End-of-Year Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits: Maximize Donor Engagement and Donations When the calendar turns to November, many nonprofits enter one of the most crucial fundraising periods of the year. The holiday spirit, tax benefits, and seasonal giving days create a unique opportunity to drive donations that support mission-driven initiatives. Here are essential year-end fundraising tips to make the most of this giving season and set your nonprofit up for success. 1. Segment Donor Lists for Targeted Messaging An effective way to reach donors is by tailoring messages that resonate. Start by pulling your donor lists and segmenting them by factors like donation frequency, donation amount, or specific past campaign involvement. With segmented lists, you can craft personalized messages for each group to increase engagement and the likelihood of donations. For example, you could target major donors with messages about impact-driven milestones and smaller donors with updates about ongoing needs or progress. Benefits of Donor Segmentation:
2. Review Last Year’s Fundraising Results for SMART Goal Setting Take a data-driven approach by analyzing previous years’ fundraising performances. Identify which channels (email, social media, direct mail) contributed the most and how different donor segments responded to each campaign. This insight will help you create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals and set predictable outcomes for this year. SMART Goal-Setting Tips:
3. Create a Year-End Marketing and Communications Calendar An organized marketing calendar is essential to manage the complex end-of-year giving season. Include special dates and events, distribution channels, target audience segments, and clear calls to action for each campaign. Assign team members responsible for each action and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate effectiveness. Components to Include in Your Calendar:
4. Send a “Loop-Back” Email to All Donors A “loop-back” email is an effective way to re-engage previous donors. Send an email to donors who contributed in the past, reminding them of their impact and encouraging them to support your mission again this year. Highlight how last year’s donations were utilized and share stories of success. Why Loop-Back Emails Work:
5. Gather Stories to Inspire and Share Donors respond to real stories of lives changed or community improvement. Gather stories from your beneficiaries, staff, or volunteers that exemplify your organization’s impact. These narratives can be shared through emails, social media, or even a dedicated video campaign to bring your mission to life. How to Use Stories Effectively:
6. Send Thanksgiving Gratitude Messages Thanksgiving offers a perfect time to express your appreciation to all of your generous donors. Utilize “You” language in messages to all of your donors, thanking them for their contributions throughout the year - “Because of You”, “Your Kindness….”, “Your support has made a difference”. This message doesn’t need to or shouldn’t ask for a donation. Expressing gratitude fosters goodwill and reinforces the donors’ sense of purpose and impact. Ideas for a Gratitude Campaign:
7. Secure a Matching Gift Opportunity Donor matches are a powerful way to maximize contributions, as many donors are motivated by the potential to double their impact. Work with major donors or corporate sponsors to set up a matching gift for year-end giving campaigns. Highlight this match in all promotional materials to encourage giving. Matching Gift Tips:
8. Set Up a Peer-to-Peer Holiday Giving Campaign Peer-to-peer fundraising engages your supporters in promoting your cause within their personal networks, expanding your reach organically. Equip volunteers, board members, and loyal donors with the tools they need to run mini-campaigns on your behalf. Provide sample social posts and email templates to make it easy for them to ask friends and family for support. Peer-to-Peer Campaign Tips:
9. Use Clear Calls-to-Action in All Communications Every piece of communication should include a clear, compelling call to action (CTA). Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or sharing a story, a CTA should be specific and easy to follow. Phrases like “Donate Now to Double Your Impact” or “Yes - I want to provide affordable housing for families in my community!” are both actionable and inspiring. 10. Focus on Growing Your Donor Base, Not Just the Funds Raised When evaluating year-end fundraising success, nonprofits often focus on the total amount of funds raised. However, emphasizing the number of new donors can be equally valuable, if not more so. Attracting new supporters expands your donor base, builds long-term relationships, and boosts future fundraising potential. By welcoming new donors, your organization creates a broader community of advocates and supporters who may contribute regularly, increasing your impact over tie. Celebrating this growth in new supporters highlights the strength and reach of your mission beyond just dollar amounts - making it feel less transactional, and fostering a stronger, more diverse network of supporters for years to come. With thoughtful planning and data-driven approaches, nonprofits can make the most of the end-of-year giving season. By segmenting donor lists, setting clear goals, sharing impactful stories, and expressing gratitude, you can build stronger connections with donors and inspire increased contributions. Utilize these strategies to create a memorable and successful year-end fundraising campaign that sustains your mission well into the coming year. Big Deal Company is proud to support many nonprofits during the end-of-year giving season and beyond, helping organizations maximize their impact through strategic fundraising campaigns and successful event fundraisers. We offer a variety of downloadable resources, expert tips, and best practices, all designed to make your year-end giving campaign a success. Follow us on social media for event highlights, creative inspiration, and updates on our latest projects. 📘 Facebook | 📸 Instagram | 💼 LinkedIn | ▶️ YouTube | 📌 Pinterest Sign up for our online newsletter to stay updated on the latest insights and tools. As a collective of experts, BIG DEAL Company specializes in creativity. With superior organization, marketing experience and original ideas, we pull off amazing events and campaigns!
