Summary: This guide explains how to automatically create a follow-up task when someone donates to your organization for the first time. This ensures you never miss an opportunity to thank a new donor and steward their generosity.
Before You Begin
Run Frequency: This automation runs daily at 9:00 AM.
How It Works: The system scans your giving records daily. If it finds a donation that meets your criteria (e.g., "First donation ever" or "First donation to the Building Fund"), it automatically assigns a follow-up task to a specific staff member or volunteer.
Key Requirements:
Online Giving Profiles: If a new donor gives online, their gift must be associated with a profile within 10 days of the donation date. If the gift remains unassigned to a profile for longer than 10 days, the automation will not trigger, even if it was their first gift.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Stage 1: Access Automations
Navigate to Account Settings (⚙️) in the top-right corner.
Select Automations from the dropdown menu.
Click the + Add Task button.
Select Follow Up with New Givers from the list.
Stage 2: Configure Fund Criteria
Select Fund(s): Choose whether to track first-time gifts to Any Fund or a Specific Fund (e.g., Missions, Building Campaign).
Tip: Creating separate automations for specific funds allows you to send tailored thank-you notes for different campaigns.
Select Follow Up: Choose which follow-up task should be created (e.g., "Send Welcome Packet" or "Handwritten Note").
Stage 3: Configure Advanced Options
You will see additional checkboxes to refine how this automation triggers:
Group by Family:
Checked: The automation triggers only once for the family (for the first family member who gives).
Unchecked: The automation triggers individually for every family member who gives for the first time.
Consider a giver as new if they haven't given in the last 18 months:
Checked: Triggers for "lapsed" donors who are returning after 1.5 years.
Unchecked: Triggers only for absolute first-time donors who have never given before.
Stage 4: Activate
Click Add Task to save.
Use Cases & Best Practices
Stewardship & Appreciation Set up a task to alert the Senior Pastor or Executive Director whenever a first-time gift is received. This allows for a personal touch, such as a handwritten card or a phone call, to thank the donor for their investment in the ministry.
Specific Campaigns If you are running a pledge campaign (e.g., "Missions 2025"), create a specific automation for that fund.
Example: "When someone gives to [Missions Fund] for the first time, assign [Send Missions Prayer Card] to the Missions Pastor."
Re-engaging Lapsed Donors Use the "18-month" setting to identify people who used to give but stopped, and have recently started again. This is a great opportunity to welcome them back.