The #1 Thing to Do to Retain Donors Post GivingTuesday

Bring on the global day of giving that is GivingTuesday because you are READY. You’ve set up your GivingTuesday crowdfunding campaign and are ready to accept online donations, prepared your social media strategy and scheduled posts, and are beginning to promote your #GivingTuesday campaign to people within your personal network and supporters. You’ve even cleared your schedule on November 29 so you can focus on engaging on all your social media platforms.

 But, wait! There’s one more thing you need to line up for your #GivingTuesday2022 fundraising campaign, and that’s a big thank you.

 The one thing you MUST do after GivingTuesday?

 Thank old and new donors for their generosity to your nonprofit’s cause.

Saying ‘thank you’ to supporters isn’t groundbreaking—in fact, we’re sure it’s something you rockstar fundraisers do all the time! But in the case of GivingTuesday, you should send out your message of gratitude ASAP. As in the very next day, which in 2022 is Wednesday, November 30.  Here’s why:

1. December is a big fundraising month—you’re probably planning for that now! Immediately expressing gratitude for donations closes the book on GivingTuesday, freeing you up for your charitable season fundraising push.
2. Many of your #GivingTuesday participants will be new donors. By thanking them straight away, you’ll reinforce their connection to your organization and make it clear how much they matter.
3. Everyone likes to feel that they’ve made a difference. Your GivingTuesday ‘thank you’ will help with donor retention and nurture new donor relationships.

How to Make the Most of Your GivingTuesday ‘Thank You’

1. Keep it authentic. A short, simple, heartfelt message of sincere thanks reiterating how their money will be used is a powerful thing. Try to keep your email to about two paragraphs.
2. Encourage people to follow you on social media (some may have not yet done so), and mention that GivingTuesday isn’t the only way they can get involved in your nonprofit organization. Don’t be too heavy-handed with this last part—remember that this email is about thanking participants for their support in your GivingTuesday crowdfunding campaign.
3. Include images or graphics detailing what your organization has accomplished so far this year. Think of this email as a chance to share the great work you are doing (and can keep doing) thanks to their continued support.
4. Address the donor by name if possible—this makes it more personal and thus more impactful.

This last point is easy when your mail client (such as Constant Contact or MailChimp) is integrated with your fundraising platform. When you use Eventgroove as your online fundraising platform, accepting online donations and sending personalized emails to people is a snap.

With Eventgroove, you can:

• Collect donor data (securely) and access it at any time, enabling you to have the information you need to build your email list.
• Schedule and automate email sends to donors.
• Create brand continuity by easily mirroring your crowdfunding fundraising campaign’s look in your email messages.
• Save time because of all of the above!

 Have a Successful #GivingTuesday!

You’ve done as much as you can to prepare your GivingTuesday nonprofit crowdfunding fundraising campaign (no small task!) while also running your nonprofit organization. For that alone, we salute you. Good luck, and keep our crowdfunding platform (it’s free for fundraisers like you) in mind for your next fundraising campaign—we’d be honored to help!