How to Execute Successful Giving Tuesday Stewardship

3 Role-Based Steps for Successful Giving Tuesday Stewardship

• Plan 2-3 times throughout the day when you can update donors about the progress that has been made toward your goal, or wait until you have an exciting announcement, like a major gift.
• DonorPerfect research has shown that the highest volume of Giving Tuesday gifts are processed in the evening at 6:30, 11:00, and 11:59 pm.
• If you have capacity to get creative, lean on integrations to get the word out. Ex. Text messaging and personalized video messages.

• Send personalized updates to middle, large, major, and matching donors, letting them know how they can help you get closer to your goal.

• Report on the amount raised and compare it to previous efforts.
• Which email got the best response? Ex. If your CRM integrates with Constant Contact, track email engagements and store analytics in your database!
• Which communication channels worked well? Did you receive more gifts online, offline, or through crowdfunding?
• Report on the amount or percentage of your goal raised to share with supporters.
• Report on donor segments for thank-yous and updates in December.
• Segments could include new donors, new monthly donors, and retained donors. Ex. New donors may get a series of emails welcoming them to the organization. Retained donors may receive a survey.

• Consider an impact or gratitude report to share with donors.
• Consider including impact information in your tailored thank-yous.

• Pull a list of all gifts from Giving Tuesday and review contact records for donors who gave. Be sure that they haven’t already been acknowledged to avoid overlap.
• With your Giving Tuesday list, create a mail merge to send gift acknowledgments.
• Assign personalized thank-you tasks to staff members.

• Which donors or donor groups will get handwritten notes or personalized videos? Will you be sending thank-yous en masse, individually, or both?
• Consider following up with year-end asks.
• It’s okay to ask again, and your Giving Tuesday donors have already shown you that they’re interested in your cause!
• DonorPerfect research has shown that, in the month of December, the highest volume of gifts were processed on the 1st, 15th, and 31st of the month. Try engaging with your Giving Tuesday donors on these dates, encouraging them to make their last tax-deductible donations of the year, and maximize the impact of their annual contribution.

• Write 1-2 sentences for each donor segment you are focusing on that will make their thank you tailored to their Giving Tuesday experience. The rest of your thank-you communication can be the same for all donor groups.
• If you have the capacity to use more than one thank-you channel, consider a more personalized approach for donors who really stepped up. Ex. Try a handwritten thank-you note or a personalized video message.

• Continue to be the face of the campaign by sending out a mass thank-you email to all Giving Tuesday supporters, signed by you. If you plan to reach out to donors individually, your mass thank you could be your gift acknowledgment.
• Consider sending a video so donors can see and feel your gratitude.