Soapbox Engage Blog

This is the final post in our #GivingTuesday series, with tips to personalize your follow up with donors. Check out the third post in the series on activating your allies. Save the date: July 28th we will close out the series with a live webinar. Reserve your spot now!

UPDATE 7/12/2017: Watch our free webinar recording, Seize #GivingTuesday Success with Fundraising Wisdom and Salesforce. which was originally broadcast on July 11, 2017.

Your final mantra leading up to #GivingTuesday should be "No donor unthanked." Statistically speaking, 29% of first time donors will come back for a second donation. If you have 10 new donors on #GivingTuesday, that means maybe three will come back and give again. The key to increasing this percentage? Gratitude. Thanking donors builds the relationship and can help show how important they are to the success of your organization's mission.

You've probably heard all the basics on how to properly thank donors. Personalization of the thank you email or letter, invitations to events, volunteer opportunities, etc. Those are all great and should definitely be included on your to do list.

For #GivingTuesday, if you really want to stand out, thank your donors with a phone call. Every time I have called a donor or asked someone to call a donor it's the same response: "I can't believe you took time out of your busy day to call me." Every. Single. Time. It's so simple and has crazy impact. In the days of texts, emails and mass communication what better way to solidify the foundation for a relationship than with a phone call? Those same online advocates that shared your posts and emails will likely jump on a chance to call someone to thank them. It makes everyone feel good.

>Other ideas on thanks yous:

• Use your social media - call out donors on your facebook page, etc
• Create a special donor honor roll on your website for #GivingTuesday
• Follow up after #GivingTuesday with a report on the collective impact the day of giving had on your organization

A little preparation will go a long way as you gear up for the end of the year and we're here to help you! Whether you are ready to beef up your Soapbox Engage pages with a custom template, get training catered to your specific organization or anywhere in between - hit us up to get the ball rolling.

Best wishes from your Soapbox Engage team on a fantastic end of year!