PLAN AHEAD- Quick List
PLAN AHEAD- Quick List
[Review the Countdown Calendar* document in your toolkit for a complete checklist.]
- Create a timeline for your organization’s GiveNOLA Day activities.*
- Consider designating a staff member to lead efforts.
- Share information about GiveNOLA Day with your board, colleagues, and friends of your organization.
Please review the Defining Your Audience document before executing your plan! It will help with ways to structure your outreach (letter vs. email vs. social media).
Review promotion ideas below and select ones that fit with your organization’s mission and goals.
MARKETING MATERIALS:
Logos, badges, & flyers to utilize on NPO’s websites| email newsletters | Facebook |Twitter| Other social media outlets(ones you may be comfortable using).
Download digitals versions online:
Sample GiveNOLA Day treatments
GiveNOLA Day logos and badges for social media and/or website homepage
Customizable GiveNOLA DayFlyers:
Use the following flyers and customize with your nonprofit’s logo,designed with easy-to-print formats and high resolution file sizes.Download digitals versions online:
Sample E-Newsletter:
- Include GiveNOLA Day in upcoming newsletters or blogs.
[Review the Email Template document in your toolkit: ]
Sample Website Homepage:
- Post the GiveNOLA Day badge or banner on your website homepage and link it to your organization’s profile page from GiveNOLA.org.
“[INSERT your nonprofit name] is participating in GiveNOLA Day – the community’s first online giving event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation – on May 6. Support us by going online and clicking here [LINK to your profile page on GiveNOLA.org] and your donation dollars will receive a little lagniappe!”
Email Signatures:
- Use email signatures to build awareness for GiveNOLA Day.
See what the Greater New Orleans Foundation staffdid:
Kellie Chavez Greene
Senior Program Officer
Organizational Effectiveness
Greater New Orleans Foundation
1055 St. Charles Avenue, Ste 100
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 598-4663 O
(504) 598-4676 F
gnof.org
GiveNOLA: One Day to Give as One
May 6 – Midnight to Midnight
facebook.com
Listen to GiveNOLA Day jinglecreated by Allen Toussaint!
GiveNOLA Day Jingle:
- Promote the day through song! Feel free to circulate the Allen Toussaint jingle madeespecially for GiveNOLA Day. Link to it on a blog post, website, Facebook or Twitter.
“Listen to the sound of dollars stretching! Click here [INSERT SoundCloud link] to make it a day of giving and showing your love @AllenToussaint!” (Sample Facebook post or Tweet)
GiveNOLA Day PSA: The PSA (Public Service Announcement) will include Allen Toussaint’s song “One Day to Give as One” and will be available early March.
SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK: Facebook has no word limit – but shorter is sweeter. Facebook makes a bigger impression with an image and a link. You can download images (logos & badges) from us online here:
7 tips to Engaging on Facebook:
- Get started by “liking” the Greater New Orleans Foundation page on Facebook (to stay connected with updates and important information leading up to and on May 6).
- Start promoting your page with GiveNOLA Day branding (Facebook cover photo or badge).
- Talk and be real (your organization has a voice, look, and feel – use your brand).
- Tell everyone about your participation in GiveNOLA Day (familiarize your followers & friends).
- Tell stories (convey your message by sharing your organization’s great work, i.e. who you helped, photos you took, lessons learned) – this helps your followers understand your brand and connects them to real issues. What do you want them to think, feel, and do?
- On GiveNOLA Day, repeat steps 1 – 6. But be careful not to OVER-SHARE. Too much messaging can dilute your intent of getting people to go on GiveNOLA.org and donate on May 6th.
- Be strategic about your messaging and timing. Best times of day for posting are early morning and mid/late afternoon.
Pre-May 6 Sample Facebook Posts:
“We are proud participants of GiveNOLA Day – the community’s first online giving event! Follow us and learn about the exciting events and online prizes available on May 6th at
“Hear what allthe buzz is about [LINK to Toussaint song]! [INSERT nonprofit’s name] is excited to be participating in GiveNOLA Day! On May 6thgo to GiveNOLA.org and help us reach our goal.”
Day-of Sample Facebook Posts:
“Today is GiveNOLA Day! We know you love New Orleans – now show that you care. Donations made to [INSERT your nonprofit’s name] on GiveNOLA.org will receive a little lagniappe – your dollars will go further today thanks to the GiveNOLA Day sponsors, the Lagniappe Fund, and special prizes! Make a gift, share with your friends, and grow the spirit of giving to be a part of the community’s first online giving day!”
“Today is GiveNOLA Day, the day to give back! Help us reach our goal of $XXX by going to GiveNOLA.org and donating to [INSERT nonprofit’s name] to make a difference! Today your dollars are multiplied with additional funding and prizes from GiveNOLA sponsors.”
