It is estimated that 30% of charitable contributions are made between Thanksgiving and Christmas and 10% of those are made in the last 48 hours of the year. With that being the case, it is not too late to capture a share of this year’s holiday generosity by launching a year-end fundraising effort!
Here are nine ways to strengthen your year-end appeal:
- Build your prospect list – Include past donors, volunteers and others with an interest in your organization.
- Give special attention to LYBNTs (Last Year But Not This) – Pull a report of all donors who gave in 2013 but who have not given yet in 2014. Engage board members and other staff in an effort to follow up with LYBNTs personally in order to make an ask if at all possible.
- Use multiple communication channels including e-mail, social media, direct mail, phone-a-thons, etc. to reach potential donors with your year-end appeal message.
- Develop a communication timeline so that your campaign message is sent out mid-December with a follow up message sent out the last week of the year reminding donors to give by December 31 to take advantage of tax benefits. (Even though tax benefits aren’t a true motivator for giving generally, they are an incentive to make a donation by the end of the fiscal year.)
- Capitalize on the spirit of the season – Express gratitude for past support and share success stories about individuals and families who have benefited from previous charitable contributions to your organization.
- Avoid fundraising appeals that ask for contributions so your organization ends the year with a “balanced budget” or to help “reach your campaign goal.” Neither of those are very compelling reasons for someone to give to your organization.
- Donors will be more apt to make a contribution if their gift will support a cause that has an emotional and urgent appeal. So, tell them what will be different if they make a contribution to your organization? Who will be served and what difference will that make? Consider embedding a brief video with a client/member telling their story in emails/social media posts.
- Make it super easy to give – Create an extra large “donate now” button for your web page. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your appeal mailing.
- Thank your year-end donors in a timely manner and communicate with them throughout the new year, sharing information and stories about how their contribution made a difference.
Of course, a successful year-end fundraising effort should be part of a comprehensive year-round resource development plan. So be sure to evaluate this year’s effort so you can begin planning for your 2015 year-end fundraising effort early in the year!
