Black Friday came and went. Cyber Monday deals helped us complete our Christmas gifts. And Giving Tuesday was hopefully an encouraging day for your nonprofit as people pitched in for the global day of giving. While all these days of spending fall within four days of each other, the Giving Tuesday aftermath is really the only one that needs your attention for the long-run.

You likely received donations from your current following and active donors to your cause, but I bet you also received your fair share of new donors as well. Awesome!

However, that awesome feeling will be very short-lived if you don’t have a follow-up plan. Capitalize on the freshness of their gift, their awareness of your cause and their willingness to trust your organization to make an impact.

Here are some quick tips:

1. Welcome new donors — Make sure you have a plan for following up with your new donors. Check out our free New Donor Welcome Kit if you don’t have a plan. It takes the guesswork out of what to send to new donors. You’ll get confirmation emails, welcome/thank you emails, printed thank you letter and ideas for next steps that help deliver wow.
2. Create a compelling appeal — Start planning what your next appeal will be, and make sure it ties to your Giving Tuesday campaign. It should be intentionally crafted and sensitive to what tugged at their heart the first time in your original campaign. If your new Giving Tuesday donors give a second time, you will have likely locked in a loyal donor.
3. Start with a low monthly ask — You wouldn’t teach someone how to swim in the middle of the ocean with no life preserver, would you? So, don’t do the same thing to your new donors with your first ask. Yes, of course, we want everyone to be a monthly giver, but ease them in. Provide an on ramp that allows them to be involved again in an affordable way.
4. Reach them where they are — Make sure you’re following up on the platforms where Millennials are most likely to communicate. Your social media should be filled with content that is relevant and engaging. And the same goes to other generations as well. Don’t leave them out of the communication plan just because they aren’t as active on certain platforms. Send emails, print pieces or pigeons. Whatever it takes. :)
5. Offer other ways to get involved — Millennials love to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Communicate ways that they can get involved in capacities beyond donations (volunteering, crowd funding, etc.). Engaging them in this way can greatly impact their long-term giving.

Your follow-up plan after Giving Tuesday is just as important as the work it took to gain new donors throughout your campaign. Make sure you’re ready to receive your new supporters and work on turning new donors into long-term advocates for your amazing cause.