GivingTuesday follow-up: 5 things to do after the campaign

From team assembly to social media storytelling, GivingTuesday requires exceptionally hard work to reach a nonprofit organization’s goals. Once the campaign is over, nonprofit leaders may jump right into thinking about how they’ll put these new donations to work. However, the best part of a GivingTuesday campaign actually begins on the Wednesday after, when you get to show your gratitude to everyone involved and foster new relationships. In this guide, we’ll cover five ways your nonprofit should follow up with donors after GivingTuesday.

1. Thank everyone who supported your campaign

Following your GivingTuesday campaign, it’s critical that you thank everyone involved with the day to show your appreciation for all they contributed. Running a fundraising campaign takes a great deal of effort and support, but it is an incredibly rewarding experience for everyone involved. Here’s a checklist of some of the potential people you should thank:

• Members of your staff and board: This group is arguably the most involved with your organization. Your entire staff and board likely had a hand in supporting your GivingTuesday campaign in some capacity—whether it was in their job description or not. Recognizing their contribution not only boosts morale but also allows the whole organization to celebrate the impact of GivingTuesday together.
• Sponsors: Major donors and community partners likely played a tremendous role in allowing you to run marketing and outreach initiatives that brought more people to your organization on GivingTuesday. They may have even made a significant gift to your organization themselves. Make sure you are providing key insights into how they helped make an impact on your organization. A sponsor who sees they made a real difference with their contribution will be much more willing to give to future fundraising campaigns.
• Fundraising champions: These are the people who spread the word about your work. They are a big reason why your organization brought in so many new donors and much-needed funds. Ensuring they feel appreciated for their efforts will create an even closer relationship and empower them to go further in their outreach for future campaigns.
• Donors: Think of fun and simple ways to thank those who donated to your campaign. For example, you could send out handmade notes in the mail or have volunteers call each donor. Anything you can do to make your donors feel special will go a long way in fostering relationships that lead to long-term giving.
• Volunteers: Your volunteers are always there to help support your work, and GivingTuesday is no exception. Thanking your volunteers by throwing an appreciation party or celebrating them with a thank-you gift will keep them excited to keep coming back to help.

Giving thanks immediately sends a message to your supporters and stakeholders that they made an impact on your organization. Dedicate as much time as you can following GivingTuesday to reach out and thank everyone who helped your campaign succeed.

2. Use data to reflect on your campaign

After GivingTuesday, your organization will have an influx of new data about your donors’ behavior and the success of your campaign. Dive into these numbers to get a deeper understanding of their significance and how you can put these findings into action. Track the following metrics:

• Online donations
• Offline donations
• The number of new versus existing donors
• Donations sourced from your fundraising champions
• Number of new volunteers
• Social media metrics such as the number of posts, interactions, or new followers
• Sources of donors, such as participation through email, social media, or your campaign page

Use these insights to understand more about your donors’ behaviors. Was there an increase in donations right after a social media post or email? Did most gifts come from supporters in cities with the most peer-to-peer fundraisers? This data can help you discern and keep a record of what worked and what didn’t so you can adjust your plan accordingly for the next campaign. To gather even more data, request feedback from your supporters and donors through a post-campaign survey. Effective donor surveys will give you honest feedback that can help inform your next campaign.

3. Hold a GivingTuesday debrief for your organization

After collecting fundraising data and ideas for campaign improvement, share your GivingTuesday findings with your staff and board members. In this post-GivingTuesday debrief, you can discuss the success and impact of your campaign through:

• Charts and graphs that keep your team engaged.
• Explanations of the significance of each data point.
• A pre-made list of questions that keep the conversation focused on solutions.

Make sure to end the debrief with a tangible list of action items and assign these tasks to the appropriate parties. Things move quickly in the nonprofit sector and next year’s GivingTuesday prep will be on the top of your mind before you know it. This time, your organization will be prepared with well-planned ideas stemming from your debrief.

4. Update your supporters

Donors gave to your GivingTuesday campaign because they’re passionate about your work and want to see your efforts continue to grow. Their donation is an investment in your purpose,  and they believe in the impact their gift will make. Keep them engaged after GivingTuesday by sharing the results of the big day. Have a press release prepared in advance that you can update the day after GivingTuesday with your fundraising results. Follow these four tips to make your update especially meaningful:

• Acknowledge the impact the campaign had on a current or future project with examples of tangible impact.
• If you’re able to, compare your results to a past campaign.
• Mention your supporters and anyone else you feel should be acknowledged for making the day successful.
• Use key pieces of information from the press release to announce results on your preferred social media channels and via email.

Your donors will be excited to see the results of your campaign, and they’ll feel good knowing that they helped contribute to your success. Giving deeper meaning to your GivingTuesday stats will not only increase awareness but give your donors a sense of pride in helping you make these things happen.

5. Kick off your year-end fundraising

Use the momentum and what you learned from your GivingTuesday results as a segue into the rest of your year-end fundraising efforts. When thanking your supporters, remind them that the New Year is soon approaching and there’s still time to make final donations to help your organization reach its goals for the year and for donors to use as charitable tax deductions! Introduce your year-end campaign when thanking your supporters for their contributions following a donation or other act of giving. Let them know in your message that the success of your GivingTuesday campaign has contributed significantly to your annual fundraising goals to fuel your purpose.

Plan your GivingTuesday follow-up as part of the campaign

GivingTuesday is more than just 24 hours of collecting donations. What you do after the event has a huge impact on donor engagement and future campaigns. As you’re planning next year’s GivingTuesday event, treat your post-campaign plan like a fundraiser and dedicate plenty of time to your follow-up initiative.