How to Promote Your Project
The University of Delaware’s annual I Heart UD Giving Day will take place on Wednesday, May 5. As project leaders, you can make the most of this fundraising opportunity by tapping your networks through social media, emails, calls, texts and any other forms of communication you have available.
Below, you’ll find a few ways to help with your course of action for drumming up donors and dollars for your project!
Step 1: Identify the main motivators for giving to your project.
People know that giving feels better than receiving, but why should they give to your project among all other projects on I Heart UD Giving Day? Help them see the impact they can make by supporting your project!
Step 2: Develop a communication plan.
To help, here is an email schedule for mass emails that will come from the Development and Alumni Relations Office about I Heart UD Giving Day. Feel free to start sending your own emails after our initial kick off email, and then you can follow up with social media posts and/or stories that push people to your project on the I Heart UD Giving Day platform. Determine your email/social post/phone call or text dates and the general content that you’ll use for each. Remember to use messaging based on the main motivators that you’ve identified from Step 1.
Step 3: Stay on top of comments and questions about your project.
If people comment on your social posts about your project or reply to your emails, respond promptly to demonstrate your dedication to the project’s success and to show you care about the potential donor’s questions or comments! Your personal interactions will help donors feel valued in the process of giving to your project.
Use the following for ideas for your own social posts. You can insert your project’s specific name and information where applicable or completely rewrite these posts to suit your needs and your audience. Remember to use #iheartUD!
- Do you heart UD as much as me? Prove it! 😊 Show your love for UD with me today by making a gift to <insert project name> for I Heart UD Giving Day! #iheartUD
- Helping with <insert project name> is one of the reasons why I heart UD so much. Support this project by making a gift today for I Heart UD Giving Day 💛💙. #iheartUD
- Did you know that <XX costs XX – insert cost of something related to what your project is supporting>? This cost typically falls on <UD students/athletes/faculty>. Help enhance their UD experience without worrying about the financial aspect by making a gift toward this project on I Heart UD Giving Day, May 5 . #iheartUD 💛💙
- <Insert project name> is my/our passion! We hope that we can use this project to make a difference in our communities and at UD, but we need your help! Your gift during I Heart UD Giving Day on May 5 to <project name> will directly impact our cause. #iheartUD 💛💙
- Do you or did you have a passion project at UD? Ours is <project name> and we would greatly appreciate your support to see it come to fruition! Make a gift as part of I Heart UD Giving Day on May 5 to <project name> to help our dreams come true. #iheartUD 💛💙
Add some I Heart UD Giving Day pizzazz to your profiles, stories and more with these Facebook frames, Instagram stickers and Snapchat filter.
While these dates are subject to change, you may use this communication timeline of general I Heart UD Giving Day messages and audiences to plan around your specific project messages.
- April 16: Save the date emails send to all alumni and donors
- April 30: Selected audiences receive an email for early access to projects (VIPs, volunteers, reunion-year alumni and donors in giving societies)
- May 1-3: These days are clear of I Heart UD Giving Day communications so that you can use one of the days to email your groups.
- May 4:
- Daytime send: Different audiences will receive emailed letters from their respective units about the importance of participating in I Heart UD Giving Day (Athletics, parents, students, faculty/staff)
- Night send: All constituents will receive a "tomorrow is the day!" email that will include a quiz that recipients can take to find their passion I Heart UD projects
- May 5
- All constituents (for whom we have mobile phone numbers) will receive a text message
- 7 a.m.: Kick-off email (all constituents)
- 10 a.m.: Email including a student video (all constituents)
- Noon: Best time for your project specific emails!
- 2pm: An email that will include project updates will send to all constituents except for students
- 7pm: Final email of the day with "last chance" message will send to all constituents
- May 7: Send a thank you email to your fundraising group
Take advantage of these challenges and matches to collect the most support for your project(s)! Follow along with the hourly challenges and more.
Here is the printable Flat YoUDee cutout, with the instructions to take a photo with it and post to social using #iheartUD. You can also encourage your networks to print it out and take selfies with YoUDee with a reason why they “heart” UD for social posts.
No printer? No problem! Use this Flat YoUDee sticker instead on your social media “selfies” with YoUDee.
*Winners will receive additional funds to allocate to the I Heart UD Giving Day project of their choice. Winners will be notified by social media private message by 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5 and must respond no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, or else another winner will be chosen.
Print out this sign or email it to your networks to fill out and post to social media. This is a great way to help generate awareness and excitement about I Heart UD Giving Day.
On each I Heart UD Giving Day project, you will see a “Become a Champion” section. This is an easy way to spread the news about the project(s) closest to your heart and encourage others to do the same! Here’s how:
- Starting April 30, you’ll be able to find your project(s) at udel.edu/iheartUD. Navigate to the project(s) you want to support and click the button underneath “Become a Champion.”
- Follow the prompts to enter and verify your email address and fill out your information.
- Invite others to become Champions, either by inputting individual email addresses or doing a bulk upload.
- In the Champion For field, choose the project you wish to share.
- Enter a custom message in the Personalized Message field to be included with the welcome email.
- Click Send! The champion will receive an email titled “You’re invited to Champion a Cause!” informing them they are invited to Champion your project, which prompts them to initiate their profile set up.
When I Heart UD Giving Day is over, thank your donors on social media, through email or through other channels. Here is an sample message:
Thanks to you, I Heart UD Giving Day was a success! We had <number> donors support our project, <project name>, which raised <dollars>. Thank you for showing your love for UD and supporting us!