to UC ANR also increased. UC ANR received 854 gifts from 736 donors this year, up from 580 gifts from 494 donors in 2019.
“Heading into Giving Tuesday, I truly felt like a fortune teller trying to figure out how all the unprecedented events of 2020 were going to impact giving and our bottom line,” said Emily Delk, director of annual giving and donor stewardship, who coordinated the Giving Tuesday campaign. “So I was surprised to see that giving was up by nearly 50% over last year.”
After the Giving Tuesday website opened for donations at midnight, donors immediately began competing for matching funds to double their contributions to their chosen programs.
“The race to earn those matching funds is getting tighter and tighter each year!” Delk said. “The 4-H match was met within the first 45 minutes, and the ANR match was met within the first few hours. It was incredibly rewarding to see counties and statewide programs really lean into the campaign and how donors responded to the impact our work is making in their communities.”
In an article about UC ANR's record-breaking donations, California Ag Today wrote, “There is no denying that our agricultural systems would not be where they are today without the cooperative extension service. …Most all of us havebenefitted, either directly or indirectly from these programs and many turned out in support of Cooperative Extension on Giving Tuesday.”
Development Services presented Giving Tuesday Shout-Out awards to counties and programs in eight categories:
Best 1st Time Performer: 4-H in San Benito County
First Time Gift: UCCE Sonoma
Social Media Superstar (County): UC Master Gardener – Los Angeles
Social Media Superstar (Statewide Program): UC Master Gardener
Insomniac Award (12:00:07): California Naturalist
Outstanding Post: UCCE Sonoma
Best Use of Emojis: Sherwood Demo Garden – Placerville
Match Makers Award: President's Advisory Commission, Senior Leadership, 4-H Foundation Board; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
“The Shout-Out Awards are just a fun way to recognize those who really stretched their social media creativity and made the campaign their own,” Delk said. “And we'll be building on the success of this campaign next spring when we launch Big Dig Day on June 4…and the return of our gnome mascot, Happy McGivins!”
Although Giving Tuesday has passed, UC ANR accepts donations year-round at https://donate.ucanr.edu and donors can specify where their funds are directed.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
On Dec. 1, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, UC ANR will join in #GivingTuesday, the global generosity movement, to ask the public to support our programs.
Please share ANR's donation link ucanr.edu/givingtuesday with your social network.
Gifts made online starting at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 1 are eligible to be matched until the matching funds are depleted. “That means stay up late on Nov. 30 to double the value of your gift,” said Emily Delk, director of annual giving.
Delk encourages everyone to share the link on social media.
“Social media algorithms prevent followers from seeing every post,” she said. “So you need to post often in order to increase the odds of visibility. Likes and shares help your content be seen by more people.”
Delk collaborated with Ricardo Vela, Miguel Sanchez and Evett Kilmartin to create the #PushPlayCA Giving Tuesday campaign video at https://youtu.be/0tm77mXGugo. The video opens with “COVID-19 put the world on pause. But our mission is moving forward!”
“We chose the #PushPlayCA theme to demonstrate how UC ANR programs have pivoted and continue to move forward during COVID-19,” Delk said.
Campaign in a box
Delk has compiled sample text, images for social media posts and more, including some specifically for UCCE counties, research and extension centers and the Master Gardener, Master Food Preserver, 4-H and California Naturalist programs.
Find your 2020 #GivingTuesday materials in Box folders at https://ucdavis.box.com/s/vy43x27u46kjd7wlsguf5kz6r46a1ym2.
Matching funds
The California 4-H Foundation will have a 1:1 match incentive for gifts made to 4-H programs/clubs/councils through the Foundation in the amount of $25,000.
UC ANR will have a 1:1 match incentive for gifts made to any ANR Program/REC/Cooperative Extension location in the amount of $15,000.
Both of these match pots are awarded on a first-give, first-get basis starting at midnight until the pot is depleted.
#GivingTuesday webinars
Want more information about how to participate in GivingTuesday? Recorded webinars are posted on YouTube:
- All ANR: https://youtu.be/7jkPO5R5s4s
- Master Gardeners: https://youtu.be/uxxFK_UQ540
- 4-H: https://ucanr.zoom.us/rec/share/N91_s98mXQAejSvpGN_lNvIGIvqlty3i4K1kyoC2i1H4VTh50nkVNTWn7MKFVXI.tkVgLB2uS_u92qAq Passcode: X0S^H^#=
If you have questions, contact Emily Delk at eddelk@ucanr.edu or (916) 564-4862.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
On Dec. 3, ANR is once again participating in Giving Tuesday's 24-hour global giving challenge, a movement about ordinary people coming together to do extraordinary things. Celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season. For ANR, the social media-driven #GivingTuesday is an opportunity to raise funds for UC Cooperative Extension county programs, research and extension centers, and statewide programs.
