First Timer's Guide to Give to the Max Day

Congratulations on running your first Give to the Max campaign! For some of you, this may be your organization’s first time ever participating in Minnesota’s giving holiday. For others, you may be a new fundraiser tasked with running a campaign at an organization that has participated in the past. Either way, we’re glad to welcome you…and hope this beginner’s guide will help you get started on the right foot!

To help make sure you have everything you need to have a successful GTMD campaign, we’ve put together a quick guide to get your first campaign up and running. Ready? Let’s go!

Setting yourself up as an administrator on GiveMN.org.

Before you can start editing your organization’s GiveMN.org page, you’ll need to gain access to the platform as an organization administrator.

To claim your organization, follow one of the following steps:

• Visit givemn.org/search and search for your nonprofit. Click on your organization’s page, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click “Manage this organization.” You’ll be notified via email once you’ve been approved to manage your nonprofit or school’s page by an existing administrator.
• If your organization has run GTMD campaigns in the past and already has an organization administrator, you may ask that individual to add you as a fellow administrator. They can do so by navigating to “Settings” and then “Admins.”
• If you know the direct URL to your organization’s GiveMN page, you can also type that into your browser, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click “Manage this organization.” Again, you’ll be notified via email once you’ve been approved to manage your nonprofit or school’s page.

If your organization is not yet listed on GiveMN.org, no worries—we look forward to welcoming you! Please email help@givemn.org and let them know you’d like to add your nonprofit or school to GiveMN.org, then follow the steps they provide.

Starting to set up your page

Whether your organization is new to GiveMN.org and you’re starting from scratch, or you need to start making edits to update your page with new information, once you have admin access, you may start to edit the look and feel of your page!

Our platform technology partners at Mightycause have created an article with some of the first and most important steps you can take to start making your page your fundraising home for Give to the Max and every day of the year. Read more.

Register for Give to the Max

Let us know you’re planning to participate in Give to the Max through a free registration process! Registration unlocks additional GTMD features and prizes for your Minnesota organization, and helps us be able to evaluate our administration of this program each year. Learn more and register.

Start planning your campaign with the help of our organization resources

Although Give to the Max is a large statewide fundraiser, your organization's success will be strengthened by thoughtful donor engagement and the basics of campaign planning. GiveMN has created resources to help you plan your ask and take part in Minnesota’s giving holiday, all available to view on our GTMD Resources page.

Highlights include:

• Workbooks and templates, including a basic checklist that offers ideas beyond this first-timers’ guide.
• On-demand video resources including our GTMD24 kickoff webinar, a registration walkthrough, and "Just The Basics," an on-demand video explaining more about this year’s campaign.
• GTMD logos, graphics and posters to help add visuals to your campaign.

Need more support?

We’re here for you! There are two options for additional support during Give to the Max or any time of the year.

• Reach our customer support team at help@givemn.org. Your message will be reviewed and assigned to the person on our team who can best assist you. This is also the primary way to reach our technology partners at Mightycause for specific technical questions about your GiveMN.org experience.
• Schedule a customized session with a RaiseMN fundraising coach! These fee-based coaching sessions are available year-round as we work with organizations looking to level-up their fundraising programs or fundraisers looking for customized professional development. Schedule a call with a member of our RaiseMN team to learn more.