GiveNOLA Day

Written By Alicia Vial

With GiveNOLA Day right around the corner, nonprofits across the city are gearing up for one of the biggest days of giving all year. But standing out online takes more than just posting a donation link.

GiveNOLA Day is a highly competitive space, with hundreds of nonprofits all asking for support at the same time. Social media helps you cut through the noise and stay top of mind with your audience before the big day. It’s not just about posting on GiveNOLA Day, it’s about building awareness and trust in the weeks leading up to it. Think of it as warming up your audience so they’re ready and excited to give when the day arrives.  

Start with storytelling. Share who you serve, your mission and real impact stories that people can connect with. Introduce your team, volunteers or beneficiaries to put faces behind the cause. Short videos and reels work especially well for this because they’re quick, engaging and easy to share.  

Keep content simple and conversational. Social media is about connection, not long-form messaging. Ask questions, use polls or invite followers to share why they support your organization. Focus on visuals. Photos and video tend to perform much better than text only posts. Encourage supporters to share your content to expand your reach beyond your immediate audience.  

Plan your content in advance so you’re not scrambling the day of. Post throughout the day: morning kickoff, midday updates and a final push before the deadline. Share progress updates like fundraising milestones to build excitement and urgency. Engage in real time by responding to comments, thanking donors and resharing supporter posts.  

One of the biggest mistakes is only posting on GiveNOLA Day and going silent afterwards. Follow-up is key. Thank your donors, share results and show the impact of their contributions. Remember GiveNOLA Day is just the beginning of the relationship, not the end. 

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Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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