“Giving Tuesday gives us an opportunity to talk about our research and outreach to enhance food systems and create thriving communities, as well as all the other positive things everyone in ANR is doing to make life better for Californians,” said VP Glenda Humiston.
For UC ANR stakeholders, #GivingTuesday presents an opportunity to support the many programs and services that strengthen California communities each day and, more importantly, during times of crisis. Last year, over $120,000 was raised on #GivingTuesday to support UC ANR programs including the 4-H Youth Development Program and UC Master Gardener Program.
“Wherever you are in California, so are we. Our programs and research serve our communities— bringing practical, trusted answers to residents across the state. That's what our #GivingTuesday #NeighborCA campaign is all about,” said Emily Delk, director of annual giving for UC ANR.
“This year, I'm excited to share that we will have two match challenge funds totaling $40,000. Matching funds are a huge incentive to donors who want to double the impact of their gift,” said Delk.
The website, https://donate.ucanr.edu, has links to all of ANR's programs, Research and Extension Centers and UCCE offices and invites donors to designate programs or locations to which they wish to donate.
Toolkits are also available for county offices and programs to participate: https://ucdavis.box.com/s/hhs31eaycmrfs6m3dg0qgi4ld18o3jyc
The toolkits include:
- Sample tweets and social media posts
- Custom images to include in social posts
- Email templates to customize and send to supporters
The UC Master Gardener Giving Tuesday website is at http://mg.ucanr.edu/givingtuesday.
The 4-H Youth Development Program also has its own website at http://4h.ucanr.edu/GivingTuesday.
Although not as well-known as the shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday appeals to people who are swept up in the spirit of giving at the end of the year.
This year Development Services has set a goal of collecting a total of $125,000 for 4-H and UC ANR from 500 or more donors on #GivingTuesday.
“The #GivingTuesday #NeighborCA campaign is a fun way for people in all ANR programs to give to the programs most important to them,” said Delk.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Thanks to everyone who participated, UC ANR's #GivingTuesday campaign was a resounding success.
“We surpassed our stretch goal of $100,000,” Emily Delk, director of Annual Giving and Donor Stewardship, announced jubilantly before 5 p.m. on Giving Tuesday, as she rang a bell and the Development Services team and other ANR staff members cheered.
As of 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 27, #GivingTuesday 2018 donors had contributed $121,000 to UC ANR, including approximately $81,000 for the California 4-H Youth Development Program.
“Our team is still tallying numbers,” Delk said, “However, we are confident to report that we raised over $121,000 for the UC ANR network. This is a phenomenal response of generosity from 342 donors.”
With generous contributions from the President's Advisory Commission, staff and donors, the first $10,000 of donations to UC ANR were doubled. The 4-H Foundation had $25,000 in matching funds.
“A huge congratulations is in order for the Development Services team, all of the Statewide Program Leaders, county directors, the many, many donors and everyone else involved in making the day a success!” wrote Wendy Powers, associate vice president, in her ANR Adventures blog.
In addition to raising money, the #GivingTuesday social media campaign helps raise the visibility of ANR programs and awareness that programs such as the 4-H Youth Development Program are part of the University of California.
“Giving days are driven by social media and the rise of crowd funding is a powerful way to invite new donors to support our work,” Delk said.
The UC Master Gardener Program team made a video of the “unselfies” posted on social media by their supporters: https://youtu.be/PI-rKJikTD0.
Via video, VP Glenda Humiston thanked donors for supporting UC ANR: https://youtu.be/x3Z1LFhx5pc
The staff engagement in the campaign was bigger and better than ever before thanks in part to fun incentives. As a token of appreciation, members of Development Services delivered balloons to donors in the ANR building in Davis.
As an added incentive, UC IPM Director Jim Farrar committed to eating a pest if at least 20 people made a donation of $10 or more to UC IPM. On Wednesday, Nov. 28, all UC IPM donors were invited to participate in the special pest-eating event in the UC ANR building, where Farrar talked about and consumed corn smut, a roasted grasshopper and a live meal worm.
“Giving Tuesday gives us an opportunity to talk about our research and outreach to enhance food systems and create thriving communities, as well as all the other positive things everyone in ANR is doing to make life better for Californians,” Humiston said.
“We appreciate everyone's cooperation in this fundraising effort as we work to build a healthy culture of philanthropy,” Delk said.
