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====== CTP Giving Tuesday Campaign 2026: Plan ======

//Last updated: October 7, 2026//
//Campaign date: Tuesday, December 1, 2026//
//Anchor event: Virtual graduation ceremony, 5pm PT on Zoom//

===== The concept =====

The campaign builds toward a virtual graduation ceremony on Giving Tuesday evening. Donors do not attend a gala. They watch real graduates cross a virtual stage, hear their stories, and give so the next class can do the same. Every gift is framed as fuel for the next graduate, not charity for the current ones.

Our graduates are the heroes of this campaign, not the audience for the ask. Most are just starting out financially. The ask goes to our broader community: past donors, disability advocates, local businesses, and anyone who believes in the mission.

===== Timeline =====

==== Now through October 31: Story collection ====
  * Identify 3 to 5 recent graduates willing to share their story on camera (Zoom recording is fine)
  * Collect written profiles as backup for those who prefer not to be on video
  * Get written permission from each featured graduate
  * Secure a matching gift donor if possible (board member, corporate partner, or major donor). Even $5,000 as a match pool changes the math.

==== Early November (Nov 2-13): Soft launch ====
  * "Save the date" email to full list: virtual graduation ceremony on Giving Tuesday, Dec 1 at 5pm PT
  * Begin social media teasers featuring graduate quotes (no ask yet, just story)
  * Set up the Giving Tuesday giving page (Givebutter)

==== Mid-November (Nov 16-20): The need ====
  * Email 1: Why CTP needs you right now. Honest about the funding gap, forward-looking about the next class.
  * Email 2: First featured graduate story. Video or written profile. Soft ask at the end.

==== Thanksgiving week (Nov 23-27): Gratitude ====
  * Email 3: Second featured graduate story. Gratitude framing.
  * Social media: daily graduate spotlights, countdown to Dec 1
  * No hard ask this week. Build warmth.

==== Monday Nov 30: The eve ====
  * Email 4: "Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday." Preview the graduation ceremony. Include the Zoom link. Set the stage.

==== Tuesday Dec 1: Giving Tuesday ====
  * Morning email: "Today is the day." Link to giving page. Mention the match if secured.
  * 5pm PT: Virtual graduation ceremony on Zoom (45 to 60 minutes)
    * Welcome from Alex
    * 2 to 3 graduate speeches (the featured storytellers)
    * Brief staff remarks
    * Live giving appeal from Alex or a board member (not from the graduates)
    * Giving link dropped in chat multiple times
    * Closing: thank you and what comes next
  * Evening email (8pm): "Final hours." Thank you to those who gave. Last chance for those who have not.

==== December 2-3: Thank you ====
  * Thank-you email to all donors with graduation highlights
  * Social media: share event recording clips, total raised

===== Messaging principles =====

  * Lead with graduate achievement, not graduate need. "Maria finished her training and started her first office job" beats "Maria needs your help."
  * The ask is always about the next class. "Your gift trains the next graduate."
  * Be honest about the financial situation without making it the whole story. Donors give to momentum, not just emergency.
  * Push monthly giving as the secondary ask. "Become a monthly supporter" sustains the program beyond December.

===== What we need to line up =====

  * [ ] 3 to 5 graduate volunteers willing to share stories (video or written)
  * [ ] Written permissions from featured graduates
  * [ ] Matching gift donor (target: $5,000 minimum)
  * [ ] Giving page set up on Givebutter
  * [ ] Zoom event planned (registration link, run of show, tech check)
  * [ ] Email list cleaned and segmented (past donors, NDEAM contacts, bridge appeal donors)

===== How this connects to the bridge appeal =====

The bridge appeal (closing $37k, Oct-Nov) and Giving Tuesday (Dec 1) are separate pushes with separate framing. Bridge appeal: "Keep the doors open right now." Giving Tuesday: "Fuel the next class of graduates." Same mission, different moment, different emotional register. Donors who give to both are giving twice for two distinct reasons.
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