Are you ready for the day after GivingTuesday?

By making a plan for the day after GivingTuesday, you’ll be sure to harness the power of this annual giving day far beyond the actual day.

Donor retention is the backbone of a successful fundraising program. GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to encourage gifts from first-time and repeat donors alike, and you can ensure that the power of GivingTuesday will continue beyond that 24-hour period by making a plan in advance of how you’ll track gifts and communicate with donors afterward.

Your Day After GivingTuesday Follow-Up Plan

Record the gifts

First, decide how you’ll code the gift records from GivingTuesday. If you’re using a donor management system like Little Green Light, you can create an appeal and code all the gifts there. This allows you to search and report on the number of donors and how much was raised, and send targeted mailings to those donors. It’s important that you decide how you’ll code these gifts even before the first gift is made, and then be consistent with your data entry.

Thank your donors

GivingTuesday is a unique day of the year, and the publicity around it inspires new donors and existing donors to support your cause. They support you because your organization’s mission resonates with them, but they made a gift on that particular day because it’s GivingTuesday. Rather than sending these donors your generic thank you letter, prepare an acknowledgment letter template in advance that’s specific to GivingTuesday. Share results of the day, such as how many people gave, the amount raised, and what those funds will make possible. Donors will appreciate this element of customization. Draft the majority of your acknowledgment letter in advance of GivingTuesday, and then fill in the details afterward.

Report back to your donors

Your acknowledgment letter gave donors a clear picture of what their support would make possible. After a couple months have passed, it’s time to report back to them to share what your organization has done with the money. Get specific—if you’re buying books for local elementary schools, tell them how many books have been purchased and list some of the titles. You want your donors to feel connected to the good work your organization is doing, and to feel inspired by what their GivingTuesday donation has made possible.

Keep the communication going

Now that you’ve recognized your GivingTuesday donors, you should include them in your regular communications, such as newsletters and annual reports, and yes, in your appeals, too!

Looking for more tips on how to craft your day-after-GivingTuesday plan? Download our free ebook: How to retain donors after your giving day.