Communications Toolkit
Here you’ll find resources to help you promote the GivingTuesday campaign of your choice. If you have any questions, reach out to givingtuesday@psu.edu.
I am a Campaign Advocate
Resources for Campaign Advocates
Thank you for choosing to be a GivingTuesday advocate! Supporters like you make a huge impact on the success of GivingTuesday at Penn State, and we’re grateful for the time and passion you’re investing as our partner. To start, check out the GivingTuesday boilerplate language and Advocate FAQs that will help you to navigate the GiveCampus platform. Then, below, you’ll find tips and resources to help you create excellent emails and social posts as you promote the campaign of your choice.
Email Communication Tips
Sending an email or two to your network of family and friends is one of the most powerful moves you can make as a GivingTuesday campaign advocate. Below are a few high-level tips to consider in writing your message. And if you need more, here’s a template message you can customize as desired.
Less is more
Give your readers just enough to grab their attention and deliver the essential information. Ideally emails are less than 200 words!
Make a strong point
Choose one clear action that you want your reader to take. If you’re promoting your campaign in advance, make sure to include a link to your campaign page. If you’re sending an email once giving goes live, make the ask clear.
Be you
The fact that the campaign you’re advocating matters to you will matter to your network. Tell them why you care about the campaign and why YOU think it’s important to support it. Be professional and represent Penn State proudly, but most of all, be yourself.
Social Media Tips
Promoting your campaign via social media can multiply the reach of your marketing and keep your audience engaged. Here you’ll find a few tips on how to craft posts for Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you need a hand, we have a few templates you can customize as needed. And don’t forget to brush up on accessibility best practices!
Resources for Campaign Owners
Thank you for all the work you’ve already put into your GivingTuesday campaign. Creating the campaign page is a huge lift—but moving the needle on fundraising depends on a strong marketing plan. On this page you’ll find a series of tips and resources to help you create excellent video, email, and social content. To start, check out our GivingTuesday boilerplate language. Have questions along the way? Post them in the Teams group anytime or email givingtuesday@psu.edu.
What’s Your Strategy?
Having a slick page with a great video and a powerful story is part of the GivingTuesday success equation. The other part is getting it in front of people. Some Penn Staters will find your page as they browse options on December 3, but being intentional about who you reach and when changes the game for fundraising success. Below is a sample campaign marketing plan, and on the rest of this page you’ll find assets to help you make it a reality. You don’t have to follow this to a T but do make sure you plan to promote your campaign before and on GivingTuesday!
Sample marketing schedule:
- Email 1 (sent any time after Nov. 12)—college/campus/or organization-specific save the date
- Social post 1 (anytime after Nov. 12)—share content posted by Raise Penn State or publish a save the date post of your own
- Staff outreach—if you have donors, friends, family, or colleagues who could be Advocates, invite them to get involved (see our Advocate FAQ sheet)
- Social post 2 (or more!)—tease information about your campaign and include a link to your page when it’s live!
- Email 2 (sent on GivingTuesday)—make a direct ask for gifts to your campaign once the event is live
- Email 3 (sent after GivingTuesday)—don’t forget to say thank you!
Working with Advocates
The advocate feature on your campaign page allows anyone who’s passionate about your fund the opportunity to become a fundraiser for your project. This is one of the most powerful ways you can drive support for your campaign, and here you can find a how-to document to share with potential advocates along with a template message for outreach. Note that advocates are only able to sign up once your campaign page is live.
Email Communication Tips
Email marketing is an essential part of a successful GivingTuesday effort. Below are a few high-level tips to get you started. And if you’re looking for more, check out this library of email templates available for customization. As you plan when to send your emails, make sure to refer to the Penn State GivingTuesday email communications calendar for details on when your audience may already be receiving a message from the University.
Less is more
Give your readers just enough to grab their attention and deliver the essential information. Ideally emails are less than 200 words!
Make a strong point
Choose one clear action that you want your reader to take. If you’re promoting your campaign in advance, make sure to include a link to your campaign page. If you’re sending an email once giving goes live, make the ask clear.
Social Media Tips
Promoting your campaign via social media can multiply the reach of your marketing and keep your audience engaged. Here you’ll find a few tips on how to craft posts for Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you need a hand, we have a few templates you can customize as needed. And don’t forget to brush up on accessibility best practices!
Video Production Tips
Know your gear
Familiarize yourself with your production equipment. Be sure to develop an understanding of how your camera, audio, and editing software function before beginning your video project.
Wait a second (or two)
If you’re recording video, start the recording, have the subject pause for two seconds, have the subject proceed with their action, have the subject pause for two seconds, then end the recording. This will provide you with time to make edits to the video clip.
Don't be a thief
Avoid using any music that is not classified as royalty-free.
Watch party
Watch the video before you publish it.
Film Horizontal (mostly)
In general, videos should be recorded via landscape orientation (camera placed horizontally). If you’re recording something for an Instagram story, though, portrait orientation (vertical position) is preferred.
Speak clearly
Ask the subject to speak in a slow, clear manner. There’s no need to speed through a spoken section.
protect the shield
If your video will include Penn State branding (shield, colors, etc.), be sure to use the assets found on Penn State’s Visual Identity Standards website.
Be Accessible
If your video has any spoken words, be sure to add closed captions to ensure everyone can get your message. YouTube has an automated service that can handle much of the heavy lifting, if needed.
Video Length
The optimal runtime for a promotional video is thirty seconds. If your video must eclipse this time, be sure to keep it under one minute.
Think about Lighting
When filming a subject, in general, avoid staging the primary source of light behind the subject. Set up lighting via natural light or stage lighting in front of the subject.
Look at the Background
Do not position the subject in front of a background that is too busy—a lot of moving objects—or too loud. Having a lot of motion in the background or a lot of outside noise in the audio file can hinder the experience for the viewer.