“Already given to us on GiveNOLA.org? Tell your friends! All donations made today will go further thanks to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and the GiveNOLA Day sponsors.”
“Make a donation to us now for GiveNOLA Day and we could have the chance of winning an hourly random prize of an extra $1,000”
TWITTER: Twitter only allows 140 characters – use your words wisely and don’t forget to tag #GiveNOLA and include @GNOFoundation when possible. You can also link to images with Twitpic.com.
7 tips to Engaging on Twitter:
- Get started by “following” the Greater New Orleans Foundation on Twitter (to stay connected with updates and important information leading up to and on May 6).
- Start promoting your GiveNOLA Day profile page in short, concise messages – use the #GiveNOLA hashtag so followers can search for you and GiveNOLA Day activities.
- Get to the point. (Your organization has a brand – but it can get tricky with the 140 character limitation. What do you want your followers to do – first and foremost?)
- Utilize all 140 characters by shortening your URL links with bitly.com or hootsuite.com.
- Tell everyone about your participation in GiveNOLA Day (familiarize your followers).
- Tell stories (convey your message by sharing your organization’s great work through blog stories that can be shared on shortened links) – this helps your followers understand your brand and connects them to real issues.
- On GiveNOLA Day, repeat steps 1–6. But be careful not to OVER-SHARE. Too much messaging can dilute your intent of getting people to go on GiveNOLA.org and donate on May 6th.
Be strategic about your messaging and timing. Best times of day for tweeting are early morning and mid/late afternoon or weekends.
Pre-May 6 Sample Tweets:
“Hear that?![short LINK to Toussaint Song]! @[INSERT nonprofit’s handle] is excited to for #GiveNOLA Day! On May 6, help us reach our goal at
“We’re planning [XX EVENT] for #GiveNOLA on May 6! Celebrate @[INSERT nonprofit’s handle] by supporting us at [LINK to GiveNOLA.org]”
Day-of Sample Tweets:
“Today ONLY, give us $10 [short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org] and @GNOFoundation’s #GiveNOLA gets some lagniappe!”
“We’re only $XXX away from our goal of $XXX! 1 hour left, help us make a difference! #GiveNOLA [short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org]”
“Wake up! It’s 2am #GiveNOLA! Help us get chosen for the random 2am hourly $1,000! We could win with your help here: [short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org]”
“We’re going for the 1st place prize of $10,000 for the most donations #GiveNOLA! Help us get there – the clock is ticking[short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org]”
“Tell your friends about #GiveNOLA and help @[INSERT nonprofit’s handle] reach our goal-we’re $X dollars away! Send them to [short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org] and retweet”
“[INSERT donor’s name or handle] donated to us for #GiveNOLA and @[Nonprofit handle] will get additional $$ thanks to @GNOFoundation! Join [donor] at [short LINK to nonprofit’s profile page on GiveNOLA.org]”
OTHER SAMPLE MESSAGES:
What is GiveNOLA Day? Find out at GiveNOLA.org! Share with your friends and support [INSERT nonprofit name] to be a part of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s GiveNOLA Day on Tuesday, May 6. Start now by “liking” us on Facebook [LINK to your page] or following us on Twitter[@INSERT nonprofit handle] and stay tuned for details!
Follow us on Facebook! Share our page and help us spread the word about GiveNOLA Day and how your donated dollars go further on May 6th! [LINK to your Facebook page]
Show your support for us on GiveNOLA Day! Follow us on Twitter [LINK Twitter URL & nonprofit handle] “Like” us on Facebook [LINK Facebook URL]!
INSTAGRAM: Perfect for pictures/images on May 6th and for using the #GiveNOLA handle. It’s like a combination of Facebook and Twitter (less words, more hashtagging, and lots of images).
To download Instagram, visit
For more information on how to get started on Instagram, visit
YOUTUBE: Share the GiveNOLA Day PSA that will be available on YouTube in March!
DEFINING YOUR AUDIENCE
When thinking about your outreach and communications plan, it’s helpful to specifically define the audience you want to reach. The “general public” will be too vague or large a group to cultivate. Each organization has many different types of constituents who can be reached through various channels (letter, email, social media, etc.). The challenge is figuring out who you really want to reach.
In the below diagram (on the next page), brainstorm a list of all your constituents in the top box (use the word bank to help jog your memory).
Then, identify which of those you could reach through social media. Write them in the second box.
Finally, write the constituents from that list who you want to reach through social media in the lower box.
These represent the audience you should focus on when planning your outreach. You may make several more boxes for the audiences you’d like to reach through other communication formats (such as email newsletters, letters, personal emails, etc).
Questions? Feel free to reach out to Julia MacMullan or 504-598-4663 x34.