Long Beach Gives is under way! If you are unfamiliar with this campaign, it is a week-long giving campaign that culminates with an exciting day of giving on Thursday, September 19. We are in the period known as Early Giving until Thursday. I shared this campaign with my subscribers last year–thank you to those of you who donated to my mini campaign. It was greatly appreciated and you can do it again this year if you are so inclined. I know that supporting my favorite charities is not why you subscribed, so I am going to take this opportunity to show you as a nonprofit and as a small business (whichever one you are) there is a place for you in a campaign like this that gives you a big PR boost. Keep reading.
First, What is A Day of Giving?
Long Beach Givesis the brainchild of Julie Meenan, the executive director of the Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation. She saw it work in other communities and thought it would be great for Long Beach. She enlisted a partner in The Nonprofit Partnership to bring the charitable causes to the table and five years and 300+ nonprofits later, it continues to grow.
The concept focuses all energies on a single day, maximizing a collective effort. In this case, you have the option of raising money for a week. Long Beach Gives acts as a central host that creates and monitors all the donations coming through the website for a small fee. They also promote it all over town, secure sponsors who give gifts and prizes for participation, and help new and fledgling nonprofits establish themselves in the nonprofit sector.
Multiple Benefits
As a nonprofit, whether you participate in a community wide celebration like this, or create your own day, week, or month of giving, I will say that from a 100% promotional benefit perspective, it is worth the work it will require. You will see short-term and long-term gains from this. But it does take work! You need to spend some time creating content that helps tell your story and then find the best ways to reach your donors with that information. If you engage a core group to talk about your mission out in the community, you have reached more donors, more potential referral sources, and maybe some future clients. It’s Buzz Marketing at its finest!
The fundraiser also becomes a great conversation piece to reach out to your large donors. Reach out to them to let them know it’s happening and invite them to join you with a matching gift, or a peer-to-peer fundraiser of their own. You might be able to attract a new large donor or two if you are strategic and don’t rest on your laurels.
Many nonprofits also organize events during the giving period to give their donors other ways to engage with them, yet another PR tactic that can spread your message exponentially. All of it helps create stronger relationships between you and your donors–existing and new. The Assistance League of Long Beach has a dunk tank (more of a dump splash) that allows people to donate and dunk … uh splash. I’m not suggesting that would work for everyone, but they appear to have a lot of fun with this annual tradition. Be smart and choose events that match the culture of your organization and donors.
As a business, you can support a nonprofit and ask all of your family, friends, and customers to participate in a peer-to-peer fundraiser. It’s an easy opportunity to show you care. Set a realistic (modest) goal, especially in your first year, and start inviting people to contribute with you. It is important that you make a gift before you ask others to do so. You want to offer a genuine invitation for something you already did. People like to be invited to join in giving, rather than being told to give. For instance, you’re less likely to buy a KIA from the salesperson who shares that they drive a Toyota.
If you want to endorse a nonprofit right now, you can–even without setting up a fundraiser in the platform. Make a donation to a charity you like, then share that information and what it is about the charity that resonates with you in an email asking them to join you. If they don’t give because it’s not in their budget right now, no sweat! You told the story about an organization that is making a difference in the community and that helps a great deal! If they give, it’s that much better, so invite them again another time. You talking about a cause, boosts your reputation as someone who cares and contributes to the community. Win-Win!
I wrote a blog post a few years ago about choosing a charity to support during November’s Small Business Saturday. Read it here. If you are interested in arranging that this year for Small Business Saturday or Giving Tuesday, find a charity from this wonderful list participating in Long Beach Gives and become their ambassador. You can search by cause or by organization. Contact the one(s) you like to find out if your interests align and ask them to be your featured charity on November 30 or December 3. Your office doesn’t even need to be open for you to spread the word about a great nonprofit. If you’re outside Long Beach, check for nonprofit listings in your local Chamber of Commerce or Google causes in your area.
Why it Works
The Buzz is Contagious!
There is a great deal of energy surrounding the campaign from all the different charities involved. There are nonprofits of all sizes and it is truly inspirational to see who is able to exceed their goals each year. It’s exciting and synergistic. You see the leaderboard donation figures increase daily and you want to be a part of the action.
Sincerely Do Good and You’ll Feel Good
If you truly care about the charities you give to, you will feel satisfied that you can support them. You’ll be vested in their success and people will see that.
It’s All About Relationships
If you want an in-depth session on this, watch this vlog episode I recorded with a phenomenal fundraiser, Rob Webb. How you ask is important and when the ask comes from a person you know, it is far more likely to end with a donation than if a stranger asks. This campaign allows nonprofits to begin new relationships with people brought in from their volunteers’ campaigns. They tell two friends, then they tell two friends, and so on, and so on!
You Can Make a Difference Today
If you want to join the thousands, yes THOUSANDS, of dedicated people making donations to these fine nonprofits this week, I have curated a list of some of my favorites below.
My Favorites from Long Beach GivesFor The Child – This is my client and I set-up a mini fundraiser on their behalf. They treat and prevent child abuse, neglect, and offer help to children suffering from mental health issues. Their early intervention therapies are life-changing and help children recover from trauma to lead productive, healthy lives. Unresolved childhood trauma contributes to many problems later in life including substance abuse, homelessness, and health issues. Supporting For The Child is an upstream solution to many problems plaguing society today. Right now, every dollar is doubled by their match from Pacific Premier Bank. I appreciate any help you can give. Click on the image if you can donate $10, $20, or more. It all adds up and it would mean a lot to me.
Click on the image and you will be connected to my fundraising page to help children recover from abuse.
Thank you for anything you can do! A little goes a long way!
• Junior League of Long Beach – I’ve been a member of this 100% women volunteer-run training organization since 2001 and love what I have learned in this organization.
• Literary Women of Long Beach – I am a member of this mighty 100% women volunteer-run committee and we put together the annual Festival of Authors. Save the date for April 5, 2025.
If you want to give to other sectors, here are some other favorites:
- Heart of Ida – Helping older adults in multiple ways
- Shared Science – STEM education presented in fun and innovative ways
- Long Beach Youth Chorus – ‘Cuz kids should sing
- New Hope Grief Support – For all they do to help people deal with loss.Give it some thought. I hope you find something you’re passionate about and you’ll join me.
The Riddle of Confidence
I am the keynote speaker SCORE Long Beach/South Bay Women in Business Summit in just a few days. I am speaking about confidence, how to build it yet remain humble–it’s a riddle alright! You might still be able to register. Click herefor the registration page. I hope to see you there!
Belmont Shore Book Fair this Sunday
Final note, I will be at the First Annual Belmont Shore Book Fair 11 am-3 pm on Sunday, September 22 as a nonfiction author (“Laws of Promotion”). I will be joined by Hilda Sramek with whom I had the honor of helping her and her daughter write “Microenterprise Hits the Big Screen.” You can read more about these titles here, or just talk to us on Sunday!
Leslie A.M. Smith founded McCormick L.A. 30 years ago to provide marketing and public relations services to small businesses and nonprofits. She is the author of Laws of Promotion, a 50-page marketing guidebook for people with little or no marketing experience, available on Amazon in English and Spanish.
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