Year-End Strategies to Increase Donations
Studies show that people give more to charities at the end of the year. The spirit of generosity, lucrative tax deductions, and a strong desire to help others during the holidays are the main motivating factors. Don’t miss this prime opportunity to bring in much-needed funds for your organization.
Year-End Fundraising Strategies Tools & Tips: Everything You Need to Know
The year-end season is a powerhouse for raising the bulk of your nonprofit’s funds. Approximately 31% of all annual giving occurs in December. Find out how to maximize year-end giving with these tools and tips that provide a four-step strategy for helping you reach your year-end fundraising goals.
Four-Step Strategy to Help you Reach Your Year-End Fundraising Goals
1st Step: Segment Your Donor Database
Segment your email and direct mail donors by: current donors, last year’s donors, and lapsed donors.
2nd Step: Write Messages for Each Donor Segment
When messaging is compelling and directed towards a specific donor type, the donor is more likely to give.
Message for Current Donors
Current donors are those who give a gift within a 12 month period.
“Recognizing” and “thanking” are the motivators that resonate with current donors. Providing heartwarming success stories that recognize the donors’ role and thanking them for their help will motivate them to give again. Highlighting an ongoing problem and how the donor can help solve that problem are essential for all successful fundraising letters. Read these copywriting strategies for fundraisers for more information about writing donor responsive copy.
Message for One-Time Donors
Motivate one-time donors to give again. (These are donors who have only donated once within a year.)
“Reinforcement” and “belonging” are the motivators that resonate with last year’s donors. Through a heartfelt story, reinforce to donors of how they helped solve a problem and the good that their donation brought to those in need. By reinforcing the good decision they made when they donated, even if it was over a year ago, it can be a great motivator to get them to give again. Tell them why another donation is needed and invite them to join the other like-minded donors in your organization who continue to make a difference. This will make them feel as if they belong and that they are a part of your organization’s family.
Message for Lapsed Donors
Lapsed donors are donors who you have not heard from in over a year, but some organizations consider a donor lapsed after 2-3 years.
“Tangible” and “impact” are the motivators to focus on when writing an appeal to these donors. Inform them about the tangible impact their donation has made in the past and what more their donation will do in the future. Provide them with a concrete success story. Consider using a gift-ask that includes not only a monetary amount but also a description as to how that amount of money will be used. Gift-asks such as “$25 feeds a hungry dog”, “$50 provides veterinary care,” etc., motivate lapsed donors to contribute.
3rd Step: Create a Series of Email Appeals
The best time of the year for year-end giving starts with the Thanksgiving holiday season. Craft a year-end email appeal series consisting of the following:
Thanksgiving E-Appeal
Donors want to know you’re thankful for them and why. Let them know why their donations are needed during this holiday of giving.
Year-End Kick-Off E-Appeal
Kick off the official start of your year-end campaign with an email announcement. Ask donors for a year-end gift and provide your donors with a clear and concise call to action to motivate them to give to your year-end goals.
Tell donors what they will accomplish and what problem they will help to solve, and be sure to include a deadline, giving added urgency to the appeal.
E-Cards
Reinforce your brand and your message by providing several E-holiday card designs that donors can use to send to their friends and family via email. A campaign-donation landing page should accompany each card, so that both the sender and receiver can contribute.
This is a very effective way to connect with current and potential new supporters, to spread the message of the good work that you do, and to potentially receive donations from both the sender and receiver.
Video E-Mail Appeal
Reinforce the email kick-off announcement, (see kick-off email announcement above), by sending a video.
Holiday E-Card Appeal
Send your donors holiday E-cards thanking them for their past support and reminding them of the year-end campaign. Be sure to include a call to action and a reason they should continue their support.
Last Chance Email Appeals on December 29th, 30th and 31st
The 29th, 30th, and 31st of December account for 11% of the year’s total donations, so be particularly vigilant about sending donors emails on these days.
Keep in mind, approximately 31% of all annual giving occurs in December.
Yes, it might seem last minute to send an email on December 31st. However, sending donors a reminder that this is their last chance to give this year will prove to be highly effective. Combining a strong call to action and a reminder about a year-end tax deduction are strong motivators to give for donors who tend to procrastinate.
4th Step: Create a Direct Mail Package
Send a year-end direct mail appeal to donors toward the mid to later part of December. This can be as simple as a letter appeal or a holiday card. Either way, include a thank-you message, highlight the problem you’re looking to solve, and a way for the donor to solve the problem—more donations, of course! Include a donation form and a reply envelope in the direct mail appeal.
How to Maximize Year-End Giving —Tools & Tips
Don’t let the end of the year be the only time you communicate with your donors. Direct mail appeals, emails, videos, and social media posts should all be a part of your sustainer strategy all year long, as well as your year-end giving strategy. Now is not only the time to implement your year-end strategy, but also to start planning for next year.
The end of the year will inevitably be busy with the holiday rush and other year-end tasks to complete. The idea of fitting in one more fundraising email or tweaking your existing direct mail package may not be at the top of your to-do list at this moment.
“How to Maximize Year-End Giving—Tools & Tips” was written to provide you with strategies to create a successful year-end campaign. However, if you haven’t yet formulated your year-end strategy or written your copy, contact Write Choice Marketing. We’ll analyze your past year-end campaign performance, help set new goals, and collaborate with program staff to identify compelling stories to fund your cause. Don’t miss this prime opportunity to bring in much-needed funds for your organization.
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Write Choice Marketing – Helping nonprofits raise donations through compelling copy, engaging content, and donor responsive strategies that get results. We offer creative, cost-effective fundraising and marketing solutions. Contact us today for a free 30-minute consultation.
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