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Important Dates and Deadlines
August 31, 5 p.m.: Deadline to submit a nonprofit profile for first review or to update an existing profile. Please visit the eligibility section of our site to learn more.
Already have a ColoradoGives.org profile? Use the Profile Update Process to start the required annual update.
APRIL - SET YOUR GOALS!
Develop goals, a strategy and a timeline. (Sample goals: 1. Acquire 20 new donors, 2. Raise $5,000 in donations, 3. Re-engage 20 lapsed donors.)
Build your social media audience and outreach plan.
Begin spreading the word about your participation.
Inform your board, staff and volunteers of your participation in the year-round ColoradoGives program and the 24-hour Colorado Gives Day event. Share Data and Reports to illustrate the statistics that matter to your organization.
Already have a ColoradoGives.org profile? Use the Profile Update Process to start the required annual update.
JANUARY - JUNE
Recruit eligible nonprofits to participate in the ColoradoGives.org program. The deadline to update an existing profile or submit a new one is Monday, August 31, 2021, by 5:00 p.m. (no exceptions).
Work with local businesses to create incentives, offer prizes and pay for processing fees. (All incentives and prizes tied to information obtained through ColoradoGives.org must be reviewed and approved by Community First Foundation. Please present your or the businesses’ ideas to Community First Foundation as soon as possible before making any final agreements).
Create a crisis plan by the beginning of November outlining possible problems, solutions, and responsibilities).
Get notified each month by Community First Foundation each month when nonprofits in your area sign to join ColoradoGives.org.
Consider and plan how you want your region’s landing page on ColoradoGives.org to look (for new Regional Champions) or change (for existing Regional Champions). This includes imagery and messaging.
Work with nonprofits in your area to build new and update existing profiles.
JULY – VISIT THE TOOLKIT AND START PROMOTING
Visit the Flash Store and order any promotional items you’d like to use to promote your event.
Colorado Gives is a year-round giving tool. Consider using ColoradoGives Fundraising Pages as a way for your supporters to help raise money for your nonprofit.
New nonprofits – Continue completing your Colorado Gives profile. Deadline is August 31, 5 p.m.
Existing nonprofits – Continue updating your Colorado Gives profile. Deadline is August 31, 5 p.m.
Take advantage of the customizable graphics to incorporate your own imagery and name into the Colorado Gives Day branded materials.
Announce your participation on social media. Read the Social Media Guidelines & Sample Copy document on the Nonprofit Toolkit page.
Schedule time to watch Colorado Gives Day videos or attend webinars.
AUGUST
New nonprofits? Last chance to submit a profile is August 31 at 5 pm.
Existing nonprofit? This is also your deadline for any required updates – August 31 at 5 pm.
Include pre-made, branded Colorado Gives Day ad in your print newsletters, emails, social media messages and website. Toolkit.
Finalize any changes to your landing page on ColoradoGives.org.
Talk with local media and business support for Colorado Gives Day through marketing and public relations.
Worth with a regional champion or consider collaborating to place regional paid advertisements.
Record your StoryVine nonprofit video. It’s free and easy and can be uploaded to your profile.
Attend the August Activate Ambassadors Coffee Chat
SEPTEMBER – 3 months to go!
Begin an email and social media campaign, starting slowly and building in frequency during November and December.
Help new nonprofits address any feedback provided during the review process; all nonprofit profiles must be complete and live by November 6, 2021.
Regional Champions – Be sure to finalize your Regional Champion web page(s) by October 1.
Finalize crisis-planning.
Save the date for Colorado Gives Day Virtual Rally. Rally Online!
OCTOBER – NOVEMBER – Spread the word!
Finalize campaign ambassadors.
Add your #CoGives Campaign logo/visual to your outreach materials.
Review and test your giving page (on mobile phones too) and make any necessary updates.
Draft campaign announcements for social.
Ask staff to update email signatures with your campaign visuals to help spread the word.
Promote that Colorado Gives Day donations can be scheduled on ColoradoGives.org early, beginning Nov. 1.
Announce your campaign in social media.
Announce your campaign to all staff, volunteers and stakeholders.
Issue your Colorado Gives Day local news release.
If you’re hosting an event, in person or virtual, announce the plans and invite people to join you!
Begin weekly email drip campaign with event highlights and action steps for supporters.
If planning direct mailer, finalize this week to hit the week before the big day.
Ask ambassadors to begin contributing content: Un-selfies, stories of their experiences with your organization, etc. Share through channels.
Plan your day-of and think about who will do social outreach, staff the phones, answer media questions, etc.
Email past supporters to announce #CoGivesDay participation and the focus of your campaign.
Talk to technology partners about help needed with giving page or website updating.
Scheduled donations for Colorado Gives Day begins November 1. See Nonprofit Toolkit for sample verbiage for donors. Share “I Gave Early” badge on social media.
Community First Foundation’s media outreach begins.
Increase social media posts. Review Social Media Guidelines & Sample Copy on the Nonprofit Toolkit.
Accelerate promotion through your social channels Update Facebook image, Twitter image and web- site with “2 weeks to go” message and image.
Email to supporters encouraging them to participate in your campaign.
Communicate your day-of plan to staff, volunteers.
Submit op-ed to newspaper. If it does not get picked up, use in social channels as blog.
Accelerate sharing of ambassador contributed content and consider a celebration of top sharer.
DECEMBER – Let’s do it!
Promote your organization’s chance to win FirstBank cash prizes with the help of your supporters.
Weekly drip email goes out with campaign highlights and action steps for
Update to board and staff with action plan for their involvement on Colorado Gives Day. Accelerate promotion through your social channels with “Giving Thanks” messages and increase emphasis on challenges and matching funds
Catch up with day-of team.
Launch your Giving page or web page.
Hold a Colorado Gives Day Rally in your region the week of December 1 – December 6.
December 1 – Rally On(line)!
Participate in the comments section during the Colorado Gives Day Rally On(line)! for your chance to win cash prizes.
In Colorado, the way we participate in #GivingTuesday is by scheduling our Colorado Gives Day donations. Participate in Giving Tuesday by sharing the following message “In Colorado, the way we participate in #GivingTuesday is by scheduling our Colorado Gives Day donations”
December 7 - DAY BEFORE COLORADO GIVES DAY
Tease the campaign and get people excited about tomorrow.
Check in with Social Media Ambassadors to ensure they are clear about their assignments. Make sure that they can access the Social Media Tool Kit if they need graphics, photos, and resources.
December 8 - COLORADO GIVES DAY
Have a quick Google Hangout or a conference call early morning with the Campaign Committee to get them revved up!
Post a live video in the private Facebook Group for Social Media Ambassadors to get them excited.
Change all cover art to the DAY OF on social media channels and make sure that staff, volunteers, Committee members, Social Media Ambassadors do as well.
Send your launch email – this email is the most crucial. Think about a subject line that can compete in the cluttered inbox landscape on #CoGivesDay.
Go live on your nonprofit Facebook Page with your talking points.
Shoot a quick Instagram Story with a behind-the-scenes view of the launch.
Tag specific people on Twitter to make sure they see your tweets.
Send reminders about Colorado Gives Day. Share your goals. Let supporters know how close you are to goal throughout the day.
AFTER COLORADO GIVES DAY
After Colorado Gives Day: Thank your supporters. Share your results on your website, newsletter and social media networks. Execute donor retention plan for new donors.
Share the impact of Colorado Gives Day with supporters!
Award any prizes or incentives you offered.
Take the Colorado Gives Day survey and give us your feedback!
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