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The end of the year is not just a time for holiday festivities and celebrations - it’s also a critical period for nonprofits. It is so critical, that on average, nonprofits raise 26% of their annual revenue in December! A well-executed year-end campaign can set the tone for the upcoming year and provide essential resources for the organization. Nonprofit organizations must pay attention to their fundraising targets during this crucial time. Slash 26% out of anyone’s budget, and the results would be dire! So, what makes an end-of-year campaign a hit and successful? BIG DEAL Company has led multiple successful end-of-year campaigns, and here is what we have found to be some key elements for success:
Donor-Centric Approaches It is always helpful to remember that your donors are the heroes. Successful campaigns pull donors along on a journey, showing how their contributions make a difference. Donors like to see their dollars at work and feel like they are making a difference. Lifting up donors during an end-of-year campaign is also key. Personalized thank-you notes and shout-outs on social media can go a long way in making your supporters feel loved and appreciated. Multi-Channel Outreach You need to have a plan to meet your donors where they are. Gone are the days of a single end-of-year mailer or newsletter. Organizations must utilize social media, emails, as well as direct mailers to get their message across. If your organization has an advertising budget, the end-of-year giving season might be the right time to consider purchasing ad space or mailing lists as a way to broaden your audience reach. Different platforms engage people in different ways, so find out what your audience likes and meet them where they are! Create a Communications Plan Once you have found where your audience receives information, it is vital to set up a communications plan. Prepping your donors well in advance can drastically improve your end-of-year fundraising results. This can be done through emails and social media posts. Prepping communication does not have to ask for money. It just has to serve as a reminder of who you are and what problem you solve. Prepping communication is consistent, engaging, and strategic. Transparency Be open about how the funds will be used. People want to see how their hard-earned money and generosity are making real and tangible impacts. Create Urgency The clock is ticking and the year is ending! Create a sense of urgency by taking advantage of pre-planned giving days like #GivingTuesday, or in Northern Colorado, #ColoradoGivesDay. Build excitement and engagement with a countdown or milestones, encouraging people to act now, rather than later. It’s A Match! According to research from Double the Donation, 84% of donors are more likely to give if they know that their contributions will be matched[1]. 1 in 3 donors indicate that they would give a large gift if matching is applied to their donation[2]. Donors feel that they make a more significant impact on your organization and its cause when they can see their dollars doubled in real-time. Matching Donations can be leveraged by a major donor-matching gift, crowdsourcing matching gifts, or employee/corporate matching gifts. Once you have a plan for a matching gift, it is important that it is communicated clearly with your followers to achieve the greatest impact. [1] https://doublethedonation.com/statistics/ [2] https://doublethedonation.com/statistics/ Follow-Up Once the campaign is over, don’t forget to let everyone know how it went. Celebrate the successes and be honest about the areas where there could be some improvement. It’s also important to be clear with your gratitude. Have a clear plan for how your organization will thank donors at every level - new donors, large donors, small donors, match donors, corporate donors. Giving thanks increases the chances of donors coming back and donating again, setting the foundation for strong and positive relationships. Remember, every donation - big or small - gets you one step closer to your mission’s success. It’s not just about the money - it’s about building a community that shares your values and vision. If you are ready to elevate your organization’s end-of-year fundraising campaign, look no further than BIG DEAL Company. With our proven strategies and experience, we specialize in turning a mission into a compelling story that resonates with donors. We work with organizations to set clear fundraising goals, we design and create engaging multimedia content, and we optimize multi-channel outreach. We also provide robust analytics to help you track campaign performance in real time. Consider working with our team of professionals for your next end-of-year fundraising campaign. As a collective of experts, BIG DEAL Company specializes in creativity. With superior organization, marketing experience and original ideas, we pull off amazing events and campaigns!
BIG DEAL Company makes business personal by bringing JOY to the job in everything we do. As purveyors of fun with BIG DEAL, we support businesses and individuals in the growth of their ideas, events and marketing strategies. Our creative aptitude allows for unique ideas. Our passion for perfection makes every client a priority! Serving Colorado & Wyoming. We travel too! Contact BIG DEAL Company *** Bringing Joy to the Job *** Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us Disclosure: *All content produced by My Big Day; DBA Big Deal Company, including websites, are the property of My Big Day LLC and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative works, or in any other way exploit any part of our materials without the prior written permission from My Big Day LLC |
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